PR2 (Vereda do Urzal) is a 10.3 km, hard, official IFCN route that requires a SIMplifica booking. Cost: €4.50 per person. Whether it is worth hiking right now depends on live conditions and today's official status, re-checked every 20 minutes in the live app.
Madeira
A coastal forecast will not tell you what it is doing at 1450m up on this ridge. That is what the live score is for. How the island splits one forecast into many: microclimate guide.
Is today the day?
The difference between a clear morning above the clouds and a wet, foggy drive is knowing before you go. Levadas reads the live weather, the safe-start window and how busy Vereda do Urzal is right now, then gives you one honest answer, re-checked every 20 minutes.
Ten seconds, one tap, from €2.99 once. No subscription.
Advance booking required via SIMplifica
The slot is €4.50 per person, tied to the day and time you pick. Book it on the right day, the first time.
Book now on SIMplifica How to book this trail Which trails are freeDownload GPX: free offline map
Grab the full GPS track and waypoints for Vereda do Urzal as a free GPX file, no signup. Load it into Garmin, Komoot, AllTrails, Gaia GPS or OsmAnd and follow the route offline, even where there is no phone signal.
ⓘ Source & safety
Track and waypoints from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Planning aid, not a safety guarantee. Check the official trail status and conditions before you go.Estimated hiking time
3h53
Getting there by bus
The nearest public bus stop to the Vereda do Urzal trailhead is VER Ribeiro Raíz (2591), 120 m away. That is a straight line on the map and not a walk: on this terrain the climb between the two can matter more than the distance.
The timetable we hold ran until July 30, 2026 and no newer one has been published, so departure times are not shown. The stop and the lines serving it (181) are unchanged.
Horários do Funchal is the only Madeira operator that publishes a machine-readable timetable. A trail without this block is one we hold no bus data for, not one no bus reaches.
About Vereda do Urzal
Starts at Fajã dos Cardos in the parish of Curral das Freiras and follows an ancient path once used by residents to reach the north coast. Climbs to an intersection at Boca das Torrinhas, where it connects to PR1.3 Vereda da Encumeada, then descends to Lombo do Urzal in the village of Boaventura. Offers views of Pico Ruivo (1862 m) and the Curral das Freiras valley, crossing the UNESCO-listed Laurisilva forest and high-altitude heathlands.
Vereda do Urzal (PR2) is a one way route of about 10.3 km in Madeira.
What you'll see
The route takes in endemic Madeiran flora, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
Landmarks on the route include Lage, Torrinhas and Ramal.
The path runs between roughly 518 m and 1,450 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.
Difficulty
Vereda do Urzal rates as hard on our objective scale, based on 10.3 km, 1,095 m of ascent and low exposure.
This grade is an estimate from distance, ascent and exposure, not an official IFCN rating.
How long it takes
Allow about 4h 30m one way, a point-to-point route.
The app's live 0-100 score also flags the latest safe start time for the day. See it in the app.
Getting there and back
Starts at Curral das Freiras. Ends at Boaventura. This is a one-way route, so you finish where your car is not: plan a second car, a taxi from the far end, or the walk back before you set off. A car park is mapped for this route, though its size is not recorded. The car park is about 820 m from the start.
Best time to walk it
May to Oct; the long, steep climb to 1450 m is best in dry, stable weather. Exposed sections are dangerous in winter rain and wind.
High trails are best early: clear summits and the chance of a sunrise above the clouds before the cloud builds.
This route is mostly open to the sun, so it bites on a hot, clear day. Start early and carry more water than you think you need.
The sun and shade reading comes from the slope's aspect and steepness, so it describes terrain shading and not tree cover.
A live 0-100 score picks the best 30-minute window for the day. See today's window in the app.
Booking
Vereda do Urzal is a regulated trail with a daily visitor cap, so you must reserve a timed slot in advance through SIMplifica before you go. The official fee is around €4.50 per person. Levadas does not sell tickets or make the reservation for you.
Official trail status
According to IFCN, as of 20 Aug 2026, this trail is currently officially open.
IFCN's own status page is dated 24 Jul 2026. The date above (20 Aug 2026) is ours: it records when we last read that page, not when IFCN wrote it.
Official status can change, so always check the latest before you go.
Fire and other live hazards near this trail are tracked on the Madeira trail alerts page
Frequently asked questions
Is Vereda do Urzal worth hiking today?
It depends on today's conditions, and that is exactly what Levadas answers. The app reads the current weather at Vereda do Urzal, the safe-start window, how busy it is and the official IFCN status, then gives one honest go-or-wait score from 0 to 100, re-checked every 20 minutes. It is decision-support, not a safety clearance: an official IFCN closure always overrides the score, no matter how good the weather looks.
How long is Vereda do Urzal?
Vereda do Urzal is about 10.3 km (one way).
How difficult is Vereda do Urzal?
Vereda do Urzal rates as hard based on its distance, ascent and exposure (an objective estimate, not an official IFCN grade).
Is Vereda do Urzal safe?
Vereda do Urzal is a low-exposure route, so a drop beside the path is not the thing to plan around. It reaches 1,450 m, and the weather up there is not the weather at the coast. None of that tells you about today, and this page does not try to. Conditions decide, which is why Levadas reads the current weather on Vereda do Urzal, the safe-start window and the official IFCN status, then gives one go-or-wait score from 0 to 100. It is decision-support, not a safety clearance, and an official IFCN closure overrides the score however good the weather looks.
How long does Vereda do Urzal take to walk?
Allow about 4h 30m.
Can I download a GPX track for Vereda do Urzal?
Yes. Tap Download GPX on this page: the first download on any device asks for an email so we can also send the free trail pack, then every later trail downloads instantly.
Do I need to book Vereda do Urzal?
Yes. Vereda do Urzal is a regulated trail with a daily cap, so you must reserve a timed slot through SIMplifica in advance. The official fee is around €4.50 per person.
Where does Vereda do Urzal start and finish?
Vereda do Urzal starts at Curral das Freiras and finishes at Boaventura.
What will I see on Vereda do Urzal?
Highlights include endemic Madeiran flora, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
When is the best time to hike Vereda do Urzal?
May to Oct; the long, steep climb to 1450 m is best in dry, stable weather. Exposed sections are dangerous in winter rain and wind.
Is Vereda do Urzal open right now?
IFCN lists Vereda do Urzal as officially open. Status can change, so check the latest before you go.
How do I check live conditions for Vereda do Urzal?
Levadas scores Vereda do Urzal from 0 to 100 using live weather along the path and the official status, refreshed every 20 minutes. You also see how busy it is. Open the trail in the app to see the live score and the best time to go today.