Why this ride
A dense sequence of passes, valleys and viewpoint roads. It also links naturally to Laurisilva of Madeira.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Madeira High Roads Loop
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 96 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 52
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Check wildfire closures, heat and local road works. Specific flag: tunnels; weather; narrow roads.
Seasonal context
year-round
Scenic road chapters
Madeira ER101 North Coast
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 32 km this is Madeira ER101 North Coast, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Rider note
Check the pass is open before you commit to it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 32 km
- Named road
- Madeira ER101 North Coast
- Pass
- Encumeada Pass
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Funchal
Funchal climbs the sides of a natural amphitheatre on the south coast of Madeira, and from the harbour the houses rise in tiers into the green mountains behind. It is the island's capital, with about a hundred thousand people, and the name comes from funcho, the Portuguese word for fennel, which grew wild here when the first settlers arrived in the fifteenth century. Sugar made the island rich, then wine, and the legacy of both still shows in the tall merchant houses and the church interiors covered in gilded wood.
Read the complete Funchal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Funchal sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Porto Moniz.
2. Porto Moniz
Porto Moniz sits at the north-western corner of Madeira, where the island runs out of land and meets the Atlantic with a wall of black volcanic rock. The village is small, with just under three thousand inhabitants, and its fame rests on the natural swimming pools, a series of basins formed in solidified lava by ancient eruptions, which fill with clear seawater at high tide and make a sheltered place to swim among the rocks while the swell crashes just beyond. Fishermen still work the coast, and the village has a small fort, a handful of cafes and a lively fish restaurant tradition. The name comes from an early settler family, the Monizes, who received land here in the fifteenth century.
Read the complete Porto Moniz write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Porto Moniz comes up 32 km in. Next is Funchal.
3. Funchal
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Funchal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
96 km in you reach Funchal.