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📡 Today's status

The IFCN's official status, read every day. Green only when the IFCN writes « aberto » with no reserve.

● Closed« ENCERRADO » — IFCN

Jardim do Mar's old way down to the sea, closed in 2026. From Prazeres, at 530 m, the path drops 1.9 km — about 1:30, graded easy despite some 500 m of descent — to the Largo da Igreja of Jardim do Mar, at 35 m, on the west coast. It was one of the few routes to the shore available to residents. The mild climate and plentiful water very early turned this slope into a carefully tended garden of terraces held by stone walls, between which the path was laid. Before the end, the recently restored water mill recalls the days when the cereals of the parish and its surroundings were ground here; at the bottom, the ocean on one side and the mountain on the other.

Highlights

  • 500 m descent
  • Stone terraces
  • Restored mill
  • Closed in 2026
Difficulty
Easy
Length
1.9 km
Elevation gain
495 m
Duration
1:30
Price
€4.50 (over 12) · SIMplifica booking · free for residents and under-13s
Municipality
Calheta
🎟️ Book on SIMplifica🗺️ See the route on the map📍 Start🏁 End

Track for guidance only.

Places within 2 km of the route

  • 🏝️ Bathing spot

    Praia do Porto (Paul do Mar)

    At the eastern end of Paul do Mar, next to the harbour, the pebble beach of a village that has lived from the sea for centuries: on one side the narrow streets sheltered by the cliff, on the other the Atlantic where the traditional fishing boats float. Clear, mild water all year. In July the village hosts the limpet festival, which draws Madeirans and tourists. Bathing season 2026: 15 June – 15 September, but lifeguard cover not yet confirmed. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

    🗺️ See it on the map
  • 🏝️ Bathing spot

    Praia do Portinho (Jardim do Mar)

    Jardim do Mar's surf spot, known to surfers worldwide: basalt pebbles at the eastern end of the village, a pontoon and a ramp for getting into the water. Between point breaks and reef breaks, the North Atlantic swell delights experienced surfers — the site has hosted the Red Bull Big Wave Challenge and a world championship event. The village, set on a fajã below the cliffs, is worth the stroll. Bathing season 2026: 15 June – 15 September, but lifeguard cover not yet confirmed. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

    🗺️ See it on the map
  • 📍 Sítio

    Jardim do Mar

    The west-coast village set on a fajã at the foot of tall cliffs, whose name recalls the wild flowers that once covered it; narrow lanes and traditional low houses, a recently restored water mill, and a worldwide reputation among surfers: the Portinho beach — point breaks and reef breaks, Red Bull Big Wave Challenge, a world championship event — and Enseada, for advanced riders, get some of the best waves in Europe. You reach it by road or, when open, by the Vereda do Jardim do Mar (PR 20) from Prazeres.

    🗺️ See it on the map
  • 🔭 Viewpoint

    Miradouro do Jardim do Mar

    At the entrance to the parish, this lookout details Jardim do Mar, a village set on a fajã at the foot of tall cliffs, whose name recalls the wild flowers that once covered it; today the village's green contrasts with the bare cliff face. The place is also the end of the Vereda do Jardim do Mar (PR 20), 1.9 km from Prazeres with about 500 m of descent — a trail closed in 2026 — and the recently restored water mill is close by.

    🗺️ See it on the map