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Pico Do Facho Hike To Ribeira Beach, Madeira

Pico Do Facho Hike To Ribeira Beach, Madeira

The Pico do Facho hike is a great coastal trail on Madeira, starting in Machicho and reaching its halfway point at Ribeira Beach. This is a great hike for plane spotting due to its proximity to the airport. This lightly trafficked trail is highlighted by the viewpoint over Machico and the beautiful coastal views all the way to Sao Lourenco.

pico do facho hike machico canical

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a view of a swimming pool and a city.
a large swimming pool next to the ocean.

PICO DO FACHO HIKE DETAILS

  • Hike Distance: The total distance of my hike was 7.65km
  • Hike Duration: The hike will take you about 2 hours.
  • Hike Difficulty: This trail is a great one for all levels with no real dangers or drop-offs. There is a bit of a steady incline so you need to be in decent shape but it’s a moderate difficulty level.
  • Hike Incline: Total incline for the hike was 455meters
  • My Strava Map Upload: Pico do Facho
pico do facho hike machico canical

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HOW TO GET TO PICO DO FACHO HIKE

Pico do Facho hike begins in the upper neighborhood of Machico. It’s an out-and-back route, so you can park your car here and will return to the same spot. You can technically drive up to Pico do Facho and start there but it’s quite busy and not the suggested route. I will add the exact pin location for where to park and the trailhead.

pico do facho hike machico canical

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MY EXPERIENCE HIKING THE PCIO DO FACHO TRAIL

With a spare afternoon, I searched around for a short hike near Santa Cruz, where I was based at the time. I had driven past Machico a million times and always seen the radio tower atop the hill behind Machico and assumed there was a viewpoint up there. Today was the day to find out.

I found the route as an out-and-back starting near Snack Bar Levada Nova. There are a few different routes including a circular journey but I was more interested to see the coastal views and not looping back via a suburban levada.

pico do facho hike machico canical

The hike begins on a paved road in the steep suburbs above the center of Machico. The reality is that you can drive all the way to the initial viewpoint. However, don’t be disheartened as the majority of the route is on a natural path and is lightly trafficked. You will enjoy a natural, peaceful vibe once you veer away from the viewpoint.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

The trail begins with a 1-kilometer, uphill walk to the base of the Pico do Facho viewpoint. I noticed some climbers coming up the grassy slopes directly from Machico. This is the route that I traveled on for the Madeira Island Ultra Trail and it would be a much more natural route. However, you will add a few hundred meters of ascent to your route if you follow the trail running route of Machico. I decided to leave those steep pastures to the goats.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

Once reaching the base of Pico do Facho, you can either climb up and check out the view or leave it for when you return as it is an out-and-back route. I decided to carry on towards Canical as the sun wasn’t out and I thought I’d try my luck for better weather conditions when I was back to this point in about an hour’s time.

pico do facho hike machico canical

Just at the base of Pico do Facho, you turn left down a muddy driveway. It eventually merges into a small hiking track that will lead you along the coastal slopes to Canical.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

Starting with the muddy car tracks, the trail gets better and better the further you venture away from Pico do Facho. Views of Sao Lourenco are a constant in the backdrop or if you peer out over the ocean, you can spot Desertas Islands.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

About halfway to Ribeira Beach, there is a rocky ridge leading directly out to the ocean. It’s not part of the trail but I decided to venture out to find a nice vantage point of the planes that pass right past the cliffs. This adds a bit of scrambling and ‘danger’ to the hike but is an unnecessary detour.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

Undulating its way towards Ribeira Beach, I’m thoroughly enjoying the picturesque corners of the trail as the ocean provides a beautiful backdrop. The azure blues of the Atlantic contrast spectacularly against the lush greens of the slopes as they emerge from a wet winter. I think these goats enjoyed the view as well.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

The trail continues all the way along Ribeira Beach to the museum on the other side. I decided to turn back here at the start of the beach as I wasn’t looking for a swim. It’s quite a nice beach and appeared very empty on the day I visited.

pico do facho hike machico canical

I made the journey back up the incline to reach Pico do Facho to finally explore the viewpoint, which is the focal point of this coastal hiking route. A road wraps around the viewpoint and allows you easy access via stairs. However, there is a scrambling route as well that begins near the road. It’s your choice.

pico do facho hike machico canical

Atop the peak, there is a natural side where you can look out over Machico towards the hills. On the front side, there are stairs, tables, coffee vendors, and a view of the ocean and passing planes. I hung out by myself on the backside watching the clouds dissipate as they gave me a glimpse of Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro all the way up to the top of Madeira.

pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical
pico do facho hike machico canical

After enjoying the view, I made my way back down the paved road towards my car and wrapped up a solid afternoon of hiking along the southern coast of Madeira Island. I hope this was a helpful guide and review of the Pico do Facho to Ribeira Beach hike from Machico.

WONDERING ABOUT WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA?

Throughout my six months on Madeira Island, I stayed in multiple accommodations. My favorite regions to stay in were Funchal and Canico de Baixo. I’ve created several guides to help you find the right region for you and a great hotel or apartment.

an aerial view of a pool and a beach.

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