Hike Curral das Freiras to Boca da Corrida June 9, 2016

Caught the 1000 hrs Nr 81 bus from Funchal (bus stop close to cable car) to Curral das Freiras 9 June 2016.

1050 hrs got off at the bridge at Fajã Escura, 1 km north of Curral das Freiras. Here, we prepared ourselves for the hike to Boca da Corrida, Walk nr 35 in Rother's Guide in reverse.

 

The route we were to follow would climb steeply from an elevation of 600 m to 1300m Boca do Cerro, most of the way through the famous Chestnut tree forest. Thereafter, the path would flatten out, undulating between 1310 m and 1236 m at Boca da Corrida, a distance of 11 km from our start.

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View of Pico Grande, through the mainly Chestnut trees.

 

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Wonderful mountainous panoramas throughout the hike

 

View down to the bridge at Fajã Escura, our starting point

 

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Much gorse and some Taginistas

 

 

Just past Boca do Cerro, we pass the trail to Pico Grande 

Early afternoon, the clouds develop 

 

 

 

1550 hrs, we reach Boca da Corrida, 1235 m.

 

 Unfortunately there is no bus from here so we had to walk 3 kms down a very steep road (often walking backwards to save our knees!) to Jardim da Serra. There, we caught the nr 96 bus at 1730 hrs back to Funchal.