Caminho Real nº23 Achada do Gramacho

The "Caminho real", or "estrada real", is the name given to the main land routes built before the establishment of the Republic. In Madeira, most were created at the initiative of the governors or captains-general, serving as an alternative and complement to maritime connections. These 'estradas reais' are part of Madeira's collective memory and, above all, are an example of the great difficulty involved in building an island from scratch.