PR 3 - Vereda do Burro

A walking trail that connects Pico do Areeiro with the reception center of Parque Ecológico do Funchal, crossing areas with flora and fauna typical of Madeira's high-altitude zones. The landscape around Poço da Neve is particularly noteworthy - a unique construction of regional heritage. To conclude the route, exploring the Ribeira das Cales valley provides opportunities to observe indigenous vegetation along its banks and access to small waterfalls and pools that are part of the watercourse.
The upper end of the trail is located at 1805 meters altitude, just below the summit of Pico do Areeiro (1818 meters), which is the third highest point on the island. At the beginning of the route, we can observe a broad panoramic view over the Ribeira do Cidrão valley, which confluences at Curral das Freiras with Ribeira dos Socorridos, and also the western mountain massif of Madeira island, where the Paul da Serra plateau stands out.
Poço da Neve is the next point to visit, about 1.7km after the start of the route. It is a reservoir dating from 1813, used in the past to store snow and hail that fell sporadically on Funchal's highest mountains. The ice was used in hospitals, hotels and ice cream production until the first half of the 20th century, when the first ice-making machines appeared in Madeira.
Continuing the route to the beginning of Ribeira das Cales provides an opportunity to observe characteristic high-altitude species, some very rare among Madeiran flora such as the rowan tree, Sorbus maderensis, or more common ones like heathers, Erica platycodon and Erica arborea, the bilberry, Vaccinium padifolium and some trees like the holly, Ilex perado and the laurel, Laurus novocanariensis.
In these areas, various passerine birds are easily observed, the most common being the meadow pipit, Anthus berthelotii madeirensis and the Madeira firecrest, Regulus madeirensis.
The Ribeira dos Cales valley is the next discovery along a path that alternates between the left bank in the initial section and continues along the right bank until approaching the Reception Center of Parque Ecológico do Funchal.