Miradouro Cruz da Caldeira

Getting there Grey path, ridge in cloud. Look before the drive up. It is 10 to 15 degrees colder than Funchal once you are out of the trees, and a jacket belongs in the car. Sun on the seafront is a poor forecast for the top. Often the cloud sits on the ridge while the bay is bright. This picture is only what it faces. A summit with no road is not the car park in the frame, and a car park camera is not the summit. Toilets and a snack, if there are any, are where you leave the car. The fee for non-residents 12 and over is €4.50 on Simplifica where the high paths charge. Clear is not the same as open. If the path vanishes into grey, turn back. Do not stop in the lane on the way up. If the walk is the point, leave sooner than a pretty frame suggests. The drive from Funchal takes the time, and a grey breakfast picture can clear or can sit until dark. Look again in the last village before the steep bit. That is the useful look. Going up and turning back when the path vanishes is a proper day, not a failure. Use a low gear on the descent. Riding the brakes is how they fade. Buy fuel and pack the jacket in Funchal. A clear afternoon after a grey morning happens often. So does the other way round. The picture is how you avoid driving the hill twice to find out. Look before you set off, and look again while you can still change the plan. Funchal's sky is a weak guide to the rest of the island. Keep a jacket in the car. Do not leave the car in a lane. When the picture and the town disagree, the picture wins. Ten minutes is a fair second look. An hour can be a different shore.