The Caminho Real do Paul do Mar (''Royal Path of Paul do Mar'') is a
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
in
Paul do Mar
Paul do Mar is a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta, in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 871, in an area of 1.40 km2.
History
The origin of the toponymy ''paul do mar'' is linked to its geographic p ...
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
). It is the first walking trail of the annual Madeira Walking Festival, which takes place in January. The trail starts from the village of Prazeres ( altitude) , and goes down to Paul do Mar Harbour . It is about long and takes up to 80 minutes to complete. During the walk the villages of
Jardim do Mar
Jardim do Mar ( Portuguese for ''garden of the sea'') is a civil parish in the western part of the municipality of Calheta in the Portuguese island of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 204, in an area of 0.74 km².Echium nervosum) and Madeira mountain stock ( Euphorbia piscatoria) can be viewed.
This trail is one of the historic “municipal paths” on Madeira. These paths were the only means of access to villages such as Paul do Mar before roads were built. Also, it was cheaper to use the path for transporting goods rather than bringing them by sea which was more expensive and dangerous when the sea was rough in winter. Nowadays ''Caminho Real'' is one of the official ''Madeira Islands Footpaths'' (PR19).