Mountain biking in and around Machico : the Cyclin' Machico enduro network
Machico has its own signed enduro mountain bike centre: three routes and 21 named trails, 33 km of trail in total, spread across Poiso, Portela, Santo da Serra, Caniçal and Machico itself. The town hosted Enduro World Series stages in 2017 and 2019, and the network has been maintained since. Everything below is copied from the Centro Cyclin' Machico board on the Machico seafront.
Read off the Centro Cyclin' Machico information board in Machico and photographed on 23 September 2026. Distances and altitudes are the board's own figures.
The visual record
Real photographs onlyGallery 01, 04
CreditMike McCabe / Madeira InfoReal photographs and clips taken on the island, no AI imagery. Every upload is metadata-checked before it appears here.
The network at a glance
- Routes
- 3 (Roteiro 1, 2 and 3)
- Trails
- 21 named enduro trails
- Total trail length
- 33 km
- Areas covered
- Poiso, Portela, Santo da Serra, Caniçal, Machico
- Race history
- Enduro World Series stages, 2017 and 2019
- Managed by
- Madeira Ocean & Trails with Machico town council
The three routes and their trails
Route 1
29.3 km · +1405 m / −2465 m · 1400 m / 220 m
- 1
Mushrooms
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.70 km
- Altitude variation:
- +5 / −180 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1375 / 1200 m
- 2
Cabouco
Moderate- Distance:
- 1.30 km
- Altitude variation:
- +10 / −120 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1200 / 1090 m
- 3
Trutas
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.10 km
- Altitude variation:
- +1 / −221 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1400 / 1180 m
- 4
Ratboy
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.00 km
- Altitude variation:
- +1 / −151 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1400 / 1250 m
- 5
Kambota
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.60 km
- Altitude variation:
- +3 / −198 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1385 / 1190 m
- 6
Cabras
Difficult- Distance:
- 2.00 km
- Altitude variation:
- +6 / −211 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1330 / 1125 m
- 7
Ridge
Difficult- Distance:
- 0.60 km
- Altitude variation:
- +4 / −94 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1170 / 1080 m
- 8
Porto da Cruz
Extremely difficult- Distance:
- 4.40 km
- Altitude variation:
- +10 / −670 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1000 / 340 m
Route 2
21.4 km · +220 m / −1394 m · 1405 m / 8 m
- 9
Pico das Cruzes
Easy- Distance:
- 0.70 km
- Altitude variation:
- +1 / −46 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1400 / 1355 m
- 10
Ladrões
Easy- Distance:
- 0.60 km
- Altitude variation:
- +0 / −35 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1360 / 1325 m
- 11
Terreiros
Easy- Distance:
- 0.70 km
- Altitude variation:
- +0 / −50 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1325 / 1275 m
- 12
Quatro Estradas 1
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.10 km
- Altitude variation:
- +1 / −146 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1285 / 1140 m
- 13
Quatro Estradas 2
Difficult- Distance:
- 0.70 km
- Altitude variation:
- +0 / −85 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1140 / 1055 m
- 14
Ovelha Negra
Moderate- Distance:
- 1.90 km
- Altitude variation:
- +8 / −193 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 1050 / 830 m
- 15
Hole in One
Difficult- Distance:
- 3.20 km
- Altitude variation:
- +9 / −449 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 585 / 145 m
Route 3
28.9 km · +1900 m / −2700 m · 620 m / 10 m
- 16
Nêsperas
Moderate- Distance:
- 0.75 km
- Altitude variation:
- +1 / −116 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 565 / 450 m
- 17
Abelhas
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.50 km
- Altitude variation:
- +0 / −375 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 605 / 230 m
- 18
Boca do Risco
Extremely difficult- Distance:
- 2.20 km
- Altitude variation:
- +6 / −316 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 555 / 245 m
- 19
Natal
Difficult- Distance:
- 1.50 km
- Altitude variation:
- +6 / −206 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 240 / 40 m
- 20
Machico 1
Difficult- Distance:
- 0.95 km
- Altitude variation:
- +3 / −153 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 400 / 250 m
- 21
Machico 2
Moderate- Distance:
- 0.85 km
- Altitude variation:
- +0 / −165 m
- Max / min altitude:
- 255 / 90 m
Difficulty grades. The board grades every trail on a four-colour scale: green easy, blue moderate, red difficult, black extremely difficult. The grades shown here follow the colour printed next to each trail on the board.
Code of conduct on the board
- · Ride on open trails only
- · Leave no trace of your passage
- · Control your bicycle
- · Yield to others
- · Never scare the animals
- · Plan ahead
- · Motorised vehicles are not allowed on the descent trails
- · Respect the environmental and maintenance signage
Useful numbers from the board
- Emergency
- 112
- Forest Police (Polícia Florestal)
- +351 968 571 606
- Machico Municipal Firefighters
- +351 291 965 183
Questions about biking in Machico
How many mountain bike trails are there in Machico?
Twenty-one named enduro trails, grouped into three routes, totalling 33 km of trail. They run across the Machico municipality, taking in Poiso, Portela, Santo da Serra, Caniçal and Machico.
Which is the longest descent?
Porto da Cruz, trail 8 on Route 1: 4.40 km with 670 m of descent, from 1000 m down to 340 m. It is graded extremely difficult on the board. Hole in One on Route 2 is 3.20 km with 449 m of descent.
Are there easy trails for less experienced riders?
Yes. Route 2 starts with three green-graded trails, Pico das Cruzes, Ladrões and Terreiros, each between 0.60 and 0.70 km with very little descent. They sit high up around 1300–1400 m.
Did Machico host the Enduro World Series?
Yes. The board states that Machico hosted stages of the Enduro World Series in 2017 and 2019, and that continuous work has been done since to improve and maintain the trail network.
Where is the information board?
On the Machico seafront, by the promenade. It carries the full map, the elevation profile of each route, all 21 trail cards, the code of conduct and the emergency numbers.
Can I ride the trails on a motorbike or e-motorbike?
No. The board's code of conduct states that motorised vehicles are not permitted on the descent trails.
More on this corner of the island
Last checked on the ground: 23 September 2026