Madeira hiking trails and levadas

Madeira's most walked levada, for visitors and Madeirans alike. It starts at the Rabaçal car park on the ER 105, 4.3 km to the Lagoa das 25 Fontes and 4.3 km back, about 3 h, moderate, between 964 and 1,288 m — the initial descent to Casa do Rabaçal has to be climbed again on the way back. The path follows the Levada Nova do Rabaçal, known as the 25 Fontes levada, almost parallel to the Levada do Risco (PR 6.1) with which it shares its start, and reaches the lagoon fed by water from the Paul da Serra plateau, which resurfaces here through twenty-five springs: a textbook suspended aquifer whose abundance and permanence decided the building of the region's levadas, classified as geosite C01 – 25 Fontes. On the way, views over the Ribeira da Janela valley and the deep green of the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the captured water then crosses the island through the Túnel do Cavalo to the Calheta hydroelectric plant, the taps and the fields of the municipality. Plenty of shade; no fountain mentioned. The regional forestry institute announces controlled one-way circulation (Rabaçal → 25 Fontes along the levada, return by an alternative section): follow the signs on the day.

• Lagoa das 25 Fontes
• Geosite C01
• Laurissilva
• Ribeira da Janela valley
• Controlled one-way

🥾 PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Santana's great levada, in the heart of the Laurissilva: 8.7 km from the Queimadas forest park to the Caldeirão Verde and on to the Caldeirão do Inferno, and 8.7 km back, about 6:30, moderate, between 872 and 1,020 m. The start is a scene in itself: the Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas keeps the triangular shape and thatched roof of Santana's typical houses. The channel, built in the 18th century to bring water to the farmland of the parish of Faial, runs along escarpments and mountains and passes through four tunnels cut into the rock — a head torch is essential. Then, on the left, appears the Caldeirão Verde lake, where the water of the Ribeiro do Caldeirão Verde falls about a hundred metres. The hardier walkers continue to the Caldeirão do Inferno, 2.2 km further, before returning the same way. Constant forest and damp: windbreaker and waterproof shoes. Queimadas car park charged at €2 per hour.

• Four tunnels: torch
• Waterfall of about 100 m
• Caldeirão do Inferno
• Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas
• 18th-century levada

🥾 PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The easiest walk in the Laurissilva: 1.5 km almost flat (870 – 880 m) from the ER 103 at Ribeiro Frio to the Balcões viewpoint, and 1.5 km back, about 1:30 in all. The path follows the Levada da Serra do Faial between native and endemic species — laurel-family trees on one side, exotic species along the edge on the other. At the end, the balcony overlooks valleys entirely covered by native forest, with the Fajã da Nogueira hydroelectric plant below and, on clear days, the central range: Pico do Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo in a row. On the way back, the Ribeiro Frio forest park houses the aquaculture centre and its rainbow-trout nursery. Continuous shade, a wide path: ideal with children or as a first contact with the UNESCO-listed forest.

• Balcões viewpoint
• View of the three peaks
• Ribeiro Frio trout
• Flat and family-friendly

🥾 PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

From the plateau to the enchanted forest: 10.8 km from Assobiadores, on Paul da Serra (ER 209), to Fanal, about 4 h, moderate, between 1,130 and 1,420 m. The trail crosses a vast stretch of Laurissilva in an exemplary state of conservation — the endemic forest listed as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999, which has existed for some 20 million years and holds more than 80% of the region's endemic species. At the place called Sítio do Fio you discover the ingenious cable installation once used to send wood and brush down from Fanal to Chão da Ribeira and Seixal for farming. The finish is at Fanal, a small volcanic crater classified as a Rest and Quiet Reserve by the Parque Natural da Madeira: natural viewpoints and groves of centuries-old tils, some of which were already there before the island was discovered. Frequent fog, which is the whole charm of the place and means staying on the path; little shade on the plateau at the start.

• Fanal
• Centuries-old tils
• Rest and Quiet Reserve
• Sítio do Fio
• Paul da Serra

🥾 PR 13 Vereda do Fanal →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The long descent from Pico Ruivo to the north coast: 8.2 km from the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo (1,764 m at the trailhead) down to the village of Ilha at 490 m, in the municipality of Santana, in about 3 h, moderate — close to 1,300 m of descent to be taken calmly, with knees and poles in mind. It is one of the two official exits of the one-way PR 1 crossing (the regional forestry institute's provides no transport back to Pico do Areeiro). You cross two Natura 2000 ecosystems: first the Maciço Montanhoso with its herbaceous and shrubby vegetation adapted to wide temperature swings, rain and strong winds, found from the summits down to 1,200 m; then the Laurissilva, the cloud forest between 400 and 1,200 m, where fog condenses on the leaves and feeds springs and streams — the very mechanism that keeps the levadas alive. Frequent birds: the Madeira firecrest and the chaffinch. Official altitudes 490 – 1,764 m. Official length: 8.2 km; the route's trace measures 7.0 km on the map. Access 2026: €4.50 per visitor over 12 (booking exclusively on SIMplifica), or included in the €10.50 "full PR 1" ticket; free for residents and children up to 12, registration compulsory even when exempt; 1/3/7-day passes available for two or more trails, PR 1 excluded. Closures are official — check the status of the day before you set out; refunds only for an official closure (10 working days). Safety advice: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• 1,274 m descent
• Exit route of PR 1
• Laurissilva
• Madeira firecrest

🥾 PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The shortest way to the roof of the archipelago: 2.8 km (plus 2.8 km back) from the Achada do Teixeira car park, where the rock formation "Homem em Pé" stands, up to Pico Ruivo (1,862 m), 1:30 round trip, moderate. The well-built path is dotted with shelters put up for the sudden weather changes of the Maciço Montanhoso (Natura 2000 site and regional Natural Monument); walking above a sea of clouds is common. Near the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo three other trails meet: PR 1 to Pico do Areeiro (one-way in the other direction from Pedra Rija), PR 1.3 to Encumeada (final section closed) and PR 1.1 to Ilha — it is also the shortest way down for those who have walked the PR 1 crossing. Open views over the whole central range. Pico Ruivo is the realm of Zino's petrel, an endangered seabird that nests only in these mountains. Access 2026: €4.50 per visitor over 12 (booking exclusively on SIMplifica), or included in the €10.50 "full PR 1" ticket; free for residents and children up to 12, registration compulsory even when exempt; 1/3/7-day passes available for two or more trails, PR 1 excluded. Closures are official — check the status of the day before you set out; refunds only for an official closure (10 working days). Safety advice: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• Pico Ruivo 1862 m
• Achada do Teixeira
• Homem em Pé
• Sea of clouds
• Shelters along the way

🥾 PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The westward crossing of the central range: 11.2 km from the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo (1,764 m) to Encumeada (1,009 m), moderate, 5 h. Two Natura 2000 ecosystems follow one another: the Maciço Montanhoso with its volcanic escarpments, then the ancient Laurissilva. The path passes several caves cut into the rock, such as Furna da Lapa da Cadela, which once sheltered the men who climbed here to cut heather — Erica platycodon subsp. maderincola and tree heath — for firewood, charcoal and hurdles. At Boca das Torrinhas it meets PR 2 (Vereda do Urzal) towards Curral das Freiras or Boaventura. In 2026 only the Pico Ruivo – Boca das Torrinhas section is open: the rest, down to Encumeada, remains closed with no reopening date announced, and the regional forestry institute's states that no east–west crossing of the island is currently possible on classified trails; from Boca das Torrinhas you therefore continue on PR 2. At Encumeada the trail links up with PR 17 and PR 21. Official length: 11.2 km; the route's trace measures 10.0 km on the map. Access 2026: €4.50 per visitor over 12 (booking exclusively on SIMplifica), or included in the €10.50 "full PR 1" ticket; free for residents and children up to 12, registration compulsory even when exempt; 1/3/7-day passes available for two or more trails, PR 1 excluded. Closures are official — check the status of the day before you set out; refunds only for an official closure (10 working days). Safety advice: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• Central ridge
• Boca das Torrinhas
• Heather-cutters' caves
• Laurissilva
• Final section closed

🥾 PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The old path that linked the south coast to the north coast over the mountains. It starts at Fajã dos Cardos, in the Curral das Freiras cirque, and ends at Lombo do Urzal, in the parish of Boaventura: 10.3 km official list, 4:30, moderate, between 519 and 1,450 m. The beginning runs through exotic vegetation, then come high-altitude vegetation and the native Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The climb leads to Boca das Torrinhas, the junction with PR 1.3: from there the section to Pico Ruivo is open (the one to Encumeada remains closed). The pass gives a mountain panorama over the peaks that enclose the Curral das Freiras valley — worth a stop. Afterwards the trail only descends, through dense vegetation, to Lombo do Urzal. Plan your logistics: the two ends are about an hour's drive apart.

• Old south–north path
• Boca das Torrinhas
• Curral das Freiras
• Boaventura
• Laurissilva

🥾 PR 2 Vereda do Urzal →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The gentle way down from Pico do Areeiro towards Funchal, graded easy: 6.7 km, about 2:40, from 1,805 m — just below the summit (1,818 m), the archipelago's third-highest peak — to the welcome centre of the Parque Ecológico do Funchal at Ribeira das Cales (1,130 m). Views over the Ribeira do Cidrão valley, which joins the Ribeira dos Socorridos at Curral das Freiras, and over the Paul da Serra plateau. On the way, the Poço da Neve: an igloo-shaped well built in 1813 to store the snow and hail of the peaks, whose ice then went down to the city's hospitals, hotels and ice-cream makers. Typical high-altitude flora all along. Managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, the trail needs neither booking nor fee; it continues as PR 3.1 to Monte for a walk all the way to town. A classified trail managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, so outside the booking-and-fee regime: free access. Safety advice applies everywhere: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• Pico do Areeiro
• Poço da Neve (1813)
• Funchal Ecological Park
• High-altitude flora
• No booking

🥾 PR 3 Vereda do Burro →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The natural continuation of PR 3: from Ribeira das Cales, in the heart of the Parque Ecológico do Funchal, to the parish of Monte and its historic centre. Length 5.5 km, about 2 h, moderate, from 1,130 to 550 m. Right at the start, next to the park's welcome centre, you cross the Levada das Cales, a channel dating from 1784. The woods mix native and exotic trees and are full of birds; you pass the Ribeira das Cales nursery and the Pico Alto viewpoint (1,129 m), a balcony over the whole municipality of Funchal, before following the historic line of Caminho Real no. 24, one of the island's old cobbled royal roads. At the end, Monte's church and the Monte Palace garden; to get back to Funchal, the traditional wicker sledges or the cable car that flies over the south coast. Managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, no booking and no fee. Official length: 5.5 km; the route's trace measures 4.0 km on the map. A classified trail managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, so outside the booking-and-fee regime: free access. Safety advice applies everywhere: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• Levada das Cales (1784)
• Pico Alto viewpoint
• Caminho Real n.º 24
• Monte
• No booking

🥾 PR 3.1 Caminho Real do Monte →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

A levada on a balcony above Funchal, graded easy: 6.7 km, about 2:10, from Poço da Neve to Casa do Barreiro in the Parque Ecológico do Funchal, between 1,650 and 975 m. It starts on the ER 202, the Pico do Areeiro road, at Poço da Neve: this igloo-shaped building, part of the city's heritage, was used from 1813 to keep the snow and hail that fell on the mountains and supply Funchal with ice. Along the channel, the island's typical high-altitude vegetation — tree heath and uveira da serra, the Madeira blueberry — then a privileged view over the Ribeira de Santa Luzia valley and the city, with the Barreiro viewpoint as the high point. From Casa do Barreiro you can carry on to the village of Monte. Managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, no booking and no fee; in 2026 the route is only partially passable, and a signposted alternative leads from the park's interpretation centre to Ribeira das Cales. Official length: 6.7 km; the route's trace measures 4.9 km on the map. A classified trail managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, so outside the booking-and-fee regime: free access. Safety advice applies everywhere: never walk alone, tell someone your plan, finish before dark, carry spare water and food, and give up in heavy rain, wind or hail.

• Poço da Neve (1813)
• View over Funchal
• Tree heath and Madeira blueberry
• Partially passable

🥾 PR 4 Levada do Barreiro →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The Laurissilva of the east of the island, between Portela and Machico: 8.7 km, about 3 h, moderate, from 624 to 186 m. The start, at the Portela viewpoint, opens onto the parishes of Porto da Cruz and Faial and the north coast; all along, the rock mass of Penha d'Águia, one of Madeira's great geological symbols, dominates the scenery. The trail first follows the Serra das Funduras forest road, then plunges into the native forest, a Natura 2000 site of Community importance and a major refuge for endemic fauna and flora — the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage site since December 1999, covers about 15,000 ha, or 20% of the island. You pass Casa das Funduras, a forestry support house, from where a detour leads to the Larano viewpoint and its view over Machico bay. The path finally crosses the traditional agricultural terraces and ends at Maroços. Plenty of shade under the forest, but no fountain is mentioned: carry water.

• Portela viewpoint
• Penha d'Águia
• Laurissilva
• Larano viewpoint
• Maroços terraces

🥾 PR 5 Vereda das Funduras →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The 25 Fontes' little sister, graded easy and recommended for families. Same start as PR 6 at the Rabaçal car park (ER 105); 3 km plus 3 km back, about 2 h round trip, between 1,000 and 1,288 m. You follow the Levada do Risco — the old Levada Velha do Rabaçal — at about 1,000 m, through dense Laurissilva vegetation with openings onto the natural heritage of the valley. The reward is at the end: the Risco viewpoint, facing a waterfall that drops vertically, drawing a white line on the dark rock — one of the island's most photographed scenes. Return the same way, or continue to the Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6) if you still have time. Plenty of shade, a wide path; no fountain mentioned.

• Risco waterfall
• For the whole family
• Laurissilva
• Combines with PR 6

🥾 PR 6.1 Levada do Risco →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Rabaçal's almost flat levada: 3.5 km one way from the ER 105 car park to the source of the Levada do Alecrim at the Ribeira do Lajeado, between 1,256 and 1,339 m, about 2:30 round trip, graded easy. The channel, also called Levada do Paul I, was built to feed the Calheta hydroelectric plant through the Rabaçal loading chamber. Wide views over the Rabaçal valley and the Ribeira da Janela, over the greens of the Laurissilva (UNESCO World Heritage), and a few heather tunnels that give the path its atmosphere. At the end, the "Dona Beja" lake, whose water feeds the Lagoa do Vento waterfall: a place to cool off. Return the same way, or descend to the Casa de Abrigo do Rabaçal by the Vereda da Lagoa do Vento (PR 6.3). Little shade on the plateau: hat and water.

• Lagoa Dona Beja
• Heather tunnels
• View over Rabaçal
• Almost flat

🥾 PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The path to Rabaçal's hidden waterfall. It starts about 200 m from the Casa de Abrigo do Rabaçal, next to the path that climbs to the ER 105, and descends 1.8 km (plus 1.8 km back, about 1:30) to the Lagoa do Vento, graded easy. You cross a transition zone between high-altitude heath and Laurissilva, with the uveira da serra (Vaccinium padifolium, the Madeira blueberry) and the laurel. After about 1,600 m, a fork: right for the link to the Levada do Alecrim, left for the descent to the lake, a basin formed by the waters of the Ribeira do Lajeado plunging from the top of the escarpment — a place to recover to the sound of the fall. Return the same way or climb to the ER 105 by the Levada do Alecrim (PR 6.2) to make a loop.

• Lagoa do Vento
• Ribeira do Lajeado waterfall
• Heath and Laurissilva
• Loop with PR 6.2

🥾 PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The historic way into Rabaçal along the old levada. It starts on the ER 105 at Pico Gordo, 5 km, about 2 h, between 1,038 and 1,190 m, to Casa do Rabaçal. After some 800 m of descent you reach the Levada Velha do Rabaçal, or Levada do Risco: to the right the trail carries on to Casa do Rabaçal; to the left opens the imposing Túnel das Estrebarias, known as Furado Velho, bored in 1855 — for the first time in Madeira's history the abundant waters of the north crossed the island to the drier south. The old levada is now only used between its source and the surroundings of Casa do Rabaçal; its water is then passed into the Levada Nova, the 25 Fontes one. From the clearings, deep views over the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage site since December 1999 and a Natura 2000 site. The route lets you avoid the road closed to traffic between the ER 105 and Casa do Rabaçal.

• Túnel das Estrebarias (1855)
• Pico Gordo
• Casa do Rabaçal
• Laurissilva

🥾 PR 6.4 Levada Velha do Rabaçal →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The descent from the plateau to the 25 Fontes along an old footpath. It starts on the ER 209, on Paul da Serra, 3.8 km, about 1:30, from 1,422 to 990 m, to the 25 Fontes lagoon. High-altitude heath dominates first, then, as you lose height, the folhado, the til and the laurel of the Laurissilva appear. On clear days Pico Fernandes gives a 360° panorama over Paul da Serra, the island's most important aquifer-recharge area. The path joins the Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6) and follows it to the lagoon, a textbook suspended aquifer classified as geosite C01. Return the same way, or by PR 6 to Casa do Rabaçal. Little shade on the upper part; bring water. Official length: 3.8 km; the route's trace measures 3.3 km on the map.

• Paul da Serra
• 360° view
• 25 Fontes
• Heath then til and laurel

🥾 PR 6.5 Vereda do Pico Fernandes →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The trail of the great tunnel. It leaves the Caldeira leisure area, known as the "Garagem", on Estrada Dr. Roberto Monteiro (the official list writes "Roberto Ornelas") and reaches Casa do Rabaçal, the meeting point of all the Rabaçal trails: 2.3 km, about 45 minutes, between 988 and 1,055 m. The first 800 m follow a forest track to the Túnel do Cavalo, also called Furado Novo or Furado das 25 Fontes. Bored from 1863 to 1877 and about 800 m long, it carries the water of the Ribeira dos Cedros and the 25 Fontes under the mountain, in the Levada Nova do Rabaçal, to the municipality of Calheta: hydroelectric plant, drinking water and irrigation. A head torch is essential; the tunnel is high and easy to walk. At the exit you follow the Levada das 25 Fontes to the staircase on the right that climbs to Casa do Rabaçal; carrying on along the levada takes you to the Lagoa das 25 Fontes. At Rabaçal, the reception centre tells the story of how Madeira's levadas were built.

• Túnel do Cavalo (1863–1877)
• 800 m tunnel: torch
• Casa do Rabaçal
• Levadas reception centre

🥾 PR 6.6 Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The link between the Rabaçal loading chamber, on the ER 105, and the mouth of the Túnel do Cavalo: 1.8 km official list (14 September 2026), which shows it open and managed by the regional forestry institute. The line measures about 1.7 km, descending westwards from the car park. The loading chamber is where the Levada do Paul I (Levada do Alecrim) and the Levada do Paul II converge before a penstock carries the water down to the Calheta hydroelectric plant; the Túnel do Cavalo (1863–1877, about 800 m) is the one PR 6.6 walks through — a head torch is essential if you go in. PR 6.7 therefore lets you make a loop from the Rabaçal car park with PR 6.8 (Levada do Paul II) or PR 6.6 to Casa do Rabaçal. It was one of the ten Rabaçal trails reopened on 23 August 2024 after the Paul da Serra fire alert.

• Loading chamber (ER 105)
• Túnel do Cavalo
• Link PR 6.8 – PR 6.6

🥾 PR 6.7 Vereda da Câmara de Carga do Rabaçal →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Rabaçal's levada for everyone. Under the "Um caminho para todos" (a path for all) label, this route was laid out to be usable by everybody, including people with reduced mobility: 1.2 km almost perfectly flat (1,279 – 1,280 m) along the Levada do Paul II, from the Rabaçal loading chamber on the ER 105 to the Estrada do Rochão, so 2.4 km round trip in about thirty minutes — hence the "easy" grade used here. To the south, the view takes in the characteristic relief of the municipality of Calheta with its lombos, lombinhas and lombadas, the long ridges that cut up the slope. The Levada do Paul II rises at the Ribeiro do Juncal, in the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol basin; with the Levada do Paul I (the Levada do Alecrim) it feeds the loading chamber, from which a pipe takes the water down to the Calheta hydroelectric plant. An exposed plateau: little shade, so bring a hat and water.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Rabaçal loading chamber
• Calheta ridges
• Flat

🥾 PR 6.8 Levada do Paul II – Um Caminho para todos →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The mill levada of the north-west, closed in 2026. It starts on the ER 101, on the boundary between the municipalities of Porto Moniz and Calheta near the Ribeira da Cruz, and reaches Tornadouro, at Junqueira (Lamaceiros): 10.5 km, about 3:30, moderate, between 504 and 940 m. The Levada do Moinho, also called Levada Grande, takes its name from the water mills it drove; the ruins of the Achadas, Cancelas and Levada Grande mills can still be seen. Since its construction was paid for by private individuals, the right to use the water — a precious resource in Madeira — was reserved to them: a "people's" levada surrounded by folk tales. Almost the whole route runs through the Laurissilva, and the branches of the channel leading to irrigation tanks punctuate the last kilometres.

• Mill ruins
• Levada Grande
• Laurissilva
• Closed in 2026

🥾 PR 7 Levada do Moinho →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The accessible version of the Levada do Caldeirão Verde. Under the "Um caminho para todos" label, this section was adapted so that people with reduced mobility or visual impairment can also walk in direct contact with the forest: about 2 km along the levada's walkway between the Queimadas and Pico das Pedras forest parks, in the municipality of Santana, in 45 minutes, almost flat (870 – 890 m) — hence the "easy" grade used here. You follow a transition edge between Madeira's natural forest, the Laurissilva listed as World Heritage by UNESCO in December 1999, and the exotic forest planted by people. At Queimadas, the Casa das Tradições Madeirenses keeps the original features of Santana's houses, thatched roof included, with a collection on everyday life and old customs. Queimadas car park charged at €2 per hour.

• Accessible (mobility, sight)
• Queimadas
• Pico das Pedras
• Casa das Tradições Madeirenses

🥾 PR 9.1 Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Um Caminho para todos →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The classic crossing of the north-east Laurissilva: 11 km from Ribeiro Frio (ER 103) to Portela (ER 102), about 5 h, moderate, between 645 and 880 m, along one of the island's oldest public levadas. Every shade of green of the native forest passes by, dominated by the laurel family, with the Ribeiro Frio valley as the horizon; further on appear the patterned farmland of Faial, São Roque do Faial and Porto da Cruz and the huge rock of Penha d'Águia. The Levada do Furado leads to the divider where the waters split and the Levada da Serra do Faial ends; you then descend to Portela, in the municipality of Machico, through the Lamaceiros forest area and its forestry post, then along the Levada da Portela around Lombo das Faias to the road. The Portela viewpoint closes the day. Almost continuous shade, narrow exposed passages in places; no fountain mentioned. Plan the logistics: start and finish are far apart by road.

• Ribeiro Frio
• One of the oldest public levadas
• Penha d'Águia
• Lamaceiros
• Portela viewpoint

🥾 PR 10 Levada do Furado →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The old cobbled royal road that skirted the central massif: 12.5 km from the Boca da Corrida viewpoint to Encumeada (ER 228), 5 h, moderate, between 830 and 1,323 m, at the foot of the archipelago's highest peaks. This "caminho real" was one of the region's main routes: landowners rode it on horseback, their wives lying in hammocks carried by men, and a grocery served as a staging post for travellers crossing the island. The path reveals the parish of Curral das Freiras, a village buried among the mountains that sheltered the nuns of the Santa Clara convent during the pirate attack on Funchal in 1566, then crosses the streams that cut into the mountain under the Laurissilva and rounds Pico Grande; the appearance of Serra d'Água and Encumeada announces the end. In 2026 only the section from Boca da Corrida to km 3.5 is passable: the official lists it as partially open, out-and-back from the viewpoint only.

• Cobbled royal road
• Boca da Corrida
• Curral das Freiras
• Pico Grande
• Open to km 3.5

🥾 PR 12 Caminho Real da Encumeada →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The short cut from the plateau to the 25 Fontes, named after an endemic grass. It starts on the ER 209 near Louro da Gota; you follow PR 13 (Vereda do Fanal) for 100 m, then take the left turn down to the 25 Fontes: 1.8 km, about 45 minutes, from 1,328 to 970 m. High-altitude heath dominates, but in the clearings and on the banks of the streams endemics appear, especially the palha-carga, the grass that gives the path its name. Several natural viewpoints open onto the Rabaçal valley and the Ribeira da Janela, dominated by the green of the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage and Natura 2000 site. After crossing the Ribeira dos Cedros the trail follows the Levada Nova do Rabaçal (Levada das 25 Fontes) to the lagoon, a suspended aquifer classified as geosite C01. Return the same way, or by PR 6 to Casa do Rabaçal. Official length: 1.8 km; the route's trace measures 1.5 km on the map.

• Festuca donax
• View over Rabaçal
• Ribeira dos Cedros
• 25 Fontes

🥾 PR 13.1 Vereda da Palha Carga →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

One of the region's oldest levadas, under centuries-old tis: 7.2 km from Fanal (ER 209) to Curral Falso (same road), about 3 h, moderate, between 840 and 1,090 m. The start enjoys the calm of Fanal, a Rest and Quiet Reserve of the Parque Natural da Madeira, with its centuries-old tils, some of them older than the island's discovery. The Levada dos Cedros, built in the 17th century, rises from the springs of Lombo do Cedro at 1,000 m; it is dug straight into the hillside soil and lined only where the ground crumbles. The path sinks into the native Laurissilva, where trees reach 30 to 40 m, follows the steep right bank of the Ribeira da Janela and ends at Curral Falso, from where PR 15 drops to the village. Total shade, damp and slippery ground: good shoes. Two cars or a taxi to link the ends.

• 17th-century levada
• Fanal
• Trees 30 to 40 m tall
• Ribeira da Janela
• Curral Falso

🥾 PR 14 Levada dos Cedros →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The descent from Curral Falso to the village of Ribeira da Janela along an old footpath: 2.7 km, about 1:30, moderate, from 820 to 400 m — almost all downhill in the official direction. The path, which leaves the ER 209 in the forest area above the village, was once used to gather the wood essential to daily life and to reach the southern villages of Calheta or Ponta do Sol carrying wine barrels on the back. Below, agricultural terraces held by stone walls: vines, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and maize. The houses are scattered on the slope between the river mouth and 400 m, along the Ribeira da Janela, the island's longest watercourse. PR 15 is the natural continuation of the Levada dos Cedros (PR 14); the climb back is steep if you have to return to the car. Official length: 2.7 km; the route's trace measures 2.4 km on the map.

• Descent to the village
• Terraces and vines
• Longest river on the island
• Wine path

🥾 PR 15 Vereda da Ribeira da Janela →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The levada of tunnels and waterfalls in São Vicente: 3.9 km from Ginjas (Fajã da Ama) to the Ribeira do Inferno and 3.9 km back, about 3:30, moderate, almost flat between 600 and 630 m. You follow the walkway of the Levada Fajã do Rodrigues, also called Levada Fajã da Ama, which takes its water from the bed of the Ribeira do Inferno and carries it over ridges and small valleys to the fields of São Vicente. The exotic forest of the start gives way to dense Laurissilva; streams and waterfalls keep everything damp and delight photographers. Tunnels are frequent — head torch and waterproof jacket essential, the roof drips. In places the view opens onto the whole São Vicente valley. Return the same way.

• Tunnels: torch
• Waterfalls
• Ribeira do Inferno
• São Vicente valley

🥾 PR 16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The only trail in the network graded "difficult": 15 km from Lombo do Mouro (ER 105) to Encumeada, about 6:30, between 970 and 1,490 m, through an area preserved both by its altitude and by the Laurissilva. The route follows the Levada da Serra and then the Levada do Norte, sometimes leaves the channel for a stone-paved path — including a stretch of "municipal road" — and peaks at the Pináculo, with a panorama over the Ribeira Brava valley and, as a backdrop, Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro. Along the walkway of the Levada do Norte, tunnels and waterfalls follow one another as far as Folhadal: head torch and waterproof. At Encumeada you can carry on to the Vereda da Encumeada (PR 1.3) towards Pico Ruivo (final section closed in 2026) or the Caminho do Norte (PR 21). In 2026 the official lists it as passable only between Encumeada, Folhadal, Caramujo and Bica da Cana: the Lombo do Mouro section is not open, and the map shows it dashed.

• The only PR graded difficult
• Pináculo
• Levada do Norte
• Folhadal
• Tunnels and waterfalls

🥾 PR 17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The levada of São Jorge's sanctuary: 5.3 km from the Quebradas water-treatment plant to Ribeiro Bonito, and 5.3 km back, about 3:30, moderate, almost flat between 535 and 573 m. You first cross an exotic forest with views of the farming landscapes of São Jorge and Santana, then tunnels formed by the vegetation; the abundance of water explains the green that takes over everything. The high point is the arrival at Ribeiro Bonito, an isolated natural sanctuary under the dense vegetation of the Laurissilva. On the way back, the São Jorge water mill, three centuries old and driven by the Levada do Rei, is the only one of its kind still working: a miller still grinds the cereals grown on the region's terraces there. Continuous shade, damp ground.

• Ribeiro Bonito
• São Jorge water mill
• Vegetation tunnels
• Almost flat

🥾 PR 18 Levada do Rei →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The royal road that tumbles from Prazeres down to Paul do Mar: only 1.8 km, about 1:20, moderate, but 534 m of descent, from 550 to 16 m, zigzagging on small paved steps between agricultural terraces. Right from the start, the Lombo da Rocha viewpoint overlooks the parishes of Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar. The trail is part of Madeira's historical heritage: it recalls the hard access routes of the past, walked with heavy loads on the back, and was for a long time the only alternative to the sea link, too expensive for many and impossible in rough seas. At the bottom, Paul do Mar stays true to its fishing tradition, with, over the past decade or so, bars opened on the shore where locals and visitors meet. A sun-exposed slope: little shade, water and hat; poles are welcome for the knees.

• 530 m zigzag descent
• Lombo da Rocha viewpoint
• Cobbled royal road
• Fishing village

🥾 PR 19 Caminho Real do Paul do Mar →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Jardim do Mar's old way down to the sea, closed in 2026. From Prazeres, at 530 m, the path drops 1.9 km — about 1:30, graded easy despite some 500 m of descent — to the Largo da Igreja of Jardim do Mar, at 35 m, on the west coast. It was one of the few routes to the shore available to residents. The mild climate and plentiful water very early turned this slope into a carefully tended garden of terraces held by stone walls, between which the path was laid. Before the end, the recently restored water mill recalls the days when the cereals of the parish and its surroundings were ground here; at the bottom, the ocean on one side and the mountain on the other.

• 500 m descent
• Stone terraces
• Restored mill
• Closed in 2026

🥾 PR 20 Vereda do Jardim do Mar →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The descent from the pass to São Vicente along a trading path: 3.2 km from Boca da Encumeada (1,000 m) to Ribeira Grande (320 m), about 1:30, moderate. Residents used this path to trade between the villages of the south and the north, and to go on traditional pilgrimages. The first part crosses the native Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage site; after crossing the ER 104 you enter a transition forest dominated by exotic species. At Ribeira Grande, take time to look at the wickerwork: cut from willow, it goes into utility baskets, furniture and the famous Monte sledges. The Vereda do Chão dos Louros (PR 22) is linked to it by a short connector from the forest park. A steady slope, hard on the knees; plenty of shade.

• Encumeada
• Old trade and pilgrimage path
• Ribeira Grande wickerwork
• 680 m descent

🥾 PR 21 Caminho do Norte →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The family loop of Chão dos Louros: 1.9 km, about 45 minutes, graded easy, between 830 and 890 m, around the forest park of the same name below Encumeada. Being circular, it can be joined at several points and walked in either direction. The whole loop runs through native Laurissilva, a Natura 2000 site dominated by evergreen laurels: the laurel and the til. A natural viewpoint opens onto the imposing São Vicente valley, and a connector leads to the Caminho do Norte (PR 21) towards Ribeira Grande. By tradition, Chão dos Louros is where the pilgrims returning from the Senhor Bom Jesus festivities in Ponta Delgada gather on the first Sunday of September. Total shade, the park's picnic tables within reach: ideal with children or in hot weather.

• Loop
• Forest park
• Laurel and til
• View over the São Vicente valley

🥾 PR 22 Vereda do Chão dos Louros →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Caniço's little urban levada, in the south-east of the island: 1.3 km from Azenha to Caminho Velho do Castelo official list (24 July 2026), which shows it open and managed by the Junta de Freguesia do Caniço — one of the four classified trails not run by the regional forestry institute. The path follows an old irrigation channel that mattered in the development of the locality. Closed after the fires of August 2024, it was officially reopened on 23 July 2025 at the end of the "Rota da Azenha – vem descobrir o Caniço" project, €30,000 of works funded with the community, which brought new signage and information equipment using new technologies. No official technical sheet: duration, ascent and difficulty are not published; the route measures about 0.9 km. The regional forestry institute reminds walkers that trails are particularly exposed to weather and erosion: take care. Official length: 1.3 km; the route's trace measures 0.9 km on the map. A classified trail managed by the Junta de Freguesia do Caniço, one of four classified routes not run by the regional forestry institute: outside the booking-and-fee regime, free access. The regional forestry institute reminds walkers that trails are vulnerable to weather and erosion: take care and follow the safety rules.

• Caniço
• Old irrigation channel
• Reopened 23 July 2025
• No booking

🥾 PR 23 Levada da Azenha →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

Paul da Serra's geological trail, closed in 2026. It starts at Bica da Cana (1,588 m at the highest point) and reaches the ER 105 in 4.6 km, about 1:30, between 1,457 and 1,588 m. The whole route shows the evidence of a plateau glacier that covered Paul da Serra, peaking at the Last Glacial Maximum some 25,000 years ago: a shallow glacial valley with a rounded U-shaped profile, a circular hollow scoured under the ice, then the climb onto the eroded top of an old basaltic cinder cone, Fonte do Juncal, born of a Middle Pleistocene eruption (between 1.8 million and 774,000 years ago). From the cone, a panorama over the plateau; on the way down, the Rabaças viewpoint overlooks the head of the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol valley and its moraine deposits, large basalt blocks and columns. The route ends at the Fajã Redondo glacial cirque at Sítio das Pedras, a site of exceptional geological value where the ruins of the pens once used for traditional shearing remain. A plateau without shade.

• Traces of a plateau glacier
• Bica da Cana
• Fonte do Juncal
• Moraines
• Closed in 2026

🥾 PR 27 Glaciar de Planalto →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica

The wild levada between Fanal and Rabaçal, closed in 2026. It starts on the ER 209 at Fanal; you follow PR 13 (Vereda do Fanal) to the left-hand turn that drops to the Levada da Rocha Vermelha: 10.7 km, about 4 h, between 837 and 1,297 m; A steep staircase flanked by the levada shows the force of the water thrown down by the sharp drop. Also called Água do Vimieiro, the levada rises from the Ribeira da Fajã dos Remos and collects on its way the waters of the Ribeira do Vimieiro and of tributaries of the Ribeira da Janela, Ribeira da Calheta and Ribeira do Seixal, down to the small Rocha Vermelha loading chamber on the slope of the Ribeira da Calheta at Lombo da Atouguia — the channel keepers' house marks the finish. Waterfalls and tunnels (torch) give the route its charm; natural viewpoints overlook the Rabaçal valley and the Ribeira da Janela under the green of the Laurissilva. It can also be reached from the Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6), higher up.

• Água do Vimieiro
• Staircase beside the levada
• Tunnels and waterfalls
• Lombo da Atouguia
• Closed in 2026

🥾 PR 28 Levada da Rocha Vermelha →🎟️ Book on SIMplifica