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📡 Today's status

The IFCN's official status, read every day. Green only when the IFCN writes « aberto » with no reserve.

● Open · ABERTO

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.

Highlights

  • Túnel do Cavalo (1863–1877)
  • 800 m tunnel: torch
  • Casa do Rabaçal
  • Levadas reception centre
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
2.3 km
Elevation gain
67 m
Duration
45 min
Price
€4.50 (over 12) · SIMplifica booking · free for residents and under-13s
Municipality
Calheta
🎟️ Book on SIMplifica🗺️ See the route on the map📍 Start🏁 End

Track for guidance only.

Places within 2 km of the route

  • 🌿 Nature

    Rabaçal

    On Paul da Serra, the Pico da Urze balcony opens onto the island's largest valley covered in Laurissilva — a UNESCO World Heritage site, a Natura 2000 site, classified as an area of rest and silence by the Parque Natural da Madeira. From the ER 105 car park set off Madeira's most famous trails: the Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6), the Levada do Risco (PR 6.1), Alecrim (PR 6.2), Lagoa do Vento (PR 6.3) and, below, Casa do Rabaçal, the meeting point with its reception centre on the history of the levadas; the Túnel do Cavalo (1863–1877) and the Túnel das Estrebarias (1855) tell of the first crossing of the northern waters to the south. All trails require SIMplifica booking (€4.50).

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  • 🌿 Nature

    Cascata do Risco

    At the end of Levada do Risco, at Rabaçal: a fall that drops vertically and draws a white line on the dark rock. It is reached by PR 6.1, an easy 1.5 km path one way from the ER 105, about two hours there and back, at some 1,000 m of altitude. The path shares its start with Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6). The Risco viewpoint closes the route.

    €4.50 per visitor over 12, SIMplifica booking (PR 6.1)
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  • 🌿 Nature

    Lagoa das 25 Fontes

    A pool at the foot of a wall from which the waters coming down off Paul da Serra emerge: the official page counts twenty-five springs, hence the name. The site is classified geosite C01 – 25 Fontes for its scientific value, and it is this underground circulation that made the building of the levadas possible. It is reached by PR 6, 4.3 km one way from the ER 105 at Rabaçal, about three hours, moderate, between 964 and 1,288 m.

    €4.50 per visitor over 12, SIMplifica booking (PR 6)
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  • 🔭 Viewpoint

    Rabaçal (Calheta)

    A viewpoint at Ponto, municipality of Calheta. It stands 1,214 m above sea level; the DROTe 2023 orthophoto shows a platform or a parking area there.

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