A levada is a water channel, and a levada walk follows the path that runs beside it. Many of these channels still do the job they were built for.
The Levada do Caldeirão Verde, built in the 18th century, routes abundant water through the Laurissilva forest to the farmlands of the parish of Faial.
The Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, covers around 15,000 hectares of Madeira, mostly in the high areas of the north, and the trails and levadas cross it. That is why so many walks feel like a green tunnel.
Vereda dos Balcões (PR 11) is an easy trail of 1.5 km (0.9 miles) each way from Ribeiro Frio, alongside the Levada da Serra do Faial, to the Balcões viewpoint, and takes about an hour and a half; on clear days you can see Pico do Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo, and on the way back you can visit the rainbow trout nursery in the Ribeiro Frio Forest Park. It makes a gentle first walk.
Levada do Risco (PR 6.1) shares its start in Rabaçal with the Levada das 25 Fontes; it is an easy trail, ideal for the whole family, and ends at a viewpoint over a waterfall that falls vertically.
Two routes are built so that almost anyone can enjoy a levada. Levada do Paul II (PR 6.8) starts at Rabaçal and covers about 1,200 m (3,937 ft) each way; under the theme 'a path for everyone', it has been prepared to be accessible to anyone, including people with motor disabilities, and the official page gives a duration of 30 minutes. On the Levada do Caldeirão Verde, the 'path for everyone' section (PR 9.1) between the Queimadas and Pico das Pedras forest parks is nearly 2 km (1.2 miles) long, takes around 45 minutes and is designed for people with motor and visual disabilities too.
If you would rather walk with a guide, the Guided Tour: Levada do Norte & Wine Route in Madeira follows a stretch of the Levada do Norte through the vineyards in half a day.
Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6), which begins in Rabaçal, is one of the most popular trails among tourists and locals: a moderate walk of about 4.3 km (2.7 miles) in each direction, with an estimated duration of 3 hours, to a lagoon fed by 25 springs. Its popularity is the reason to start early. The 25 Fontes Levada Guided Tour in Madeira with Transfer includes the transfer, and the Guided Tour of Rabaçal Levada Waterfalls & Lagoons Madeira explores the waterfalls and lagoons of the valley with a guide.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR 9) is a moderate trail of 8.7 km (5.4 miles) each way from the Queimadas Forest Park, taking about six and a half hours and passing through four tunnels carved in the rock before the Caldeirão Verde lake. A torch helps in the tunnels. The Full-Day Levada Hike in Madeira: Caldeirão Verde & Transfer lets you walk it at your own pace, with a shared transfer to the start.
Levada do Rei (PR 18) starts in São Jorge and runs 5.3 km (3.3 miles) each way to Ribeiro Bonito, an isolated natural sanctuary in the Laurissilva; it is moderate, takes about three and a half hours, and near the end the São Jorge water mill, powered by the levada, still grinds cereals. The Guided Tour of Levada Ribeiro Bonito in Madeira Forest follows the same King's Levada with a guide.
Levada do Furado (PR 10) follows one of the island's oldest public levadas from Ribeiro Frio to Portela: 11 km (6.8 miles) of moderate walking, in about 5 hours. Because it ends far from where it starts, transport needs planning; the Guided Tour Ribeiro Frio to Portela Levada Walk Madeira takes care of that.
Levada Fajã do Rodrigues (PR 16) is 3.9 km (2.4 miles) each way and takes about three and a half hours, with tunnels and waterfalls along a levada that irrigates the agricultural fields of São Vicente. Vereda do Fanal (PR 13) is 10.8 km (6.7 miles) long, takes about 4 hours and ends at Fanal, among centenary Til woods, some of which were there before the island was discovered.
In 2026, visitors pay €4.50 for each classified trail (PR1 excepted), or €9.00 for a 1-day fee covering two or more trails. The booking system applies the most advantageous rate automatically, but you still book each trail.
Children aged 12 or under do not pay, although they still need to be registered and booked. The fees apply only to the classified trails managed by IFCN, and not all trails in Madeira are classified trails.
Bookings are made only online, on the SIMplifica Portal, and you should pay in advance because internet coverage in the mountains may be limited; entering a classified trail without a reservation is an infraction that may result in a fine. Each day is divided into entry slots: you book the slot in which you wish to enter the trail, and a tolerance of around 15 minutes is generally allowed.
A refund or a new date is possible only when the trail was officially closed or restricted on the booking date, not when you change your plans or it is raining. Look at the forecast before you pay.
Each classified trail is shown as open, restricted or closed, conditions may change because of weather or safety, and weather warnings do not automatically close all trails. Look at the official trail list on the morning of your walk, not only when you plan the trip.
Before you set out, check the latest information on the route, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, and make sure you can finish before nightfall; in heavy rain or strong wind, do not go on, or turn back the way you came.
Wear shoes with good grip and pack a warm layer for the mountains. For the weather through the year, see the guide to the best time to visit Madeira.
A guide is not mandatory on any classified trail in Madeira, but going with one can make the walk richer, better informed and safer.
On your own, you choose the pace and the time of day. With a guide, the transport, the timing and the reading of the forest are taken care of, which helps most on long or linear routes.
Vereda dos Balcões and Levada do Risco are rated easy by the tourism board, and Levada do Paul II and the accessible stretch of the Caldeirão Verde are prepared for walkers with reduced mobility.
On the official PR trails run by IFCN, yes: visitors book online and pay per trail, while children aged 12 or under are exempt but still need a booking.
No. Rain alone does not count; you get a new date or a refund only if the authorities closed or restricted the trail for your booking day.
No guide is compulsory on the official trails; a guided walk mainly helps with transport, timing and knowing the forest.
Look up the trail on the IFCN or Visit Madeira trail pages on the day: each one is marked open, restricted or closed.
