Madeira’s levada walks: how to choose and do them
Water channels with a path alongside, through the forest. Three to choose from, from a family stroll to a full day out.
In short. Levadas are irrigation channels with a path beside them, running along the hillsides. The three on this page go from the easiest to the longest: Balcões (1.5 km each way, almost flat), 25 Fontes and Risco (two trails at Rabaçal) and Caldeirão Verde (up to 8.7 km each way, with tunnels). All of them need a booked time slot on SIMplifica and a €4.50 fee.
Choose by the time you have: Balcões can be done in a morning, with children; Rabaçal needs half a day or more; Caldeirão Verde takes a full day.
It rains far more on the north coast and in the mountains than in Funchal: more than 120 days of rain a year on the north coast and more than 180 on high ground, against about 80 in Funchal. Always take a waterproof.
Levadas · 3 tours
Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco
Rabaçal: two waterfalls in one day
Fee €4.50 each
Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Queimadas: Laurisilva forest, tunnels and a 100 m waterfall
Fee €4.50
Levada dos Balcões
The easy levada at Ribeiro Frio, good for families
Fee €4.50
Side by side
| Tour | Duration | Route | Level | Official cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco | About 5 hrs on foot for both | 4.3 km and 3 km, each there and back | 3 of 5, moderate | Fee €4.50 each |
| Levada do Caldeirão Verde | 6 hrs 30 on foot (official time) | 8.7 km out and 8.7 km back | 4 of 5, challenging | Fee €4.50 |
| Levada dos Balcões | 1 hr 30 on foot (official time) | 1.5 km out and 1.5 km back | 1 of 5, easy | Fee €4.50 |
Tips before you set off
- Book your time slot on SIMplifica before you set off: without a valid booking you can be told to leave the trail and fined.
- Take a torch for levadas with tunnels, such as Caldeirão Verde.
- Don’t walk alone, and tell someone your route and when you expect to be back, as the IFCN advises.
- Finish before dark.
- Keep to the one-way system where there is one, as on the PR6.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest levada walk in Madeira?
Of the three on this page, the Balcões levada (PR11): 1.5 km each way, almost flat, between 870 and 880 metres. Even so, you need a booked time slot on SIMplifica.
Do you have to pay to walk the levadas?
The classified trails managed by the IFCN cost €4.50 per person (non-residents over 12); with two or more on the same day, the day fee is €9. Children up to 12 and residents don’t pay, but they still have to book.
Can I walk a levada without a guide?
Yes: the IFCN says hiring a guide isn’t compulsory for a classified trail. With a guide, you don’t have to deal with the booking or the transport.
Other types of tour
Peaks and trails
The mountains at the heart of the island and the eastern peninsula: two very different trails, the same 2026 rules.
2 tours
Island tours
For those who want to see a lot without walking much: two days on the road, one for each side of the island.
2 tours
In Funchal
The city and Monte in a day or two: the market, the painted doors, Madeira wine, the cable car and the toboggans.
2 tours
Sea and adventure
At sea, dolphins and whales all year round; in the mountain streams, canyoning for beginners. Always with licensed operators.
2 tours
Can’t find your tour? We’ll tailor one for you.
Tell us what you’d like to see, when, and how many of you there are. We’ll reply with a proposal, with no obligation.