The levadas are the reason many people choose Madeira. These old irrigation channels run through laurel forest, along cliffs and through tunnels, with narrow, almost flat paths beside them. But since 1 January 2026, every official trail (PR) must be booked and paid for in advance. Here are the eight best walks, with official distances and times, the fees, and what you need to know if you are travelling by car.
Before you go: book and pay
Many “best levada walks” lists online were written before 2026. They do not tell you that every official trail now needs a ticket. That is the first thing to sort out, before anything else.
How booking works. Since 1 January 2026, all classified trails (PR) require a booking. It is made on SIMplifica, the regional government’s services portal. You need an account there, even if you walk alone. You choose the trail, the date and a 30-minute start slot, add everyone in your group, then pay online. You must start within your slot. Keep the confirmation on your phone: it can be checked on the trail.
| Ticket | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| One trail | €4.50 | One PR trail, for example a levada |
| PR1 to Pedra Rija | €4.50 | Pico do Arieiro – Pedra Rija viewpoint, return |
| PR1 to Pico Ruivo | €10.50 | Full route, one-way beyond Pedra Rija |
| Day ticket | €9 | Two or more trails on the same day (PR1 excluded) |
| 3-day pass | €22.50 | Several trails over 3 days (PR1 excluded) |
| 7-day pass | €52.50 | Several trails over 7 days (PR1 excluded) |
⚠️ Walking a PR trail without a valid booking can lead to a fine. For offences on the trails — entering a closed trail, not paying and so on — Visit Madeira mentions fines of up to €10,000. Children aged 12 and under do not pay. Madeira residents need neither to book nor to pay.
The 8 walks at a glance
All figures in this table come from the official Visit Madeira trail pages. The times are for the full walk as described there. If you walk slowly or stop for lots of photos, allow a little more.
| Trail | Distance | Time | Level | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes | 8.6 km return | 3 h | moderate | Rabaçal (ER105) |
| PR6.1 Levada do Risco | 6.6 km return | — | — | Rabaçal (ER105) |
| PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde | 17.4 km return | 6 h 30 | moderate | Queimadas (Santana) |
| PR18 Levada do Rei | 10.6 km return | 3 h 30 | moderate | Quebradas (São Jorge) |
| PR10 Levada do Furado | 11 km, one way | about 5 h | moderate | Ribeiro Frio → Portela |
| PR11 Vereda dos Balcões | 3 km return | 1 h 30 | easy | Ribeiro Frio (ER103) |
| PR1 Pico do Arieiro → Pico Ruivo | one way beyond Pedra Rija | half a day | demanding | Pico do Arieiro |
| PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço | 8 km return | 2 h 30 | moderate | Baía d’Abra |
📌 The Levada do Risco distance comes from Calheta municipality. For PR1 we give no exact time: it depends mostly on how you get back down from Pico Ruivo.
The great forest levadas
1. Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) — the classic. It is the best-known levada on the island, and for good reason. The path follows the Rabaçal valley for 4.3 kilometres to a small lake fed by dozens of thin streams of water. You return the same way. The highest point is 1,288 metres and the lowest 964 metres. In other words, the walk back to the road climbs. Part of the trail is signed one-way so that walkers do not meet on narrow sections.
🚗 By car: you park beside the ER105 regional road on the plateau. From there, a paved road of about 2 kilometres runs down to the Rabaçal forestry house, where the trails start. You can walk it or take the Calheta municipal shuttle. Factor the climb back up into your timing.
2. Levada do Risco (PR6.1) — the little sister. It starts from the same place and ends at the foot of a tall waterfall, the Risco. Calheta municipality gives 3.3 kilometres each way. It is the perfect add-on: if you do both on the same day, the day ticket costs €9, exactly the price of two single tickets.
3. Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) — the big day. It starts from the Queimadas forest park above Santana, in the very green north-east. The path follows the levada through dense laurel forest, along sheer walls and through several tunnels. Bring a head torch. The official route goes to Caldeirão do Inferno: 8.7 kilometres each way, 17.4 kilometres in total, about 6 hours 30. That is a full day. Parking at Queimadas costs €2 per hour, so count it on a long day.
4. Levada do Rei (PR18) — the quiet one in the north. It starts at the Quebradas water treatment station near São Jorge and runs 5.3 kilometres to Ribeiro Bonito. There is almost no climbing: the path stays between 535 and 573 metres. It is less famous than 25 Fontes, and the forest is just as green. The return walk is 10.6 kilometres, about 3 hours 30.
5. Levada do Furado (PR10) — eleven kilometres, one way. It links Ribeiro Frio with Portela, above Machico. The trail is 11 kilometres long and takes about 5 hours. It is described as one way, so you do not end up back at your car. Plan before you start how to get from Portela back to Ribeiro Frio — a taxi or a second driver.
Short, easy, or right at the top
6. Vereda dos Balcões (PR11) — the easiest. Just 1.5 kilometres each way, almost flat, about 1 hour 30 return. The path starts at Ribeiro Frio on the ER103 road and ends at a viewpoint above the deep valleys in the centre of the island. It is ideal on a day with little time, with children, or as an add-on to the Levada do Furado, which starts in the same village.
7. Pico do Arieiro → Pico Ruivo (PR1) — the summit hike. This is not a levada but a ridge trail. It reopened in April 2026 after two years of closure and has been open every day since 26 June. As far as the Pedra Rija viewpoint, you can walk in both directions (€4.50). Beyond that it is one-way towards Pico Ruivo (€10.50 for the full route). From there you descend to Achada do Teixeira, on the north side. How to handle this with a rental car is covered in our one-week Madeira itinerary by car.
8. Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8) — the dry east. The opposite of green Madeira: a bare peninsula, red and ochre cliffs, sea on both sides. 4 kilometres out, 4 kilometres back, about 2 hours 30. On 22 October 2026 the trail was marked restricted: there are temporary diversions, signed with boards and arrows. Start early, as there is hardly any shade.
⛔ Closed on 22 October 2026 according to the official list: the Levada do Moinho (PR7), the Vereda do Jardim do Mar (PR20) and the Levada da Rocha Vermelha (PR28). Also restricted: the Levada do Barreiro (PR4), the Vereda da Encumeada (PR1.3) and the Caminho Real da Encumeada (PR12). This list changes with the weather. Check the status the evening before on the Visit Madeira hiking page.
Pay per trail or buy a pass?
The maths is simple. One trail costs €4.50. The 3-day pass costs €22.50, the price of five trails. It only pays off from six trails in three days. The 7-day pass at €52.50 only pays off from twelve trails. PR1 is not included in any pass.
| Option | Sum | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Single tickets + day ticket | 25 Fontes + Risco on the same day €9 · Caldeirão Verde €4.50 · Balcões €4.50 · PR1 €10.50 | €28.50 |
| 7-day pass | €52.50 + PR1 €10.50 (not included) | €63 |
For a normal holiday week, pay per trail. The day ticket only saves money from three trails on the same day: for two, it costs exactly the same as two single tickets.
Practical tips: weather, kit, car
The weather. In Madeira’s mountains the weather changes fast. The north is often wet and misty while the south is in the sun. When weather warnings are issued, trails are sometimes closed for the whole day. So do not leave the long walks for your last day.
The kit. Visit Madeira recommends proper footwear, water and food, rain and wind protection, a charged phone, sun protection and a hat. For the levadas with tunnels, add a head torch. The emergency number is 112. Avoid walking alone if you can, and tell someone which route you are taking.
The car. The trailheads are in the mountains at the end of winding roads, and buses are rare there. A rental car gives you freedom. But two walks on this list are one-way (Furado and the full PR1), so you need a plan for getting back. For renting a car in Madeira and mainland Portugal, see our guide to car rental and tolls in Portugal.
In short
The best levada for a first day is 25 Fontes, with the Levada do Risco straight after. The most impressive is Caldeirão Verde, if you have a full day. The easiest is the Vereda dos Balcões.
And before every walk, since 2026: book on SIMplifica, start within your slot, check the status the evening before. For a normal week, single tickets are almost always cheaper than a pass.
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