Portugal · LEVADA WALKS
Flat for hours, then a tunnel with no lights. The 15 walks below are compared on distance, transfer time from Funchal, exposure on the drop side and which ones need a torch and a head for heights.
Join a guide such as Sara, Ruby, or Robina for an eight-hour walk from Funchal through Madeira’s Rabaçal Valley. Follow historic levadas to Risco Waterfall and the 25 Fontes lagoon, watch for endemic plants and birds, and pass through a wet 800-meter tunnel. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included.
“Great walk with Sarah as a guide. Enjoyed the day with the group”
Spend eight hours exploring Rabaçal and the famous 25 Fountains on a guided Madeira hike. Hotel pickup, transport, insurance, and a certified mountain guide are included. Expect waterfalls, levada paths, a crystal-clear lake, an 800-meter tunnel, steps, and possibly wet or slippery ground. Lunch, water, sunscreen, and a hat are your responsibility.
“A great day out and walk along the Levardes. It was an easy pace generally and we had a good guide and reasonable sized group.”
Take a shared van from Funchal or nearby towns to Rabaçal, then follow the 25 Fontes and Risco levadas on your own. You get five hours on the trail, clear route instructions, and a return transfer. Early departures with hosts such as Pedro or Adriana help you reach the waterfalls before the crowds.
“Pedro was brilliant! He gave us a lot of information about the area and the trek we did. We did the 6am pick up and so glad we did as we missed the crowds. We were very lucky with the weather too, perfect conditions ☺️”
Explore eastern Madeira in an air-conditioned minibus with 8 to 14 people. Visit Pico do Arieiro, walk the Balcões levada in Ribeiro Frio, see Santana’s thatched cottages, enjoy a three-course lunch on the shared tour, and taste rum in Porto da Cruz. Guides may include Lucy, Carlos, Tony, or Fernando.
“Excellent. Our guide, Lucy, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and amazingly fluent. We loved the fact that she stopped to show us different fruits, trees and plants along the way. She brought her personal experience and interests into the tour. The tour itself was great with a variety of sights, we learned a lot about the island in a short space of time. We would definitely use Secret Madeira tours again, we can’t rate Lucy highly enough!!”
Travel from Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz, or Machico to Queimadas Natural Park, then walk the 15 km Caldeirão Verde trail at your own pace. Your English-speaking driver explains the route, tunnels, meeting time, and safety points. Expect Laurissilva forest, waterfalls, narrow levadas, and a shared van for up to eight people.
“Our trip was well organised and super enjoyable. Nuno was fun, chatty and knowledgeable guide, he arrived on time and got us to the starting point of our hike quickly. Return was perfect as well. We’ll definitely be booking with this company again :) thank you!”
Travel from Funchal, Caniço, or Garajau to Pico das Pedras, then hike independently through Madeira’s Laurissilva Forest to Caldeirão Verde. Your English or Portuguese-speaking driver, such as Vitor, Fabio, Roberto, or Cristiano, provides trail instructions, maps, GPS details, and a return pickup. Expect tunnels, waterfalls, wet paths, and about 17 to 18 kilometers on foot.
“Beautiful flat hike, only 93 steps in total. Going through dark caves was exciting, but some people were scared and bumped their heads a few times. This is described as a 6km hike each way, but I clocked up 21km on the hike. Not for the faint hearted.”
Join Paulo on a four-hour small-group walk from Rabaçal to the 25 Fontes lagoon. You’ll follow a levada through Madeira’s Laurissilva forest, pass through a long tunnel, see a waterfall and 25 springs, and learn about local plants, history, and irrigation. Hotel pickup is available from Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz, Machico, and the cruise port.
“5/5 Great tour, very good guide—friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to listen to. Everything felt natural and relaxed, not rushed or overloaded with information. Left a very pleasant impression. Highly recommend!”
Take a comfortable transfer from Funchal, Caniço, Garajau, or Machico to Madeira’s PR8 trailhead. Your local driver, such as Vitor, Fabio, or Cristiano, gives safety advice and trail tips, then you hike independently for about three hours. Allow four hours total, plus the €4.50 entry fee.
“Fabio is a good driver with experiences and he knows almost every corner of Madeira. He pick up and drop off hikers without using navigation! Since he is local, he can answer all questions we have and also provide good recommendations”
Join a local guide from Funchal for an eight-hour day at Rabaçal. Walk beside levadas to 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall, pass through a dark 800-meter tunnel, stop for optional lunch, then visit Cabo Girão’s glass viewpoint. Guides may include Michael, Julia, Gil, Ruben, Leon, or Daniel.
“good explanation of the area, very beautiful area and easy trail accessible to everybody in normal shape. staff extremely friendly and helpful, all questions answered”
See eastern Madeira in one busy but rewarding day, from the 1,818-meter summit of Pico do Areeiro to Santana’s thatched homes and Ponta de São Lourenço. Your driver-guide handles the winding roads and off-road section, while guides such as Victor, David, Miguel, Michael, Ruben, and Severino are known for lively local insight. Pickup is available in Funchal and Caniço.
“Severino is the best guide and driver you can find!”
Travel from Funchal or Caniço to Queimadas Forest Park for a guided 4.5-hour walk along Madeira’s Caldeirão Verde levada. Expect Laurisilva forest, cliffside paths, tunnels, waterfalls, and views toward Santana and São Jorge. Guides speak English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Bring lunch, water, sturdy shoes, and a flashlight.
“We had an amazing weather, and our tour guide was helpful and very informative. Even though we felt quite tired after the walk, we were able to see amazing views and waterfall in the end. Very worth trip and we were well takwn care by the agent. Loved every minute of it. Highly recommend to everyone.”
Join Madeira Adventure Kingdom for a roughly seven-hour outing to Rabaçal Valley and the 25 Fountains Levada. Guides such as Ruben, Marta, Samuel, and Daria explain Madeira’s plants, birds, culture, and weather as you walk about 11 kilometers through laurel forest, past waterfalls, and through a dark 800-meter tunnel. Hotel pickup, transport, insurance, and a small forest fee are included.
“Amazing walking tour and great host plenty of information about everywhere. Very well looked after by the host Reuban”
Spend about eight hours touring Madeira’s east with a driver-guide such as Tony, Carlos, Lucy, Michael, or Gama. Visit Camacha, Pico do Arieiro, Ribeiro Frio, Santana, Porto da Cruz, and Machico, with a levada walk, lunch, wine, and rum tasting. Pickup is available from selected areas, though group size and lunch arrangements should be confirmed.
“Definitely a great day trip with a really passionate and knowledgeable guide. He gave us enough time at each stop to explore and gave us a lot of interesting information about Madeira along the way. The food at lunch was plentiful and delicious. My only thing I would change is that I would have appreciated the guide to put the child seat in one of the front seats of the mini bus, before other guests were picked up, rather than us having to sit near the back which is harder on kids in general, especially on the very winding roads of Madeira. Adults are typically able to deal with car…”
Walk 13 km through Madeira’s Laurissilva Forest to Caldeirão Verde, passing four basalt tunnels and a waterfall-fed lagoon. A multilingual mountain guide leads the 4.5-hour hike, with hotel pickup, insurance, and return transport included. Bring hiking shoes, food, water, and rain gear.
“Our guide Gabriele was very friendly and knew a lot about the local nature. Our driver Carlos was also really nice. The scenery was amazing and we got to enjoy our lunch sitting looking at the amazing waterfall. My only criticism is that I would've like if Gabriele had stopped us as a group every now and then to give us some local history, unless you were walking right behind him you couldn't hear anything ad we didn't stop very often. Other than that a very enjoyable walk :-)”
Walk 5km beside one of Madeira’s levadas through the Serra de Água Valley. Guides such as Ruby, Patricia, and Natalia explain the island’s plants, water channels, and local history. The route is mostly flat, with mountain views, occasional narrow sections, and a café stop at the end. Hotel pickup is available from selected areas.
“Very gentle, peaceful walk in the forest. Flat as a pancake 99.9% of the duration. Serene way to end our holiday. Patricia (hope that’s the right spelling) was lovely and knowledgeable and welcoming as our guide.”
Pick a coast, a river or a cellar.
