Madeira Levada Walks: Best Trails and the 2026 Booking Rules

Madeira’s levadas are one of the great walking experiences in Europe. These old irrigation channels wind for hundreds of kilometres through laurel forest, along cliffs and past waterfalls, with gentle, almost flat paths running beside them. Add the island’s spectacular mountain trails and you could hike for weeks. Here are the best walks, plus the new 2026 booking rules you need to know.

Quick answer: since January 2026, every official trail needs a booked time slot and fee on the SIMplifica portal: €4.50 per trail, or €10.50 for the PR1 summit hike. The best walks are PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (spectacular, one-way only), PR6 25 Fontes and Risco (waterfalls), PR9 Caldeirão Verde (forest and tunnels), PR11 Balcões (an easy viewpoint) and PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço (wild coast). Bring a headtorch for tunnels.

The 2026 rules: book and pay

• All 42 official trails (the “PR” routes) need a 30-minute start slot, booked online on the SIMplifica portal (simplifica.madeira.gov.pt).
• Fees: €4.50 per trail for independent hikers, €3 if you’re with a registered guide. PR1 is €10.50 (€7 with a guide).
• Passes: €9 for 1 day, €22.50 for 3 days, or €52.50 for 7 days, covering every trail except PR1. Great value if you’re hiking a lot.
• Free: children under 12 and residents, though they still need to book a slot.
• Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or MB Way. Keep your booking on your phone for checks on the trail.
• Book early for PR1 at sunrise and for PR6 in summer, as slots sell out.

Guided walks with registered companies handle bookings for you, and often transport too. See guided levada walks.

The best walks

PR1: Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo

The island’s most famous hike, linking its second- and highest peaks on a ridge path carved into the rock, with tunnels, staircases and huge views above the clouds. About 6km, but steep and with lots of steps, so allow 3 hours or more. It reopened in 2026 after repairs and is now one-way only, from Arieiro to Ruivo, so arrange a pickup or a taxi from Achada do Teixeira at the end. Many people walk it at sunrise. It sometimes closes in bad weather or for maintenance, so check the trail status the day before. Parking at Arieiro is paid. See Pico Ruivo tours with transport.

PR6: Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco

The most popular levada walk: from Rabaçal on the high plateau, follow the levada down to the Risco waterfall and to 25 Fontes, a lagoon fed by dozens of little cascades. About 11km return, mostly easy, but busy in summer. Go early. A shuttle bus runs down the steep road from the car park.

PR9: Levada do Caldeirão Verde

From the Queimadas forest park near Santana, a beautiful walk through ancient laurel forest and several tunnels to a tall waterfall in a green amphitheatre. About 13km return. Some tunnels are low and wet, so bring a headtorch and waterproof jacket. The extension on to Caldeirão do Inferno is closed.

PR11: Vereda dos Balcões

The easiest one: about 3km return on a flat path from Ribeiro Frio to a viewpoint (balcão) over the central mountains. Great for families, with a chance of seeing the colourful Madeiran chaffinch. Still needs a booked slot.

PR8: Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Something completely different: a dry, wild peninsula at the island’s eastern tip, with red and ochre cliffs and sea on both sides. About 8km return, with ups and downs and no shade, so bring water and sun cream and go early.

Safety tips

• Check trail status on the official Visit Madeira trail list before you go. Trails close after storms, rockfalls or fires.
• Weather changes fast. It can be sunny in Funchal and cold, windy and misty in the mountains. Bring layers and a waterproof.
• Headtorch for any trail with tunnels (your phone light isn’t enough).
• Good shoes with grip: paths are often wet and slippery.
• Stay on the path. Some levadas have steep drops with no railings. Not ideal if you suffer from vertigo.
• Start early for parking, cooler temperatures and quieter trails.
• Emergency: call 112.

Getting to the trailheads

Most trailheads are in the mountains, 30–60 minutes’ drive from Funchal on winding roads, and public buses are limited. A hire car or a guided walk with transport is the easiest way. Taxis will also drop off and collect by arrangement.

When to go

You can hike year-round. Spring and autumn are ideal. Summer is warm and busy, while winter brings more rain and occasional closures, but also full waterfalls and green forests.

More Madeira

See our Madeira travel guide for where to stay, getting around and the island’s other highlights. Places to stay in Funchal · all of Madeira.

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