Madeira's Levada Walks: A Hiker's Guide to the Laurel Forest Island
Most islands give you a beach. Madeira gives you a trail network carved into the cliffs by hand, centuries ago, to move water from the wet north to the dry south. Those channels are called levadas, and walking alongside them is the single best reason to come.
There are roughly 1,400 km of them. They thread through the — the primeval laurel forest that's been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, the largest surviving expanse of its kind on Earth, far bigger than the laurel remnants on Portugal's or the Canaries. You walk flat, shaded, beside running water, deep into a forest that predates the last Ice Age. And when you want the opposite of forest, the island delivers high ridges above the clouds and red-rock peninsulas hanging over turquoise water.
This is why hikers fly to a tiny Atlantic dot. Here's how to do it right.
Why Madeira Is Built for Walking
The levadas change everything. Because they were dug to carry water at a gentle gradient, the paths beside them stay mostly flat — which means you can walk 11 km through stunning terrain without a brutal climb. That's rare. It makes serious distance accessible to ordinary legs.
Then there's the variety. In a single week you can hike a 1,800 m mountain ridge, a moss-draped forest channel, an exposed volcanic peninsula, and a misty grove of trees that look summoned from a folk tale. The microclimates do the work — sunny coast, cloud forest, alpine ridge, all within a 40-minute drive.
The Top Ten Hikes Worth Your Boots
1. PR1 — Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. The crown. A ridge trail between the island's two highest peaks (1,818 m and 1,862 m), routinely above the clouds. The full point-to-point runs 6-7 hours with carved stairs and unlit tunnels. Free to access. Drive or taxi to the Pico do Arieiro car park before dawn — parking fills fast, and sunrise from the ridge is the whole point. Bring a headtorch for the tunnels and proper layers, because it's cold up top even when Funchal is warm.
2. Levada das 25 Fontes & Risco Waterfall (PR6). The classic forest levada. About 11 km round trip, 3-4 hours, mostly flat, ending at a pool fed by 25 springs. Park at Rabaçal and take the paid shuttle minibus (~€3 / $3.20) down the narrow access road. Add the short Risco waterfall detour — a tall cascade over a fern wall, well worth the extra legs.
3. Vereda do Larano. A coastal cliff path between Porto da Cruz and Machico on the northeast coast. Less crowded than the famous levadas, with sea views the whole way and a couple of exposed sections that get the heart going. Roughly 5-6 km one way.
4. Ponta de São Lourenço. The island's eastern tip, and nothing like the rest of it — treeless, volcanic, all red-and-ochre cliffs and turquoise coves, a sun-scorched moonscape closer to the arid volcanic islands of Cape Verde than to Madeira's green interior. About 8 km round trip, 2.5-3 hours, fully exposed with no shade. Free; park at Baía d'Abra. Bring more water than you think and a hat, because the sun here is relentless.
5. Fanal Forest. Not a long hike — a place. An ancient grove of gnarled, moss-draped laurel trees on the Paul da Serra plateau that turns genuinely ethereal when the capacho mist rolls in. Free and open access. There's an easy flat Levada do Fanal loop for those who want more time on foot. Come early morning when the fog is most likely; that's when the magic happens.
6. Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9). A deep laurisilva walk on the lush north coast to the "Green Cauldron" waterfall. About 13 km round trip, 4-5 hours, with several dark, unlit tunnels — headtorch essential. Park at the Queimadas Forest Park near Santana, with its thatched A-frame casas.
7. Levada do Norte (near Encumeada). A flat, scenic section through eucalyptus and laurel near the Encumeada Pass — easy walking after the bigger days, and the pass itself lets you see both the north and south coasts at once on a clear day.
8. Vereda do Areeiro shorter loop. Can't commit to the full PR1? Walk out from the Pico do Arieiro car park as far as your energy allows and turn back. You still get the ridge, the clouds, and the drama, in half the time.
9. Pico Ruivo via Achada do Teixeira. The gentler way to the island's summit — a paved path from the Achada do Teixeira car park reaches the top of Pico Ruivo (1,862 m) in about 45 minutes each way. Big reward, modest effort. Refuel at the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo shelter, which serves snacks and poncha.
10. Levada dos Balcões. A short, flat, family-friendly walk to a viewpoint balcony over the Ribeira da Metade valley and the central peaks. Easy enough for a rest day, scenic enough to feel earned.
Standout Spots Off the Trail
When your legs need a break, the island keeps delivering. The Porto Moniz volcanic pools (entry ~€1.50 / $1.60) let you swim in lava-rock basins fed by Atlantic surf — the same lava-meets-ocean bathing you'll find across Spain's volcanic Canary Islands — perfect for a post-hike soak. The Cabo Girão Skywalk, a glass floor 580 m above the sea, is a five-minute thrill, free and open roughly 8AM-7PM. And the drive over the Paul da Serra plateau is otherworldly high moorland, often wrapped in cloud.
Best Time for Hiking
April to October is the window — drier trails, longer days, warmer seas for that post-walk swim. The shoulder months (late spring, early autumn) give you the same conditions with fewer boots on the path. Winter still works for lower-altitude levadas, but northern trails close after heavy rain, and the high ridge can be snow-dusted and dangerous.
Skip the temptation to wing the weather. The peaks sit in cloud on plenty of "sunny" days. Check IPMA the night before, and have a flat forest levada as your rain-day backup.
Budget for a Hiking Trip
The trails themselves are mostly free. Your real costs are the car and the bed.
Item
Cost
Most levada/peak access
Free
Rabaçal shuttle minibus
~€3 ($3.20)
Rental car (per day)
€30-50 ($32-54)
Porto Moniz pools
~€1.50 ($1.60)
Guided hike with transfer
€40-70 ($43-76)
If you'd rather not drive the mountain roads yourself, guided hikes with door-to-door transfers solve the trailhead-logistics problem — and they're how a lot of solo walkers handle the tunnel-heavy routes.
A Hiking-Focused Itinerary
Give yourself five walking days and stagger the intensity:
Day 1: Arrive, settle in Funchal, walk off the flight with an easy stroll. First poncha.
Day 2:PR1, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. Sunrise start. The big one first, while your legs are fresh.
Day 3:Levada das 25 Fontes & Risco — flat, shaded recovery through the laurisilva.
Day 4:Fanal Forest at dawn, then the Levada do Caldeirão Verde on the north coast.
Day 5:Ponta de São Lourenço for the volcanic finale, then a swim at Porto Moniz or Machico.
Walk slow. Drink the spring water. Let the forest be older than you can imagine. That's Madeira on foot.
