Either walking or running, these are 5 of the best levadas that you'll be able to explore in the island.
"...Levada Walks in Madeira Island are one of the most exciting experiences to have on the island. In Madeira you will find more than 3,000 km of irrigation channels that guide you through the most beautiful and hidden landscapes of the island! There are various types of levadas throughout Madeira. Some of the easier ones are ideal for beginners, or for those who just want to walk and enjoy a fascinating outdoor experience. Here you will find our suggestions for the Best 5 Levada Walks in Madeira Island that you can make while visiting the island:
1-RABAÇAL 25 FOUNTAINS LEVADA WALK
The Rabaçal 25 Fountains Levada Walk takes about 4.6 km, lasting 3 hours, starts down to the Rabaçal. From here you can continue along the taken to find the spectacular waterfall of the risk and / or continue to the fantastic 25 fountains lagoon. Rabaçal is a unique and magical place, full of waterfalls and fountains. The “25 Fontes” Levada Walk is one of the most visited in Madeira! You can book this levada walk with a guide here.
2-CALDEIRÃO VERDE LEVADA WALK
The Caldeirão Verde Levada Walk takes beginning and end in the Queimadas Forestry Park, with a distance of 6.5 km (+ return 6.5km) in a time of 5h 30m (outward and return). It’s inserted in full Laurissilva Forest, where we can enjoy a wide variety of plant species, to highlight the Stinklaurel (Ocotea foetens), the Laurel(Laurus novocanariensis), the Lily-of-the-Valley Tree (Clethra arborea), Common European Elder (Sambucus lanceolata), between others. You can book this walk here.
3-LEVADA DO REI WALK
The Levada do Rei Walk (King Levada) covers an area of 5.1 km, it takes about 3:30 hours. It offers spectacular views of farmland São Jorge and Santana. The Ribeiro Bonito is considered a natural sanctuary because of the extreme beauty of the place, covered by vegetation that characterizes one of the Madeira indigenous forests, the Laurissilva Forest – reaching the pinnacle for its location, isolation and plenty of water. You can book this guided walk here.
4-LEVADA DO ALECRIM WALK
The Levada do Alecrim Walk covers an area of 7 km and takes about 2:30 hours. This walk in the Laurissilva Forest along one of the most beautiful levadas of Madeira and the amazing views over Paul da Serra (approx 1200 m above sea level), the waterfalls, springs and lagoons that emerge along the way. You can even take a refreshing swim before continuing the walk or watch the trouts swimming around. You can book this guided walk here.
5- CEDROS LEVADA WALK
The Cedros Levada Walk 5.8 Km takes 3 hours to be followed, beginning in Fanal, the Paul da Serra plateau and through the laurel forest. The route follows the Cedros Levada until the area of Curral Falso in the Ribeira da Janela parish. This route is located in the indigenous forest area of Madeira, which is classified as a World Natural Heritage Site since 1999 and is part of the Natura 2000. During this route we observe indigenous species, finding arboreal specimens with 30 to 40m high, as the laurel (Laurus novocanariensis), Til (Ocotea foetens) Vinhático (Persea indica).