Levada walks that finish at a waterfall

Map of 10 locations in Madeira, Portugal

Madeira's irrigation channels make for level walking, and a good number of them end where the water starts: a plunge pool, a springline, a canyon head. These are the routes where the turnaround point is falling water rather than a viewpoint, with the distances, walking times and tunnel lengths that decide whether a day works. Several sit inside the island's paid-access network and several close after storms, so trail status on the day matters as much as the numbers.

Places in this collection

  • Levada Fajã do Rodrigues — PR16 starts at Ginjas in São Vicente and runs 7.8 km round trip to the Ribeira do Inferno stream, about three and a half hours at an easy t…
  • Levada do Caldeirão Verde — PR9 runs 17.4 km round trip from Queimadas Forest Park through to Caldeirão do Inferno, five to seven hours depending on how far you push p…
  • Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal — Lombo do Mouro to Encumeada, given variously as 15 km and 18 km, six to seven hours, with more than 700 m of climbing and a mountain-hiking…
  • Levada dos Tornos — The Boaventura section runs 13 km point to point through the valley, mixing waterfalls, viewpoints and Laurissilva forest. Mapped with a pa…
  • Levada da Rocha Vermelha — PR28 opens with one of the longest tunnels on Madeira at 1.6 km, which means a headlamp and steady concentration before the route reaches t…
  • Levada da Ribeira da Janela — 11.5 km point to point from the coast up into the mountains through a large canyon, with cliff-side channel path for much of the way, or 23…
  • Levada do Alecrim — PR6.2 out of Rabaçal is roughly 7 km for the return trip and passes several waterfalls and pools before the main falls and swimming pool at…
  • Levada do Rei — PR18 covers 10.6 km round trip from the São Jorge wastewater treatment plant to Ribeiro Bonito, about three and a half hours with only a li…
  • Levada dos Cedros — PR14 runs 7.2 km point to point between two points on the ER 209, Fanal to Curral Falso, in two and a half to three hours through laurel fo…
  • Levada das 25 Fontes — 8.6 km out and back from Rabaçal on the ER 150, three to four hours, graded easy to moderate. The turnaround is a basin fed by a weeping wa…

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