The Levada das 25 Fontes hike is one of Madeira’s must-see natural gems! Nestled in the heart of a lush valley, this walk takes you on a tour of the island’s typical irrigation canals. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just a lover of beautiful walks, we recommend you discover this route and its wonders.
Here are some useful tips for planning your Levada das 25 Fontes hike in Madeira.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We made our own choices, visited the area anonymously, and paid our bills in full.
Tour summary and map
- Distance: from 5km to 11km depending on your starting point (parking lot or official start) and whether you wish to make a detour to the Cascade de Risco, which adds around 1.5km round trip.
- Duration: from 3h to 5h depending on the same parameters as above.
- Difficulty: this route is of moderate difficulty. There are no particular obstacles along the way, which is fairly flat all the way, apart from a number of steps.
- Ascent: 300m
Is the Levada das 25 Fontes hike worth it? Our review
Yes, without hesitation! The PR6 trail, also known as the Levada das 25 Fontes hike, is one of the best hikes on Madeira Island! We found this walk truly breathtaking. Here’s what’s in store:
- You’ll enter a lush valley
- You’ll travel along a Levada, the famous traditional irrigation channels.
- You’ll marvel at the splendid trees and lush greenery.
- We recommend taking a break in front of Cascade das 25 Fontes, where water gushes out of the rocks.
- If you wish, you can make a detour to the Cascade do Risco.
We loved this hike, which offered total immersion in the island’s natural beauty and introduced us to one of Madeira’s most beautiful Levadas!
Our favorite moments:
- Take the path along the Levada and discover one of these famous historic irrigation canals!
- Admire the vegetation forming a sort of lush tunnel around the path, offering shade and coolness. A setting worthy of a fairy tale!
- Discover the Cascade das 25 Fontes. It’s not impressive, but its many streams of water, its vegetation and its atmosphere transported us into a mystical and romantic universe.
To discover the Levada das 25 Fontes in all simplicity, opt for a guided tour with transfer included! – see prices and book.
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What are the difficulties?
This route is of moderate difficulty. There are no particular obstacles along the way. It’s well-maintained and fairly flat all the way. Here’s what you can expect:
- At the start, there’s a slope to link Maison Rabaçal and the levada.
- The trail surface varies from rock to dirt, and is punctuated here and there by steps. The stones can be slippery in places.
- There are no tunnels on this route.
- The areas where the path borders the cliff are very short and safe.
- The path is rather shady thanks to the surrounding vegetation.
- In our opinion, the greatest difficulty lies in the number of people on the trail: the route will be less pleasant and you’ll have to pass hikers going in the opposite direction on narrow passages. That’s why we recommend an early start.
WHERE TO STAY IN Madeira
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Access
Where to find Levada das 25 Fontes – map
- To the west of the island, on the Paul da Serra Plateau.
- From Funchal: 50min drive.
- From Calheta Beach: 20min drive
- From Ribeira Brava: 40min drive
Here’s a map to help you find your way:
Access by car and parking
The official start is at the Rabaçal Forest House at the bottom of the valley. You’ll need to park at the Rabaçal parking lot. A shuttle bus (for a fee) runs the 2km from the parking lot to the start.
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING YOUR CAR AT Madeira
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Take a car with a good engine for hilly roads, but not too big for manoeuvring.
- There’s plenty of demand and few cars, so book early.
Public transport access
It is not possible to get to the start of the hike by public transport. However, you can take a bus to a nearby town and then take a cab.
You can also opt for a guided tour with transfer included – see price, program and booking.
Useful tips
How long
This itinerary is between 5 and 11km long and takes between 3 and 5 hours depending on your starting point:
- If you set off from the parking lot on foot, add 2km (4km round trip) to reach the Rabaçal Forest House, where the trail starts.
- If you wish to make the detour to the Cascade de Risco, this adds around 1.5km round trip.
- Otherwise, the hike is 5km and takes around 3 hours.
Best moment
We think that for this itinerary, the sooner the better! Indeed, as hiking is one of the main activities on Madeira, the Levada das 25 Fontes is quite popular. The trail can be quite busy, which is not very pleasant. Especially in narrow passages. We decided to hike at dawn, so we had the first look at the path and the waterfalls. A quiet walk before the crowds and the heat arrive. You can also decide to walk at the end of the day, but make sure you come back before nightfall!
The meaning of hiking
This hike is a round trip, so there’s no sense in choosing. However, here’s some information we think you’ll find useful:
- On the way up, you’ll come across a staircase that’s reserved for the return journey.
- The round-trip format is practical if you don’t feel up to doing the whole hike. In fact, you can turn back at any time.
Hiking with children
For adventurous families, this picturesque walk offers a memorable excursion and allows children to discover Madeira’s nature and history. However, they won’t be able to run at will on the trail, which is quite narrow. We recommend that you exercise caution in open-air areas such as this. The ground can be slippery, uneven or along cliffs. In spite of this, we think that well-supervised children will love the lush natural surroundings of the Isle of Flowers. They can also cool off by dipping their hands in the Levada throughout the adventure! Don’t forget to tell them the story of this unique waterway (see next article).
First step: get to the trailhead
To start your adventure discovering one of Madeira’s most famous Levadas, you’ll need to choose whether..:
- you prefer to take the shuttle bus from the parking lot to the trailhead. This service runs between 10am and 6pm and costs €3 each way or €5 return.
- you prefer to walk 2km to reach the start of the hike (which adds 4km round trip to your overall itinerary).
The shuttle takes about 20 minutes to make a round trip. Also, given the popularity of the ride, you may have to queue to get on, as it can only take 6-8 people on board. It’s up to you!
On our visit, we decided to do the hike at dawn to avoid the crowds, so the shuttle was not yet in service.
Descent into the heart of Madeira
Once you’ve reached the Rabaçal Forest House, look out for the “25 Fontes” signs. There are plenty of them around the building. Follow them, and they’ll lead you down into the heart of the valley. We loved this tree- and fern-lined path. It is sloping, decorated with large stones and punctuated by steps. So be careful, as the rocks can be slippery in places.
Walk along the Levada das 25 Fontes
Once you’ve completed the first part of the trail, you’ll finally discover the famous Levada das 25 Fontes! One of Madeira’s typical traditional canals! As you travel along it, remember that this ingenious irrigation system, which winds its way through the mountains over 2000km, dates back to the 16th century. This masterpiece of engineering bears witness to the history of the island and to human adaptation in the face of geographical challenges. Water had to be channelled from the rainy north-west of the island to the drier south-east, which was more suitable for human settlement and cultivation. Their construction was tedious due to Madeira’s topography, which required the integration of 40km of tunnels to allow water to cross the mountains. You won’t come across any on this walk.
We liked the path along the river. In places, it is adorned with a beautiful canopy in the shape of an arch, bringing shade, coolness and magic to this walk. No need to worry about your progress: the path is flat, punctuated here and there by a few steps. Where the path borders the cliff, a guardrail is installed.
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Arrival at Cascade 25 das Fontes
After walking along the irrigation channel, you’ll come to a small waterfall. This is Cascade 25 das Fontes, a lush wall some 30m high, where gentle streams of water mingle with the vegetation attached to the rock. We found it very charming. We found the small pool that quietly collects the flow of the waterfall enchanting. We imagined little fairies dancing on the surface of the transparent water.
Do you know that? The name 25 fontes, meaning “25 fountains”, derives from this waterfall with its many streams of water.
On the way back: stop at the belvedere
For the return journey, simply turn around and take the same route! This time, take the staircase (mentioned earlier in the article) you come across on the trail. It avoids the excessive flow of hikers in narrow areas. On this part of the route around the Levada, you’ll find a viewpoint offering a lovely panorama of the valley and its green cliffs. It’s a beautiful landscape, but we’ve seen even more mesmerizing ones on some of Madeira’s most beautiful hikes. Then you’ll head back down along the irrigation canal to continue your journey back to the starting point.
Optional detour to Cascade do Risco
If you wish, you can make a detour to admire the Cascade do Risco. Getting there adds 1.5km round trip, but the path is flat and easy to reach. This one is more of a waterfall than the last. It’s 100m high! We found it very pretty and recommend that you visit it after discovering Cascade das 25 Fontes. In fact, if you hike early in the morning (like us), you’ll visit the first waterfall before the crowds arrive, and then head off in the direction of Cascade do Risco. That way, you’ll have peace of mind for the whole ride!
We’d like to warn you about the small pool at the foot of the waterfall: don’t try to go in. Its access is dangerous, and accidents have unfortunately already occurred. Watching the waterfall from the trail is already a magnificent gift from nature!
PLAN YOUR STAY IN Madeira
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Things to do in Madeira
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Madeira’s most beautiful beaches
Most beautiful gardens
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Most beautiful hikes
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Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 6 days – 7 days – 10 days
