Itinerary
Rabaçal in a day
Three trails from one trailhead, on the island's greenest plateau.
Rabaçal is Madeira's hiking heartland: a green amphitheatre below the Paul da Serra plateau where a fan of short trails radiates from a single forestry house. You can string the best of them into one full, photogenic day — the slender Risco cascade, the famous 25 Fontes wall of springs, and the quieter descent to the hidden Lagoa do Vento.
Remember that cars aren't allowed down the steep access spur: park at the top and either walk down (a stiff climb back) or take the official shuttle. Arrive early in season for both parking and quiet.
The Rabaçal PR trails require a SIMplifica reservation. No cars beyond the top car park.
Levada do Risco
The shortest and gentlest of the Rabaçal trails, leading from the forestry house along an almost level levada to a viewpoint facing the tall, thread-like Risco waterfall. It shares its opening stretch with PR6, so the two are routinely combined into one outing. Visit Madeira gives 1.5 km one-way (3 km round trip), Easy, about 2 hours; the path runs at roughly 1,000 m through laurel forest. The former lower path beneath the falls is closed after landslides.
- Has tunnels
- Waterfall on the route
- Family-friendly
Levada das 25 Fontes
The signature walk of Rabaçal and one of the most popular trails in all Madeira. From the forestry house the path drops through Laurisilva to the Lagoa das 25 Fontes, a clear pool fed by roughly 25 springs that weep from the surrounding rock wall — the literal source of the name, confirmed by both the Visit Madeira register and Calheta municipality. The terrain is near-flat levada walking with steps and some narrow, exposed ledges. Visit Madeira lists it as 4.3 km one-way (8.6 km round trip); Calheta municipality cites 9 km and GPS trackers up to 11 km when the access road and Risco spur are included.
- Has tunnels
- Waterfall on the route
Vereda da Lagoa do Vento
A short footpath (not a levada) dropping from near the Rabaçal forestry house to the Lagoa do Vento, where the Ribeira do Lajeado pours down a tall escarpment into a basin. Visit Madeira lists 1.8 km one-way (3.6 km round trip), Easy grade, about 1.5 hours, through the transition between mountain heath and laurel forest. The return is a steady climb back up to the plateau. It connects to PR6.2 Levada do Alecrim at around 1,600 m.
- Has tunnels
- Waterfall on the route