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Centre — Encumeada (São Vicente / Ribeira Brava)

Levada do Folhadal

Also known as Folhadal · Levada do Norte / Folhadal walk

5.3 km Length out-and-back
2.5 h Duration typical
Moderate Grade moderate
100 m Ascent climb
medium Exposure vertigo

A short out-and-back along the Levada do Norte from the Encumeada pass into the dripping Folhadal cloud forest — effectively the scenic core of PR17 without the full traverse. The route is defined by two long, dark tunnels (about 500 m and 800–1,000 m) for which a torch is essential, opening onto ferny, misty terraces and the Folhadal waterfall. Trackers log it at roughly 5.3 km round trip, moderate, about 2.5 hours, with modest elevation change.

Highlights

  • Misty 'cloud forest' atmosphere and ferns
  • Two dark levada tunnels requiring a torch
  • The Folhadal waterfall
  • Views toward Pico Grande and the south coast

Water on the route

  • Folhadal waterfall
  • Levada do Norte channel
  • small cascades emerging at tunnel mouths
Tunnels: Two long tunnels along the Levada do Norte — roughly 500 m and 800–1,000 m; a torch/headlamp is mandatory.. Bring a head-torch — some levada tunnels are long, low and pitch black.

Walks like this

PR13 Northwest — Fanal / Paúl da Serra (Porto Moniz)

Vereda do Fanal

More a forest footpath than a levada, the Vereda do Fanal traverses the high Paúl da Serra plateau through a wide expanse of UNESCO laurel forest in superb condition, ending at the Fanal — a shallow volcanic crater designated a Rest-and-Quiet Reserve and famous worldwide for its gnarled, fog-haunted Til trees. The route passes the Sítio do Fio, where a historic cableway once lowered timber and brushwood off the plateau. Visit Madeira gives 10.8 km, 4 h, Moderate, altitude 1,420/1,130 m, with the official classified line running from Assobiadores onward toward Encumeada. Exposure is low, but the plateau is frequently in cloud — which is precisely what gives the Fanal its otherworldly atmosphere.

  • Has tunnels
10.8 kmLength4 hTimemoderateGrade
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PR1 Central Massif — Santana / Funchal border

Vereda do Areeiro (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo)

This is a VEREDA, not a levada — a footpath blasted and carved into the spine of the central massif rather than a water channel. PR1 links Madeira's two great viewpoint peaks, starting at the Pico do Arieiro car park (1,818 m), crossing Pico das Torres (1,851 m) and ending atop Pico Ruivo (1,862 m), the highest point in the archipelago and the third-highest in Portugal. The path threads tunnels dug through volcanic tuff that once sheltered shepherds and livestock, climbs rock-cut staircases, and runs along knife-edge ridges with drops of 500 m or more to either side, frequently above the cloud line. Visit Madeira lists it as 6.1–7 km and grades it moderate, though its length, exposure and altitude see it widely rated hard. Following the August 2024 wildfire the route reopened in late April 2026 and now operates one-way, Arieiro to Ruivo. A premium entry fee applies via the SIMplifica portal.

  • Has tunnels
7 kmLength3.5 hTimehardGrade
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PR6 West — Rabaçal (Calheta municipality)

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
8.6 kmLength3 hTimemoderateGrade
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