East · 7 walks
Walks of eastern Madeira
From the laurel forest of Ribeiro Frio to the bare volcanic spine of Ponta de São Lourenço — the east compresses the island's whole range into a short radius.
The eastern third of Madeira compresses the island's full dramatic range into a short driving radius. At its heart sits Ribeiro Frio, a damp, trout-farm hamlet at roughly 860 m that serves the historic Levada do Furado (PR10) and the short, panoramic Vereda dos Balcões (PR11). Both thread through the UNESCO-listed Laurisilva.
Farther south and east, the landscape becomes agricultural. The long, gentle Levada da Serra do Faial contours above Funchal's eastern valleys toward Camacha and Santo da Serra; the Levada dos Maroços reveals the working poios above Machico; and the compact Levada da Azenha (PR23) follows village paths near Caniço. On the north-east coast, the unclassified Levada do Castelejo runs toward Porto da Cruz on a narrow shelf above the sea. Some older guides call it PR24, but that number is absent from Madeira's current official PR register.
The far east then abandons levadas entirely. The Vereda do Larano / Boca do Risco follows an old caminho real high above the surf, while Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8) crosses the bare volcanic peninsula. These are exposed coastal footpaths, not water-channel walks.
Important caveats
- Every currently classified PR route requires advance booking through SIMplifica; consult the official route page for the current fee and access conditions.
- PR10 and other routes can close after storms or rockfall. Check the live IFCN or Visit Madeira status on the day.
- The unclassified Castelejo and Maroços walks do not carry the inspection, waymarking or booking assumptions of a PR route.
- High-exposure sections on PR8, Larano/Boca do Risco and Castelejo should be avoided in strong wind or poor visibility.
The walks 7
Levada da Azenha
PR23 is a compact local walk along the Levada da Azenha between Azenha and Caminho Velho do Castelo. Rather than mountain spectacle, it reveals the everyday landscape the levadas created: irrigated poios, gardens, village paths and the remains of water-powered milling. The official register supplies only limited visitor detail, so conditions and access should be confirmed locally as well as through the live trail list.
- Family-friendly
Levada dos Maroços
Levada dos Maroços is the counterpoint to Madeira's cliff-and-waterfall routes: a gentle traverse through the cultivated valley above Machico, often marketed as the Mimosa Valley. The channel passes poios, small farms, flowers and fruit trees, making the continuing relationship between irrigation water and local agriculture unusually visible. It is a useful first levada for walkers who prefer low exposure and easy terrain.
- Waterfall on the route
- Family-friendly
Levada do Furado
The PR10 is the classic Central-East levada walk and follows one of the oldest public levadas on the island (the channel itself dated to 1822), running downhill through deep Laurisilva from the trout-farm hamlet of Ribeiro Frio to the pass at Portela. It is a long but largely gentle contour walk, with an initial undulating forest stretch giving way to open balconies above the Faial and Porto da Cruz valleys, framed by the great monolith of Penha d'Águia. The trail is mostly easy underfoot but earns its 'moderate' rating from its length and a handful of narrow, partially exposed ledge sections; an alternative high variant climbs toward Pico do Suna. As of early 2026 a section is affected by a landslide and pavement damage — check current status before setting out.
- Has tunnels
- Waterfall on the route
Levada da Serra do Faial
The Levada da Serra do Faial is a long, near-level water channel that contours the eastern highlands at roughly 700–800 m, linking the heights above Funchal (Choupana) eastward through Camacha and Santo da Serra and ultimately feeding toward the Ribeiro Frio system where the Levada do Furado begins. It is most often walked as the gentle Choupana–Camacha leg — sometimes marketed as the 'Levada Vale Paraíso' — a wide, flat, shaded path through mixed oak, pine, eucalyptus and laurel woodland with intermittent panoramas over the capital and its valleys. Its flatness and width make it one of the most accessible levada walks on Madeira, with no significant exposure.
- Has tunnels
- Family-friendly
Levada do Castelejo
This unclassified route is an uncrowded levada walk on the rugged east coast above Porto da Cruz, following the Castelejo channel from the hamlet of Referta out to a small waterfall and footbridge where the stream feeds the levada. The early sections pass terraced farmland and laurel forest, but the trail's character is defined by a long stretch of narrow ledge suspended on the open hillside with high, largely unprotected exposure — comfortable walking underfoot but unsuitable for anyone uneasy with heights. It is a there-and-back route, returning the same way after the waterfall.
- Waterfall on the route
Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
The PR8 is Madeira's most famous coastal walk and a deliberate counterpoint to the island's green levadas: it is a vereda (footpath), NOT a water channel, crossing the bare, wind-scoured volcanic peninsula that forms Madeira's eastern tip. The trail undulates over red, ochre and grey cliffs with the Atlantic on both flanks, threading a Partial Nature Reserve of rare endemic plants and seabird colonies before reaching the green oasis of Casa do Sardinha, where a path drops to a swimming cove. There is no shade, the wind is often fierce, and several sections run close to unprotected drops. It is moderate by effort but should not be underestimated in heat or strong wind.
- Has tunnels
Vereda do Larano / Boca do Risco
The great historic coastal traverse of eastern Madeira — a vereda, not a levada, though many walkers begin on the easy, flat Levada do Caniçal above Machico before the trail turns wild. It follows the old caminho real that for centuries was the only land route between Machico and Porto da Cruz before the road tunnels were cut. The dramatic centrepiece is the Boca do Risco, the 'Mouth of Risk', a wind-blasted clifftop notch where the path runs along a narrow, unprotected shelf roughly 300 m above the crashing north-coast surf before descending to Porto da Cruz. The walk delivers some of the island's wildest sea panoramas and is largely free of crowds, but the exposure is serious and it is recommended only for sure-footed, head-for-heights walkers in good conditions. Note it is unnumbered and is NOT PR8 (the separate Ponta de São Lourenço trail), with which it is frequently confused.
- Has tunnels