Levada da Rocha Vermelha is a footpath along an irrigation channel in the mountains of Madeira, Portugal. Levadas carry water across the island, and the maintenance paths beside them are used as trails. This one climbs from a rough road near a hydroelectric plant, passes a white house where the channel meets a large pipe, and runs on to an unlit tunnel. The scenery on the far side, waterfalls and thick vegetation, is what people come for. It sees few walkers.
Levada da Rocha Vermelha
The tunnel is unlit and one person wide, and it can be hot at one end and cold at the other.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible: there is no accessible parking or entrance, and the tunnel path takes one person at a time.
- Parking
- Two parking areas are mapped near the levada, about 210 m and about 480 m away. The farther one is free.
- Difficulty
- Uphill walk-in from wherever the car is left, then roughly 400 m of levada path from the white house to the tunnel. The tunnel is unlit and one person wide; the access road is rough.
- Transport
- The nearest bus stop is Paragem da Central, about 1.2 km from the levada.
What makes it special
Most of this walk is standard levada business: a water channel cut into the hillside, a path beside it, good views over the valley below. The tunnel changes that. It is unlit, and the path through it takes one person at a time, so you go in single file with a torch and feel your way along. The far end is the reason for the trip — colder air, waterfalls, dense green.
Finding the place is part of the effort. The levada sign on the cobbled road points elsewhere, the surface breaks up higher, and the landmark you want is a white house at the end of the road with a large pipe just before it. Almost nobody comes here.
Good to know
- Torch — the tunnel is unlit and long. Carry a torch, or a phone charged well enough to last it.
- Two climates — it can be hot on one side of the tunnel and cold on the other. Bring a warm layer as well as waterproofs.
- No facilities — no toilets and no drinking water are mapped anywhere near the trail. Carry what you need.
- The drive in — Google's directions can send you up a steep, narrow road that never reaches the walk and needs a 4x4.
- Children — the path through the tunnel takes one person at a time, and a child needs a hand the whole way through.
Getting there
The approach is by road, and the state of it decides where you leave the car. From the cobbled section, ignore the levada sign and keep climbing; the surface breaks up higher. Low cars are better parked further down, with the rest done on foot. The road ends at a white house with a large pipe just before it — that is the landmark to aim for. Walk past the house on its left side, join the levada and follow it to the tunnel, roughly 400 m on. Google's driving directions have put people onto a steep, narrow road that does not reach the trail.
Best time to visit
Better: a clear day, with the cloud sitting above the ridge rather than on it.
Avoid: days when the cloud comes down. Rain arrives with it, the path runs wet, and the views go.
Crowds do not come into it. This levada is barely known, and walkers here have had the trail to themselves. Pick your day by the weather, not by the hour.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
Levada da Rocha Vermelha on the map
The tunnel is unlit and the path through it takes one person at a time — never go in without a torch or a charged phone. The access road is rough, and Google's driving directions can put you on a steep, narrow road that needs a 4x4 and does not reach the trail.
Get directions
Your whole travel map in one place
Get inspired by new places around the world and find the ones worth the journey
Frequently asked questions
Is Levada da Rocha Vermelha easy to find?
No. The map pin itself sits in the right place, but the levada sign on the cobbled road points the wrong way and walkers have struggled to locate the start. Aim for the white house at the end of the road, with the large pipe just before it, and go left past it.Do I need a torch?
Yes. The walk goes through a long unlit tunnel where the path takes one person at a time. A torch or a well-charged phone is essential.Can I drive all the way to the start?
It depends on the car. The road deteriorates on the way up, and drivers of ordinary cars leave them lower down and walk the rest. Do not trust Google's driving directions here: they have led people onto a steep, narrow road that needs a 4x4 and never reaches the walk.Are there toilets or drinking water at the trail?
No. Neither is mapped anywhere near the levada. Bring your own water.Can children do this walk?
It has been done with an eight-year-old, but the tunnel needs hand-holding: it is dark and the path there is one person wide. Waterproof shoes and a warm layer help, as the two sides of the tunnel differ sharply in temperature.