Posto Aquícola do Ribeiro Frio is a rainbow trout hatchery at Ribeiro Frio, in the laurel forest of central Madeira. Water taken off the mountain feeds a series of open tanks holding fish at different sizes, and staff show how the trout are reared and conserved. Part of the stock is released into island streams to support the wild population. It is a short paid stop rather than a day out, and most people fold it into a walk on the Levada do Furado or the Vereda dos Balcões. Picnic tables stand under the trees beside the tanks.
Posto Aquícola do Ribeiro Frio
Trout raised in these tanks are released into Madeira's mountain streams to keep the wild population going.
- Entrance
- Paid: €3 per person in 2026, up from €1 in 2024.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking.
- Parking
- Free parking 12 m from the entrance; a second free, paved car park about 75 m away. Accessible spaces available.
- Transport
- Bus stops Ribeiro Frio (about 55 m) and RIB Frio-Viveiro Trutas (about 85 m) are on the road at the site.
What makes it special
The draw is a run of open tanks graded by fish size, fed by water coming straight off the mountain. Rainbow trout are bred in them, and part of the stock goes into Madeira's streams to hold up the wild population. The water is clear enough to count the fish in it. Laurel forest stands around the tanks, with picnic tables under the trees. The visit is quick: staff show how the trout are reared and conserved, and 10 to 15 minutes covers it. Not all of it is easy viewing. The tanks are crowded and bare, and the display tank holds a single grown fish.
Good to know
- Allow 10 to 15 minutes. This is a stop between walks, not a destination for the day.
- The tanks are crowded and bare. The display tank holds one fully grown trout. Anyone sensitive to fish welfare should know that first.
- Toilets charge. The nearest ones are about 65 m from the entrance.
- Picnic tables stand in the shade beside the tanks, under the laurel forest.
- The PR10 Levada do Furado trailhead is about 100 m along the road, and that walk carries a fee.
Getting there
Cars come right up to it. The site sits on the road through Ribeiro Frio, the car park is at the entrance, and nothing is left to walk but a few metres. Buses stop on the same road, just as close. Walkers reach it from the Levada do Furado trailhead, about 100 m along the road.
Best time to visit
Better: on the same day as a walk from Ribeiro Frio. The tanks take 10 to 15 minutes, and the Levada do Furado trailhead is about 100 m away, so the place works as the start or the end of a hike rather than as a trip of its own. The Vereda dos Balcões is the other walk people pair it with.
Avoid: wet weather. Everything here is outdoors — the tanks, the tables and the ground between them.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
What is there to see?
Open tanks of rainbow trout, sorted by size and fed by water running off the mountain. Staff show how the fish are reared and conserved.How long should I allow?
10 to 15 minutes covers the whole site.Is it worth going for its own sake?
No. It works as a pause on a walking day, not as a destination. The tanks are crowded and offer the fish nothing to do.Does it work with children?
Yes. The water is clear and the fish are easy to see, and there are picnic tables under the trees beside the tanks.Which walks start nearby?
The PR10 Levada do Furado trailhead is about 100 m along the road, and that walk carries a fee. The Vereda dos Balcões also runs from Ribeiro Frio.