Risco Waterfall lies at Rabaçal, on the Paul da Serra plateau in the west of Madeira. Several streams come vertically down 100 m of mountainside and gather in a small natural pool among plant-covered rocks at the foot. The approach is the PR 6.1 levada path through the Laurisilva laurel forest, starting below the Rabaçal car park; the same route carries on to the 25 Fontes lagoon, and most walkers do both in one outing. The site is open at any hour, and tickets are checked where the trail begins.
Risco Waterfall
Local name: Cascata do Risco
"Risco" is the Portuguese word for "risk".
- Entrance
- Park officials check tickets at the start of the trail.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible parking or entrance; the approach is a road descent to the trailhead and a levada path, with the same climb on the way back.
- Parking
- Free car parks at Rabaçal, on unsurfaced ground; when they fill, cars park along the roadside.
- Difficulty
- 2 km of asphalt road down from the car park to the trail start, then a levada path; the return climbs the same 2 km. Rocks slippery in places. Rabaçal–Risco–25 Fontes as a circuit: about 3 hours 50 minutes.
- Transport
- Rabaçal van between the main car park on the ER 105 and the Rabaçal house at the trail start: €5 one way, €8 return, 11:00–18:00.
- Advance booking
- Entry is ticketed with a time slot booked ahead; one visitor's booking was for 08:00.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours.
What makes it special
The approach is half the point. The path follows a levada — one of the water channels cut across the island — through the laurel forest of Rabaçal, listed by UNESCO as Laurisilva. The turning to Risco splits off the route that carries on to the 25 Fontes lagoon, and one visitor rated it quieter than the lagoon and the better of the two. How much water arrives depends on the season: in summer the flow is far weaker than in spring or winter. Expect company. The route is a popular one, and hiking groups come through steadily at peak times.
Good to know
- The car park fills: get to Rabaçal before 09:30 for a space in the one closest to the trail; when it is full, cars park along the roadside.
- The way back is uphill: the approach descends from the car park and the return climbs the same road; one visitor called it manageable with a few breaks.
- Wet rock: some of the rocks along the trail are slippery, and the descent is where footing goes.
- Summer runs thin: the falls carry far less water in summer than in spring or winter.
Getting there
Almost everyone drives: from Funchal it is about an hour up to the car park at Rabaçal, off the ER 105 on the Paul da Serra plateau. From there the trail start is 2 km down an asphalt road — a descent going in and the same climb coming out — or the Rabaçal van takes you down to the Rabaçal house and back. Tickets are checked where the path begins. The levada then runs on through the forest, with the turning to Risco branching off the route that continues to the 25 Fontes lagoon.
Best time to visit
Better: early. Before 09:30 the trail is still quiet and there is space in the car park closest to the start; numbers drop again in the afternoon.
Avoid: the busiest hours in peak season, when hiking groups arrive one after another along the levada.
Spring and winter put the most water over the edge — by summer the flow is much weaker, so a visit outside those months trades volume for a quieter path.
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Risco Waterfall on the map
Some of the rocks along the trail are slippery. Wet stone is what people come off here, and the descent is where it happens — take the downhill sections slowly and in footwear with grip.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does the walk take?
A mapped circuit from Rabaçal to Risco and on to the 25 Fontes lagoon runs to about 3 hours 50 minutes. Risco branches off before the lagoon, so it can be walked on its own.Is there a shuttle from the car park?
Yes. The Rabaçal van shuttles between the main car park and the Rabaçal house at the trail start. It is paid, it runs in the middle of the day only, and it saves the 2 km descent and the climb back.Do you need a ticket?
Park officials check tickets at the beginning of the trail. One visitor who set off at 07:45 found nobody checking that early.When does the waterfall carry the most water?
Spring and winter. In summer the falls carry much less water than at either of those times.How fit do you need to be?
The walk in is downhill the whole way and uphill the whole way back. One visitor rated the return reasonable for any fitness level with a few breaks.