Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR 9)

Water drops about 100 m down the rock at the end of this walk, straight off the bed of the Ribeiro do Caldeirão Verde and into a lake. After hours among trees, the height of it is a shock.

The levada does the rest. For most of the distance you walk on its edge with the channel running at your feet, through dense Laurissilva forest, on a line built in the 18th century to carry water to the farms of Faial. The forest can get repetitive, and the walk improves after the first large waterfall, when the views open up and the tunnels start. If you want big mountain scenery all day, Madeira has more dramatic walks.

At Queimadas Forest Park the first thing you see is the shelter, Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas, triangular and thatched like the old houses of Santana. The levada path starts shortly after it.

Along the levada the path runs level on the edge of the channel, through forest and past escarpments, with small bridges on the way. Some narrow sections take traffic in one direction at a time, so expect to wait.

In the tunnels, four of them carved from the rock, the ceiling is low, it is very dark and the floor can be muddy or waterlogged. Have your torch out before the first one.

At the Caldeirão Verde lake, on your left after the tunnels, the waterfall comes into view. A barrier stands just before the cauldron itself, so plan on the view from the path.

From the lake you can go on to Caldeirão do Inferno, 2,200 m further, or turn back. Either way you return along the same levada. The last section to Caldeirão do Inferno was closed in September 2026.

• Torch: some tunnels are too dark for a mobile phone, so pack a proper light.
• Footwear: wear anti-slip soles. The path gets slippery, and the tunnels can be muddy or waterlogged.
• The way back: you return the same way and can meet groups head-on, so allow for waiting at the narrow sections.
• Water: there is no drinking water near the start, so fill up before you come.
• Toilets and parking: the toilets charge, so carry coins. Pay at the car-park office when you are ready to go: you get 10 minutes to drive out.

You arrive by car at the paid car park at the start of the trail, and the last stretch of road is mostly a single lane. The car park fills up quickly, and when it is full the police may restrict access.

Free parking lies 2–3 km downhill. From there, take a taxi up for about €5 per person, or walk the steep road, which tires your legs before the walk has begun.

The other way in starts at the roadside car park near Pico das Pedras Forest Park (Parque Florestal Pico das Pedras). Walk down to the start of PR 9.1, which connects to the start of PR 9. That adds about 35 minutes each way.

The nearest stop, Santuário-Achada Marques, is about 1,500 m away in a straight line. The walk finishes where it began, so your car is waiting at the end of the day.

Best: early, in the first entry slot of the day if you can get it.

Avoid: days of heavy rain, when the path is at its most slippery.

An early start gives a quiet way in and a better chance at the car park, though crowds vary, from groups all along the way back to a quiet path on a 10:30 start on a late-August Saturday, and a booking lost to rain is not refunded.

PR 9 is a classified trail managed by IFCN. Every walker needs a booking for a timed entry slot, made online only on the SIMplifica Portal, and that includes those who walk free. IFCN offices do not take bookings or fees, and someone at the trail start asks for your reservation. The tolerance on your slot is around 15 minutes, and a slot closes once it is full.

These walkers pay nothing but must still book: children aged 12 or under; residents of Madeira, with a resident card and citizen card; people with a disability of 60% or more, with documentary proof, and one legal guardian accompanying each.

Refunds and rescheduling apply only when the authorities or IFCN officially close or restrict the trail. Rain, the wrong date or a change of plan loses the money. IFCN's page for the classified trails shows whether PR 9 is open.