Levada dos Balcões (PR 11)

The path stops at a terrace hung out over valleys packed solid with Laurissilva, Madeira's native laurel forest. Balcões means balconies, and the name is exact. On a clear day the central mountain range rises behind all that green, with Pico do Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo standing out on the skyline, and the Fajã da Nogueira hydroelectric power plant is in view as well. Chaffinches come to the terrace looking for food.

The terrace is what you come for. The walk in is pleasant forest, over quickly, and a keen walker will want more from the day. It earns its place as a stop on the way to or from Pico do Areeiro, less so as a long drive on its own.

At Ribeiro Frio, the trail leaves regional road ER 103. A checkpoint stands at the start and asks for your booking; it can be empty as you set off and staffed when you come back, so keep the confirmation to hand.

Along the levada, the path follows Levada da Serra do Faial and hardly changes height, staying between 870 and 880 m. Laurissilva lines both sides, with trees of the Lauraceae family and exotic species along the edges, and bare rock cuttings break it up in places.

At the Balcões viewpoint the trail ends on the terrace. Allow 20 minutes here, then return by the same path.

Back in Ribeiro Frio, Ribeiro Frio Forest Park (Parque Florestal do Ribeiro Frio) holds the Aquaculture Centre and its rainbow trout nursery.

• Cloud decides the visit: when it is down the viewpoint shows little, and a booking is not refunded for bad weather.
• Parking is the hard part of the day. If the village is full, try further up the road and walk back.
• The Arraial restaurant's car park goes with a meal there, which also settles lunch.
• The PR 10 guidepost and map board in Ribeiro Frio belong to Levada do Furado, a separate trail with its own booking.
• Toilets in Ribeiro Frio charge a fee. Dogs are allowed on the walk, and ordinary shoes do in dry weather.

The trail starts on regional road ER 103 in Ribeiro Frio, so there is no separate approach walk beyond the stretch from wherever you stop. By car, finding a space takes longer than the drive deserves: there are roadside spaces and a car park about 116 m away, and they fill up. When they have, carry on up the road and walk back.

By bus, get off at RIB Frio-Viveiro Trutas, in the village itself. Check the timetable against your booked slot before you set out, because the entry tolerance is short.

The walk finishes back where it began, so no onward transport is needed. It fits the same day as a trip to Pico do Areeiro.

Best: a clear morning, before 9am. Parking is very hard to find later on, and the viewpoint terrace gets crowded. Early-morning and sunrise slots can sell out before the day itself, so book those ahead.

Avoid: cloud and fog. Cloud tends to build on Madeira's high ground as the day warms, and when it is in, the terrace shows little and the central mountains not at all. A booking is not refunded for bad weather, so for a later slot, look at the sky first and book on the day; same-day places are usually available.

Levada dos Balcões is a classified walking trail managed by IFCN. Every walker needs a time slot booked online through the SIMplifica Portal, fee or no fee; nothing is sold at IFCN premises. Entry runs to around 15 minutes either side of the slot.

The fee is waived for residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira with resident card and citizen card, for children aged 12 or under, and for people with a disability of 60% or more plus one accompanying legal guardian, with documentary proof.

Rescheduling or a refund applies only when the authorities or IFCN close or restrict the trail on your date; rain or a change of plan loses the fee. Trail status is on the official IFCN trails page.

Walking several trails? Each still needs its own booking, and the portal applies any cheaper combined rate at checkout. Feeding the birds at the viewpoint is forbidden.