Madeira · 77 trails
Best Forest & Laurisilva Trails in Madeira
This list is ranked by distance, not by today. Which of these is the best walk right now depends on the weather, the crowds, and the light on the day you go.
Walks through Madeira's UNESCO laurisilva: the Fanal fog forest, Ribeiro Frio and the endemic laurel woodland that covers the island's interior.
The fog is the reason half of these forests photograph the way they do: the Fanal fog forest guide explains how it forms, the season it favours, and the routes in.
See also best hikes in Madeira · all Madeira levada walks and trails · Easy Levada Walks · Waterfall Hikes · Coastal Walks · Summit Hikes · Family-Friendly Walks · Which trails are free
Where to walk when it rains
Laurel forest is the answer to rain that Madeira gives on its own. The canopy closes over most of these paths, so the water arrives as drip rather than as weather, and the walks worth doing wet are already the ones on this list.
- 77 trails here run under laurel canopy, and that canopy is the shelter.
- 21 of them pass through tunnels cut into the rock. Genuinely dry, and a torch is not optional.
- 54 climb less than 300 m, so you are not gaining height into the cloud.
- 36 pass a waterfall, and rain is exactly when a waterfall is worth the trip.
That is the permanent half, and it does not change. Whether today is the day, and which of these to take this afternoon, is a live question: it needs the rain that is actually falling.
The 77 walks, shortest first
The numbers are the order of this list, shortest first, not a verdict on which walk is better. Distances are the round trip where the path returns the same way, so an out and back counts both directions.
- 1
Poço do CandeeiroPOCO-CANDEEIRO
- 2
Caminho Real nº23 Achada do GramachoCR23
- 3
Levada da AzenhaPR23
- 4
Vereda da Eira do MourãoV-MOURAO
- 5
Vereda das FurnasV-FURNAS
- 6
Vereda do Pico do FachoPS-FACHO
- 7
Vereda dos BalcõesPR11
- 8
Vereda da Penha de ÁguiaV-PENHA
- 9
Caminho Real do Paul do MarPR19
- 10
Vereda da Câmara de Carga do RabaçalPR6.7
- 11
Vereda da Palha CargaPR13.1
- 12
Caminho Florestal da Boca das VoltasV-BOCAVOLTAS
- 13
Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Um Caminho para todosPR9.1
- 14
Levada do Poço do BezerroL-BEZERRO
- 15
Vereda do Chão dos LourosPR22
- 16
Vereda do EspigãoV-ESPIGAO
- 17
Caminho Real de BoaventuraCR-BV
- 18
Pequena Rota do FanalV-FANALLOOP
- 19
Vereda do Túnel do CavaloPR6.6
- 20
Vereda da Boca dos NamoradosV-NAMORADOS
- 21
Vereda das FeitasV-FEITAS
- 22
Vereda da Ribeira da JanelaPR15
- 23
Vereda do Pico Branco e Terra ChãPS-PR1
- 24
Lombo do Urzal, Falca e Poço das CasasV-URZALFALCA
- 25
Vereda do Pico RuivoPR1.2
- 26
Levada do RiscoPR6.1
- 27
Vereda da Lagoa do VentoPR6.3
- 28
Caminho do NortePR21
- 29
Vereda da Boca do RiscoV-BOCARISCO
- 30
Vereda do Pico do CasteloPS-PR2
- 31
Vereda das VoltasV-VOLTAS
- 32
Levada do AlecrimPR6.2
- 33
Levada do BrasileiroL-BRASILEIRO
- 34
Levada de Baixo e Vereda do Lombo GrandeL-BAIXOLOMBO
- 35
Vereda do Pico FernandesPR6.5
- 36
Levada do Bom SucessoL-BOMSUCESSO
- 37
Levada Fajã do RodriguesPR16
- 38
Levada Nova / Levada do MoinhoPR-LN
- 39
Vereda da Ponta de São LourençoPR8
- 40
Levada do BlandyL-BLANDY
- 41
Levada do Pico do CasteloPS-PR3
- 42
Caminho Real do MontePR3.1
- 43
Levada do CaniçoL-CANIÇO
- 44
Levada das 25 FontesPR6
- 45
Vereda do LaranoV-LARANO
- 46
Glaciar de PlanaltoPR27
- 47
Vereda da Ribeira FundaV-RIBFUNDA
- 48
Levada Velha do RabaçalPR6.4
- 49
Levada do BarreiroPR4
- 50
Levada do ReiPR18
- 51
Vereda da CavacaV-CAVACA
- 52
Levada do CastelejoL-CASTELEJO
- 53
Vereda do AreeiroPR1
- 54
Vereda do Lombo BarbinhasV-BARBINHAS
- 55
Vereda do BurroPR3
- 56
Vereda da Fajã da NogueiraV-FNOGUEIRA
- 57
Levada dos CedrosPR14
- 58
Levada Nova de Santa CruzL-NOVASTCRUZ
- 59
Levada da SilveiraL-SILVEIRA
- 60
Vereda da IlhaPR1.1
- 61
Levada Nova (troço da Tábua)L-NOVATABUA
- 62
Levada do Caldeirão VerdePR9
- 63
Vereda das FundurasPR5
- 64
Vereda da Terra ChãV-TERRACHA
- 65
Levada da Serra do FaialL-SERRAFAIAL
- 66
Vereda do UrzalPR2
- 67
Levada do MoinhoPR7
- 68
Levada da Rocha VermelhaPR28
- 69
Vereda do FanalPR13
- 70
Levada do FuradoPR10
- 71
Vereda da EncumeadaPR1.3
- 72
Levada da Fajã da OvelhaL-FAJAOVELHA
- 73
Levada dos TornosL-TORNOS
- 74
Caminho Real da EncumeadaPR12
- 75
Caminho do Pináculo e FolhadalPR17
- 76
Levada da Serra de ÁguaL-SERRAAGUA
- 77
Vereda do Galhano e Levada da Ribeira da JanelaV-GALHANO
Frequently asked questions
How many laurisilva forest trails are there in Madeira, and how long are they?
77 walks are on this list, from 0.6 km to 23.2 km. The shortest is Poço do Candeeiro, the longest is Vereda do Galhano e Levada da Ribeira da Janela. Distances are the round trip where the path returns the same way, and the list is numbered in that order, shortest first.
Are Madeira's laurel forest walks easy?
Of the 77 walks here, 26 are graded easy and 21 hard, and 54 climb less than 300 m. The grade comes from the route itself: how long it is, how much it climbs and how exposed it gets. It says nothing about the weather on the day you walk.
Do laurisilva forest walks in Madeira need a booking?
32 of the 77 walks here need a SIMplifica timed-slot booking, made in advance. The other 45 do not. Each trail page states which one you are looking at.
Are the laurisilva forest trails official IFCN routes?
40 of the 77 walks here are officially classified IFCN routes, and 37 are council or community paths outside that classification. The classification decides which body manages the route and publishes its official status, not how good the walk is.