Madeira · 52 trails
Best Waterfall Hikes 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.
Trails that pass Madeira's most striking waterfalls, like the 25 Fontes springs and the Caldeirão Verde cascade. Expect levada paths, tunnels and laurel forest.
See also best hikes in Madeira · all Madeira levada walks and trails · Easy Levada Walks · Coastal Walks · Summit Hikes · Forest & Laurisilva Trails · Family-Friendly Walks · Which trails are free
The 52 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
Vereda da Garganta FundaV-GARGANTA
- 3
Vereda do Calhau da LapaV-CALHAULAPA
- 4
Vereda da Eira do MourãoV-MOURAO
- 5
Vereda dos BalcõesPR11
- 6
Vereda da Rocha do NavioV-NAVIO
- 7
Caminho Real do Paul do MarPR19
- 8
Vereda da Palha CargaPR13.1
- 9
Levada do LajeadoL-LAJEADO
- 10
Levada do Poço do BezerroL-BEZERRO
- 11
Vereda do EspigãoV-ESPIGAO
- 12
Vereda da LadeiraV-LADEIRA
- 13
Circuito da Bica da CanaV-BICACANA
- 14
Vereda do CalhauV-CALHAU
- 15
Vereda do Túnel do CavaloPR6.6
- 16
Vereda das FeitasV-FEITAS
- 17
Lombo do Urzal, Falca e Poço das CasasV-URZALFALCA
- 18
Levada das RabaçasL-RABACAS
- 19
Levada do RiscoPR6.1
- 20
Vereda da Lagoa do VentoPR6.3
- 21
Levada do AlecrimPR6.2
- 22
Vereda do Pico FernandesPR6.5
- 23
Levada do Bom SucessoL-BOMSUCESSO
- 24
Levada Fajã do RodriguesPR16
- 25
Levada Nova / Levada do MoinhoPR-LN
- 26
Caminho Real do MontePR3.1
- 27
Levada do CaniçoL-CANIÇO
- 28
Levada das 25 FontesPR6
- 29
Passeio Marítimo Câmara de LobosV-PROMENADE
- 30
Vereda do LaranoV-LARANO
- 31
Vereda do Pico GrandeV-PICOGRANDE
- 32
Levada Velha do RabaçalPR6.4
- 33
Levada do ReiPR18
- 34
Vereda da CavacaV-CAVACA
- 35
Levada Nova do Arco da CalhetaL-ARCO
- 36
Levada do CastelejoL-CASTELEJO
- 37
Vereda da Fajã da NogueiraV-FNOGUEIRA
- 38
Levada dos CedrosPR14
- 39
Levada Nova de Santa CruzL-NOVASTCRUZ
- 40
Lombada da Ponta do SolV-LOMBADA
- 41
Levada Nova (troço da Tábua)L-NOVATABUA
- 42
Levada do Caldeirão VerdePR9
- 43
Vereda da Terra ChãV-TERRACHA
- 44
Levada do MoinhoPR7
- 45
Levada da Rocha VermelhaPR28
- 46
Levada do FuradoPR10
- 47
Levada da Fajã da OvelhaL-FAJAOVELHA
- 48
Caminho Real da EncumeadaPR12
- 49
Caminho do Pináculo e FolhadalPR17
- 50
Levada da Serra de ÁguaL-SERRAAGUA
- 51
Levada do NorteL-NORTE
- 52
Vereda do Galhano e Levada da Ribeira da JanelaV-GALHANO
Frequently asked questions
How many Madeira trails pass a waterfall, and how long are they?
52 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 waterfall walks hard?
Of the 52 walks here, 17 are graded easy and 12 hard, and 36 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 Madeira waterfall trails need a booking?
17 of the 52 walks here need a SIMplifica timed-slot booking, made in advance. The other 35 do not. Each trail page states which one you are looking at.
Are Madeira's waterfall trails official IFCN routes?
20 of the 52 walks here are officially classified IFCN routes, and 32 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.