Levada do Bom Sucesso

A low-altitude walk in the hills above Funchal, starting near Babosas (Horarios do Funchal bus 22) and following the historic Levada do Bom Sucesso, a water channel begun in the 1850s and now mostly disused, through laurel woodland near Monte and Curral dos Romeiros. The route mixes calm levada sections with steeper, sometimes slippery stepped ground above the Joao Gomes valley, with open views down over the city and out toward the Monte cable car. A 2022 closure was never formally lifted: sections remain damaged and overgrown from storms and fires, the streambed and waterfalls below the levada are unstable and have been the site of serious accidents, and no repair has been announced. Stay on the levada path, do not descend toward the ravine, and expect uneven broken paving, fallen vegetation and narrow stretches with unprotected drops near the lower end. Avoid in wet weather.

Levada do Bom Sucesso (L-BOMSUCESSO) is a one way route of about 3.9 km in Madeira.

The route takes in a levada water-channel path, waterfalls, laurel forest (laurisilva) and panoramic viewpoints.

Landmarks on the route include Babosas.

The path runs between roughly 126 m and 625 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.

Levada do Bom Sucesso rates as easy on our objective scale, based on 3.9 km and 229 m of ascent.

This grade is an estimate from distance, ascent and exposure, not an official IFCN rating.

Allow about 1h 13m one way, a point-to-point route.

The app's live 0-100 score also flags the latest safe start time for the day. See it in the app.

Starts at Babosas (HdF bus 22). Ends at Curral dos Romeiros. This is a one-way route, so you finish where your car is not: plan a second car, a taxi from the far end, or the walk back before you set off. The car park at the start has room for about 100. The car park is about 350 m from the start.

Sturdy shoes; poles help on broken paving; avoid in wet weather (eroded, slippery sections with unprotected drops)

2 drinking-water points are mapped along the route. Fill up where you can, but carry enough to finish without them.

Year-round; pick a dry spell since wet weather makes the path slippery and risky

This route runs through a mix of sun and shade.

The sun and shade reading comes from the slope's aspect and steepness, so it describes terrain shading and not tree cover.

A live 0-100 score picks the best 30-minute window for the day. See today's window in the app.