Every trail needs a slot
Since January 2026, walking any of Madeira’s official trails (the PR routes) needs a timed entry slot booked on the regional SIMplifica portal. Non-residents over 12 pay €4.50 per person; residents of Madeira and children under 12 walk free. Walking without a booking can mean a fine, and some trails close for repairs or after storms, so check their status the day before.
- trail fee for visitors over 12
- €4.50
- each way on the 25 Fontes walk
- 4.3 km
- height range around Rabaçal
- 964–1,288 m
The four trails from Rabaçal
All four start near the Rabaçal forest house, below the ER110 road across the plateau. The road down from the car park to the forest house is closed to private cars: walk down (about 2 km) or take the shuttle minibus when it runs. Arrive early; the car park fills up by mid-morning.
| Trail | Distance | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes | 4.3 km each way | about 3 h return | Laurel forest to a pool fed by dozens of springs |
| PR6.1 Levada do Risco | short | about 1 h return | Easy, nearly flat, to the tall Risco waterfall |
| PR6.2 Levada do Alecrim | 3.5 km each way | 2 h 30 | Easy, 1,256–1,339 m, to the Lagoa Dona Beja; listed closed in Nov 2026 |
| PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento | 1.8 km each way | 1 h 30 | Easy; listed closed in Nov 2026 |
The forest here is laurisilva, the laurel forest that covered southern Europe millions of years ago and survives on Madeira; it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The 25 Fontes and Risco walks share their first stretch, so you can do both in a morning.
Paul da Serra
Paul da Serra is the largest plateau on Madeira, about 24 km² at an average height of some 1,500 metres, with Pico do Paul at 1,640 m. On a clear day you can see both coasts. It is the island’s most important area for refilling groundwater: rain soaks into the flat ground instead of running off to the sea. Nearly all of Madeira’s wind power comes from the turbines up here.
It is also one of the foggiest places on the island, with more than 240 foggy days a year and around 2,950 mm of rain. Fog can roll in within minutes, so stay on the road or marked paths. Heather, bracken, broom and an endemic thyme cover the ground; at Bica da Cana, on the north-east side, tree heather grows tall again.
How to enjoy the walks
- Go earlyThe plateau is cooler and clearer in the morning, and you beat the crowds and the car-park rush.
- Pack for the mountainsRabaçal is often 6 to 8 °C cooler than the beach, and wetter. Take a rain jacket, a warm layer and shoes with grip.
- Stay on the pathLevada edges can be narrow, wet and unfenced. Keep children close.
- Carry water and a snackThere is little or nothing to buy once you leave the car park.
- Combine with the coastWalk in the morning, swim at Calheta after lunch and catch the sunset at Ponta do Pargo. See our day timed to the sun.
Paths near the sea
Old cobbled paths (veredas) once linked the cliff-top villages with the fishing villages below, and some still zigzag down from Prazeres to Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar. They are steep and not all are maintained, so ask locally before you set off. Read about the villages in the eight parishes.