PR 9 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde Trail

Beautiful levada hike, which is initially quite wide and becomes increasingly narrower (up to 30 cm) as it progresses. A spectacular waterfall awaits you at the end point. A flashlight is required for the tunnels.

Today's levada hike offered amazing views and was challenging. It required a lot of concentration and balance the entire time. Since every guidebook described the hike as very interesting, we hiked in a group, like a traditional hike. 🤣 Making it even more difficult was that the path was only 30 cm wide for most parts. Exciting.

Hiking in the clouds 😅 The goal was the waterfall, which you could hardly see at the end due to the clouds. Very mystical, like in a fantasy film. pure jungle. Very nice tour, although at 6 kilometers I could use a little variety to walk next to the levadas.😅 The 3 tunnels were a welcome break.

The highs aren't right here either. Actually, they weren't worth mentioning. However, the paths were very uneven, many stones and tree roots made the path a bit difficult. On the other hand, the path itself was very beautiful (everything is so wonderfully fresh and green) and definitely even more beautiful when the visibility was better. The waterfall made up for everything - fantastic. I find it even more vivid than the Risco waterfall and the 25 springs. There are a lot of bottlenecks, but mostly you can avoid each other. A lamp is recommended for the 4 tunnels, some of which are only about 1.50 m high. In some tunnels it can get a little wet on your feet. Please wear sturdy shoes.

To end my Madeira holiday, I visited what are probably the busiest trails on the island, starting with a levada walk. When I saw the large and full parking lot, I wanted to continue straight away. But since it was a long way to get there, I stayed. The tour was still nice and it was sometimes almost amusing when you had to avoid people and groups every minute; the track itself is very narrow, right on the watercourse, very green and flat. A total of 4 tunnels had to be crossed, so a flashlight was required. On the route and at the end there is a large waterfall and a correspondingly large number of people around it.

Beautiful hike along the Caldeira Levada. There are 4 tunnels to cross. Flashlight or headlamp strongly recommended. Sometimes you have to bend over in the tunnel. Paths are sometimes not suitable for those who are not afraid of heights. This was our last hike during our vacation in Madeira. A hiking paradise... .

Today I'm going with you to the Caldeirão Verde, the green basin of Madeira. The starting point is the car park in Queimadas (sufficient parking spaces, approx. €2.50 per day). Immediately after getting out of the car, the scent of nature greets me and blows my mind. From there it goes along the levada. In the last section there are many tunnels and the path is really very narrow on the abyss🙈, lucky but always secured with a rope. With the large number of hikers, it was still quite narrow today and it was sometimes quite difficult to get past each other. After Easter it will definitely be a bit more relaxed... We had warm weather and sun on the way there and drizzle and clouds on the way back, a great mix to experience everything on this tour. Flashlight a must, the shoes don't stay dry, on the way back the hikers in rain ponchos came towards us 😖... Picnic in the Caldeirão and as a reward a traditional meat skewer with a local Ceveza in a really local restaurant (Caldeirão Verde, Avenida João Manuel Marques Da Trindade, 9230-090 Santana, Portugal)👍. Have fun.

No, the GPS did not fail. The tour is actually almost flat in terms of elevation profile. And that, although it goes through the impressive mountains of Madeira. Always nice along the Levada stream. At the far end a beautiful waterfall. If you like, you can also walk two kilometers further (and of course back) to the Caldeirão do Inferno. For the journey from Santana we recommend a taxi (approx. 15€), as otherwise various meters and kilometers have to be added. Let them give you the phone number, then you can drive down again from Queimadas for the same budget, or just walk down. If you come with a rental car, you can park at the starting point, I think even for free and then just have to walk all the way back. Parking at Queimadas is chargeable. Overall a great hike, but in places not suitable for those afraid of heights. The tunnels are quite low towards the middle (up to about 1.50m), but I somehow managed to do it at 1.92m tall. The landscape is beautiful. Last tip: Flashlights or mobile phone lights are needed for the tunnels. Waterproof, non-slip hiking shoes are also an advantage.