The 15 Best Levada Walks Tours in Madeira

1.Enjoy a Guided Levada Walk in the Rabaçal Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,197 reviews · 8 hours · from $50Our pick

Join guides such as Sara or Ruby for an eight-hour levada walk from Funchal to Rabaçal Valley. Expect waterfalls, endemic plants, steep steps, a wet 800-meter tunnel, hotel pickup, and a moderate hike best suited to walkers with sturdy shoes and good knees.

“An excellent trip if you want to explore the Risco and 25 Fonts levada trails with an experienced guide. The terrain is mixed - expect stepped downhill terrain (which can be slippery when raining), uphill stretches (moderate intensity) and flat stretches, including an 800m tunnel section. Wear sturdy shoes and pack a raincoat. Our guide Sara was friendly and passionate about sharing her knowledge with the group. We gained lots of valuable insights and Highly recommend.”

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2.Rabaçal: 25 Fontes & Risco Levada Transfer Self-guided Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 841 reviews · from $38Best value

Travel by shared van from Funchal or nearby towns to Rabaçal, then follow clear instructions for the 10-kilometre 25 Fontes and Risco levadas. You get five hours to walk independently, take photos, stop at Casa do Rabaçal, and return by van. The 6:30am departure is best for quieter paths.

“Pedro was brilliant! He gave us a lot of information about the area and the trek we did. We did the 6am pick up and so glad we did as we missed the crowds. We were very lucky with the weather too, perfect conditions ☺️”

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3.Madeira East Island Tour and Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 787 reviews · from $63

Travel Madeira’s east in a small, air-conditioned minibus with a local guide such as Lucy, Carlos, or Tony. Reach Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 meters, walk the Balcões levada, visit Santana and Porto da Cruz, enjoy lunch on the shared tour, and take in coastal views.

“I enjoyed this tour a lot! Toni was a wonderful guide, highly recommended!:)”

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4.PR 9 – Levada do Caldeirão Verde Hike Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 620 reviews · 7 hours · from $47

Ride from Funchal, Caniço, or Garajau to Pico das Pedras, then follow the PR9 levada through Laurissilva Forest, tunnels, cliffs, and waterfalls. This self-guided hike gives you freedom on the trail, while drivers such as Vitor, Fabio, Roberto, and Cristiano handle transport and safety advice.

“Beautiful flat hike, only 93 steps in total. Going through dark caves was exciting, but some people were scared and bumped their heads a few times. This is described as a 6km hike each way, but I clocked up 21km on the hike. Not for the faint hearted.”

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5.Santana Jeep Safari and Balções Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 219 reviews · from $71

Spend a full day touring eastern Madeira by jeep, from Pico do Areeiro and the Balcões Levada to Santana’s thatched homes, Porto da Cruz rum, and Ponta de São Lourenço. Guides including Victor, Miguel, David, and Severino are praised for lively local insight. Pickup is available in Funchal and Caniço.

“A great activity in Madeira! Ruben was very friendly and we enjoyed the insights he gave us about the island. Timely pickup from the accommodation and the ride was very enjoyable.”

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6.Levada Walk and Caldeirao Verde Waterfalls: Madeira

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 205 reviews · 7 hours · from $46

Follow a guide from Queimadas Forest Park along Madeira’s Caldeirão Verde levada for 4.5 hours. Expect Laurisilva forest, narrow paths, low tunnels, waterfalls, Santana views, and a picnic stop near the green lagoon. Alvaro, Afonso, and Philip are among the guides praised for humor and helpful advice.

“One of the best hikes on Madeira for seeing the Laurisilva Forest!”

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7.Madeira Island: Caldeirão Verde Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 159 reviews · 7 hours · from $54

Walk 13km through Madeira’s UNESCO-listed Laurissilva Forest to Caldeirão Verde, passing four basalt tunnels and an emerald lagoon. A multilingual mountain guide leads the 4.5-hour route, with hotel pickup, transport, insurance, and time at the waterfall included. Bring sturdy shoes, food, water, and rain gear.

“It was really good and Marta explained everything carefully emphasising the importance of safety. Unfortunately as we were coming back to the minibus the rain came on very heavy and everyone got soaked. Also minibus seating was a bit cramped for six footers among us. But apart from that really enjoyable.”

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8.Serra de Água Valley Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 154 reviews · 4 hours · from $38

Follow a mostly flat 5km levada through Serra de Água with a multilingual guide such as Ruby, Patricia, or Natalia. Expect forest, plantations, native plants, and views toward Encumeada, Ribeira Brava, Campanário, and the south coast, plus a cafe stop after the walk.

“We really enjoyed this light walk on a beautiful landscape. Our guide Natalia explained everything along the walk and we learned about some interesting plants on the island.”

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9.Rabaçal 25 Fountains Levada Walk & Cabo Girão

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 117 reviews · from $67

Join a small group of up to eight for a guided 25 Fountains levada hike, an 800-meter volcanic tunnel, off-road forest roads, and Cabo Girão’s glass viewpoint. Guides such as Julia, Gil, Ruben, Pedro, and Luis bring local stories and humor. Lunch and the €3 skywalk entry cost extra.

“We had a fantastic day with Julia as our guide. The levada walk to 25 fountains was excellent and Julia was knowledgeable and friendly. The off road experience was great fun and the viewing platform at Cabo Girão gave some amazing views. We were so impressed with the whole experience and would highly recommend Julia and the company! Thank you!”

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10.Camacha: Levada Trail e-Bike Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 115 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $82

Join a guide such as Venancio for a 3.5-hour e-bike ride from Camacha along levadas, forest paths, bridges, and mountain roads toward Santo da Serra. You’ll get a bike fitting, local stories, hotel pickup, and help on the hills. Expect narrow tracks, possible mud, and weather-based route changes.

“Very nice tour. The guide was top professional. He realy was exelent in explaining how to operate the ebike. Very tranquil tour off thw beaten trails. We would never have found theese nice paths ourselves or the finw views. I highly recommend”

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11.Wet your hair in the amazing Levada Nova / Moinhos

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 109 reviews · 8 hours · from $44Top rated

Join a small group of up to six for a self-paced Madeira levada walk with waterfalls, mountain views, and a chance to wet your hair beneath the falls. Guide Nelio provides clear directions, transfers, and time in Ponta do Sol for lunch, swimming, or a seaside stroll.

“This trip was amazing! Nelio taught us a lot about the island and was super flexible with us. He stopped at a store on the way to the Levada so we could get water and snacks. Gave clear instructions on what to expect on the hike. Took us to Ponta do Sol afterwards and let us decide how long we wanted to spend there. Dropped us off at a couple other viewpoints to take in other angles of the island. The Levada itself wasn’t super crowded either. One thing to note-the activity itself is not physically taxing, but if you are afraid of heights, this may not be the best…”

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12.Fanal / Assobiadores – Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 93 reviews · 8 hours · from $50

Spend eight hours walking from Paul da Serra to Fanal with a multilingual guide such as Sara. You’ll cross Madeira’s UNESCO-listed Laurissilva forest, pass views toward Ribeira da Janela and Chão da Ribeira, and need to carry your own food.

“Sara was great! I really enjoyed the walk. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side for the views but it was suitably misty to make the forest atmospheric! Sara taught us a lot about the flora we came across and had interesting anecdotes about her time as a guide.”

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13.Madeira Lakes Levada Guided Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 88 reviews · 8 hours · from $50

From Funchal, Lido Tours takes you on a guided 10-kilometer hike along Levada do Alecrim. Expect forest trails, waterfalls, rock pools, mountain lakes, and a possible summer swim. Guides including Sarah and Rubina lead tours in five languages, with hotel pickup and drop-off.

“Abgesehen davon, dass es Landschaftlich eine wunderschöne Tour war und auch das Wetter mitgespielt hat,, kann ich nur unseren Tourguide Sarah loben und empfehlen. Ganz toll, herzlich, auf Wünsche eingehend, rücksichtsvoll und sehr informativ und gut gelaunt. Immer wieder gerne mit Lido Tours. Alles klappt, man wird gut informiert vorab. Gibt Sicherheit”

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14.Paradise Valley Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 74 reviews · 4 hours · from $38

Join a multilingual guide for a relaxed 4-hour, roughly 5-kilometer walk along Madeira’s century-old Levada da Serra do Faial. Expect a flat path, forest, gardens, terraces, Camacha views, and a possible café stop. Pickup is available from selected hotels.

“It was nice and easy walk. The guide told a lot about Madeira. There was a stop at a small cafe where besides snacks we could buy fruits from a local farmer.”

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15.São Jorge Valleys Levada Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 66 reviews · 8 hours · from $50

Spend eight hours walking the Levada do Rei through São Jorge’s rainforest, with a multilingual guide such as Sarah explaining native herbs, medicinal plants, and Madeira’s ingenious water channels. The mostly gentle 10.5-kilometer route reaches Ribeiro Bonito and passes behind waterfalls. Lunch is not included.

“Tolle leichte Tour mit wunderschönem Blick in die grünen Täler.”

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