Levada das 25 Fontes is one one the most popular hikes in Madeira and is also considered the most beautiful. The Levada hike takes you to 2 amazing waterfalls, Risco a spectacular 100m fall and the 25 Fontes a unique horseshoe shaped waterfall that looks like a natural water feature.
Where is Levada das 25 Fontes located
The trail is located on the eastern side of Madiera at a place called Rabaçal about 43 km (55m) drive from Funchal.
Levada das 25 Fontes Trail Summary
• Distance: 9.8km
• Time needed: 3-4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Route type: Loop
• Elevation gain: 774m
How to get to Levada das 25 Fontes
Car: Park at the Rabaçal carpark and from there you can start the trail that follows a paved road for about 1km all the way down to the Rabaçal house where the Levada trail starts. There is a shuttle bus that you can take between the two points for 5 euros each way.
Tour: If you don’t have a car there are guided tour available from Funchal. Tours include hotel pickup a guide for the hike and some also include meals.
When is the best time to visit
This is a place that you can visit any time of year as it is well shaded in the summer and the waterfalls will be more spectacular in the wetter months. All you need to do is make sure this trail is on your itinerary when you visit Madeira!
Tips for your visit
- Wear sturdy shoes as there are slippery rocks and stairs.
- Bring a rain jacket just in case the weather turns.
- Save your legs and take the shuttle if you don’t fancy all the elevation gain on the road section.
Our Experience
The trail starts at the Rabaçal carpark from there follow the paved road 1km down hill where you will get some nice views of Rabaçal valley. Eventually reaching Rabacal house where the levada trail starts.
This 25 fontes trail or PR6 goes along the famous water channels called levadas, which run through a lush laurel forest. The levadas were built in the 16th century to distribute water from the wetter northwest of the island to the drier southeast and are one of Madeira’s most famous attractions. The levadas stretch for over 2,000 km across the island, where a large portion of these are accessible via hiking trails.
Risco Waterfall
Eventually you will reach a junction in the trail out to the Risco Waterfall labelled PR6.1. The spur trail is 800m each way following a levada and is flat the entire way. The waterfall absolutely blew us away! it plunges 100m down into a lush valley below absolutely stunning sight! we did no research so had no idea what to expect and were surprised to see this giant waterfall. The trail also goes in through the cliffs and behind the waterfall so you can see it from different vantagepoints.
25 Fontes Waterfall
The trail follows along alongside the levada where you get some beautiful scenery eventually reaching 25 fontes waterfall. The 25 fontes waterfall is 30m high and made up of multiple streams pouring down the mountainside through the lush vegetation and trickles into the pool below. It not the tallest or most powerful waterfall but it is really unique and a beautiful place.
Next Stop:
Also check out our Levada das 25 Fontes YouTube video!
