Madeira Levada Walk - Rabacal Lakes and Fountains
Description
The levada walk will allow hikers to enjoy the evergreen and luxuriant Rabacal valley situated within the natural park of Madeira, in the North West of the island and discover the concealed treasures of the indigenous Laurisilva forest with its abundance of mosses, lichens and ferns. As you stroll along the levada to Risco and the 25 fountains, the cascading waterfalls will seem to be singing fountains and the tiny translucent lakes will enchant you.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our certified mountain guide will guide you along the levada (water) channel through Madeira ancient Laurel forest to the twenty five fountains lake, sharing with you the plants and views in what is described as a dreamy landscape
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup time will vary according to your accomodation location, but ussually between 08h00 and 08h30
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(52)
This is such a fantastic experience to see the 25 fountains and walk a part of the Levada trail. Ben, our guide was brilliant and his knowledge and easy going manner added to the whole enjoyment of the experience. A shout out to Carlo our driver who greeted everybody with a cheery good morning. I would definitely recommend this guided walk. Thank you Ben Steve
Beautiful levada walk from Rabacal to Risco and then 25 Fontes and return through a tunnel which took about 4 hours in total. Despite the very wet weather on the day, the scenery was incredibly picturesque - lots of greenery and water. The walk leader, Luisa, gave an excellent commentary to the walk in both English and German covering both history and nature. At times it did seem busy along the route but our group managed to walk easily and the pace of the walk was perfect for all members of the group. How perfect to be picked up from and deposited back to my hotel in Funchal with no stress.
Yes there was a bit of rain but you expect that in the mountains. Scenery was amazing and so good having a knowledgeable local tour guide
Thank you for your review. Weather in the mountains of Madeira can change quickly, but we are pleased the scenery still impressed. On Madeira walks and hikes, especially a levada walk, having an experienced local guide adds real value — from choosing the safest route on the day to sharing insight into the island’s landscapes, history, and nature. We are glad the guided experience made a difference and enhanced your time on the trail.
Great experience and good care. I would do it again. Fun and history in the forests of Madeira.
Well organised trip. Pick up on time from nearby hotel, comfortable transport & convenient stop before starting the walk to buy food & use toilet facilities. Walk itself well paced, views spectacular. 5/5 for our tour guide Amilcar. Knowledgeable & unobtrusive with good sense of humour. Would definitely recommend using a guide to avoid having to go back on the same route. Really nice to wander further along and have different views. Also recommend having a guide for the additional conversation and information about plants, trees, levadas, weather, living in Madeira etc. Really interesting! Experience itself not given 5/5 due to other tourists leaving their tissue paper/toilet roll along the route from their toilet stops. Not the organisers’ fault but sad to see. Bag it & bin it later!
Thank you very much for such a detailed and thoughtful review. We are delighted you enjoyed this Madeira walk and levada hike, from the smooth logistics and pacing to the spectacular scenery along the route. We fully agree that on Madeira walks and hikes — particularly levada walks — having a knowledgeable local guide makes a real difference, whether in avoiding return routes, adjusting the walk on the day, or adding context about plants, trees, weather, and daily life on the island. We are especially pleased to hear your kind words about Amílcar and his guiding style. Regarding the issue you noted on the trail, we share your concern. While this behaviour is unfortunately not under the control of tour operators or guides, we would like to reassure you that the Forestry Services in Madeira have recently contracted a dedicated cleaning company to help address this problem on popular walking and hiking routes. We strongly support the “bag it and bin it later” principle and continue to promote responsible behaviour on all our guided walks. Thank you again for your recommendation and for choosing to explore Madeira with a guide.
We were very well taken care of from and back to our hotel. George is an excellent guide. It is straight and safe but very funny for all that. We had a wonderful time with him. He explained the vegetation and the canal system with great expertise. It was very interesting The Levada is beautiful. The hike is more interesting than the 25 waterfalls (25 cast irons) which is a bit disappointing and difficult to observe because so many people. The descent and return through the tunnel are already worth the cost! I highly recommend the activity and our guide! Thank you.
Great levada walk with our guide Elton. Paced the walk for everyone. Fantastic walk along the levadas and spectacular waterfalls and mountain views. Elton gave lots of interesting facts along the way. Highly recommend. Jenny & Tony
Great views of the mountains, very nice and varied hiking trails through different vegetation, very friendly guide.
Our tour guide was great. We really enjoyed the walk and the information provided…it is very busy and the waterfall is hard to get to when busy. The paths are thin at points especially for 2 way walking. We did however really enjoy the trip especially the 800 ft tunnel!
Fabulous views, exhilarating walk. Very knowledgeable guide. Steady paced walk with some steep climbs and descents and at times narrow passing places. A very popular area for walkers, hence quite busy at times. The waterfalls were amazing. 700 meter tunnel towards the end of the walk, which was quite wet and muddy, but an enjoyable experience. Make sure you have appropriate footwear and waterproof jacket. The only downside to the trip was that there are no toilet facilities, and 4 hours is a long time to wait!
thanks for your feedback and great that you enjoyed the walk, views, guide and transport. December is the season for rain and "wet underfoot". Rabaçal, as many of the walks in Madeira beautiful forests don´t have facilities on the trail, but there are usually coffee/toilet stops on the way to the walk and on the way back.
