Levada do Caldeirão Verde

Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR 9) is an IFCN classified trail in the municipality of Santana, on Madeira's north side. It follows an 19th-century irrigation channel from the Queimadas Forest Park through UNESCO-listed laurel forest to Caldeirão Verde, a pool fed by a waterfall of about 110 m, with an optional, harder extension to Caldeirão do Inferno. The official route is 8.7 km each way, returning on the same path.

How long is the Caldeirão Verde walk?

On the IFCN profile, Caldeirão Verde is reached after about 6.5 km with a very gentle climb. The last section to Caldeirão do Inferno, roughly 2,200 m, is described by IFCN as more demanding, with a steep climb and more tunnels. You can turn around at Caldeirão Verde; plan your day around the official 6 h 30 min if you go to the end.

What will you see on the way?

The Levada do Caldeirão Verde starts in the main bed of the Ribeira do Caldeirão Verde and carries water through the Laurissilva, a World Natural Heritage site since December 1999, to the farmland of the parish of Faial. The path follows the channel's narrow walkway, often with a steep drop on one side. After the four tunnels on the route, Caldeirão Verde appears on the left; a short scramble of a few metres up the stream bed leads to the pool.

IFCN highlights a stand of the endemic elder Sambucus lanceolata near the lake and the Madeira laurel pigeon (Columba trocaz), a species found only on Madeira. Back at Queimadas, the Casa das Tradições Madeirenses keeps the triangular, thatched shape of the traditional Santana houses, the same style you can see at the Santana thatched houses.

Booking, fee and parking

PR 9 is in IFCN's paid time-slot system: book an entry slot on the SIMplifica portal. The 2026 fee for visitors is €4.50; children up to 12 and Madeira residents are exempt but must still register. IFCN does not refund or reschedule for rain or a change of plans, only if it closes or restricts the trail. Visit Madeira lists parking at Queimadas at €2.00 per hour, which adds up over a 6–7 hour day. More in our trail booking and fees guide.

How do you get to Queimadas?

The trailhead is the Queimadas Forest Park above Santana, reached by car. We could not verify a public bus to Queimadas itself: CAM route 801 Funchal / Santana (numbered 56 before March 2026) serves Santana town, and the IFCN panel lists Santana taxis on +351 291 572 540.

What do people commonly misjudge?

• Tunnels. IFCN asks walkers to carry a torch; a phone light is awkward on a wet, uneven floor.
• Vertigo. The IFCN panel warns of a risk of vertigo on exposed sections.
• Footwear. The path is often wet; IFCN recommends non-slip shoes.
• Time. The full out-and-back is a long day; start early so you finish well before dark.

Nearby trails

Vereda dos Balcões at Ribeiro Frio is a short, flat levada walk for a second day in the same part of the island. For another long waterfall levada in the west, compare Levada das 25 Fontes. More ideas for the north coast.