Levadas are water courses running round the mountains and were built by the first settlers to carry water to inaccessible farmland. Today they are one of Madeira’s greatest tourist attractions.(more)

Taking a walk on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo is reinvigorating, exciting and highly rewarding. Any hiker will find in the trails and levadas (man-made waterways across the mountains) of Madeira a challenge as well as a pleasant surprise. However, most trails pass through mountains in the heart of nature, and for this reason it is very important to get adequately prepared before starting a hike, so that you do not jeopardise your own safety.(more)

Some walking routes in the island are in current undergoing maintenance to ensure the safety of walkers.(more)

In accordance with a joint order approved by the SRTT | Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Transport and the SRA | Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources we advise that:(more)

Linking the two highest peaks on Madeira, this is a stunning walk, involves tunnels, and some steep ascents and descents, with fabulous views of the central core of the mountains.(more)

This walk begins with a relatively short ascent to the highest summit of Madeira, Pico Ruivo, from where it begins a long and almost continuous descent to the village of Ilha, a drop of 1376m. The trail crosses through two types of eco-system that are part of the network of important community sites - Natura 2000: the central mountain massif and the Laurisilva forest.(more)

Another ‘out and back’ walk that visits the highest summit, Pico Ruivo. The trail climbs along the ridge that separates the cliffs of Faial and those of Santana.(more)

This energetic ridge walk begins just below Pico Ruivo, the highest summit, and heads west, high above steep, wooded slopes to the mountain pass at Encumeada.(more)

This trail starts at the Portela Lookout Point, with a magnificent view of the North Coast of Madeira, and then heads towards Machico, winding its way through a mountain range where one will find the best area of Laurissilva Forest of the Southern part of the island, which is included in the European network of sites of community importance - Natura Network 2000.(more)

Visiting a (usually) spectacular waterfall, this walks begins by descending gently to Rabaçal before continuing downhill to view the waterfall.(more)

At the north-western end of the island, the Levada do Moinho once served several watermills, and was a ‘private’ levada for the use of those who paid to have it constructed.(more)

Visiting some of the finest cliff scenery on Madeira, this walk explores the long thin peninsula at the eastern end of the island. The paths are good, but undulating - whether you get close to the edges is up to you.(more)

Beginning in the Queimadas Forestry Park, this walk is ‘out-and-back’, and crosses some spectacularly steep slopes, but is one of the finest ways of penetrating the deep valley of the São Jorge brook on foot; you’ll need a torch on this walk, which passes through a tunnel.(more)

This levada, which begins in Ribeiro Frio, is one of the first acquired by the State to irrigate the farmlands of Porto da Cruz. The walk ends with a descent to the village of Portela.(more)

Starting from the mountain village of Ribeiro Frio, this short walk follows the levada of Serra do Faial, and gives access to the Balcões viewpoint with superb views over the valley of the Ribeira da Metade.(more)

Crossing part of the central mountain massif, this walk crosses the foot of some of the highest peaks on Madeira, and gives a glimpse of Curral das Freiras in its mountain stronghold. This is an old ‘Royal Path’, that was paved and used as one of the main routes across the island by the landed gentry.(more)

This trail starts near the E.R. 209 on the Paul da Serra plateau and ends near the Forest Police Station in Fanal. This trail connects to other paths, allowing access to the Ribeira da Janela parish through the trails PR 14 Levada dos Cedros e PR 15 Vereda da Ribeira da Janela.(more)

This trail has as starting point the only plateau existing in Madeira Island: Paul da Serra. Quiet and relaxed stroll, we can find along the way several species from Laurissilva which resisted the settlement, as well as, follow Levada dos Cedros, the water canal built in the 17th century.(more)

This walk follows the course of an old footpath used by local people to bring wood from the forest. The general trend is downhill.(more)

Tunnels are common along this levada walk, but the landscape in between is of the magnificent São Vicente valley.(more)

This walk follows the levadas of Serra and Norte between the elevations of 1000m and 1600m. It offers lovely views of the São Vicente valley, and passes areas of high altitude vegetation as well as laurissilva forest.(more)

In the northern part of the island, this route is linear but makes a return by the outward route. There are tunnels on this walk, for which a torch is essential. The first part of the trail follows the levada through an afforested area, but offers spectacular views of the São Jorge and Santana farmlands.(more)

A lovely, short walk that is almost entirely downhill from the village of Prazeres to the sea shore at Paul do Mar. The descent is made along the cliff face, winding between terraced farm plots held in place by stone walls.(more)

The thematic "A way.for all" offers persons with motor incapacity the possibility to enjoy direct contact with nature and in particular with pedestrianism.(more)

Trail crossing a unique rocky formation, steep as Madeira walks, up to 460 meters. The summit is covered by cypresses and where most endemic flora in the island of Porto Santo can be found. This area is also part of the Natura 2000 network(more)

Involving 210m of ascent, this walk tours the south side of Pico do Facho, and constitutes the longest walk on Porto Santo.(more)

A brief linear walk that descends 80m to the sea shore at Calhau, crossing a spectacular fossil-bearing cliff. (The sea is not suitable for bathing at this point.)
This walk can easily be combined with PR2 PS to give an interesting day on Porto Santo.(more)