Caldeirão Verde Levada (PR 9) - Guided Madeira Levada Walk
Description
Wander through the UNESCO-listed Laurissilva Forest, offering an unparalleled connection with nature. You’ll walk through lush landscapes, rich in unique plant species, and have the chance to spot rare birds like the Long-toed Wood Pigeon. The path takes you through four natural tunnels before reaching the awe-inspiring Caldeirão Verde, where a stunning waterfall cascades into an emerald lagoon. This tour combines natural beauty, tranquility, and a touch of adventure, making it a truly unique and memorable experience on Madeira Island
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Caldeirão Verde Levada Walk begins at the Queimadas Forest Park, located at 980 meters above sea level in the municipality of Santana. The walk starts next to a charming thatched-roof shelter house, reminiscent of a fairy tale
Our official guide will tell you everything about our endemic Laurisilva forest.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup is included for guests staying at the designated hotels. We advise you to be ready and waiting in the hotel reception area 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Our guides will wait approximately 5 minutes for each guest. Look out for our vans, which can be either white (smaller) or grey (larger). We strive to ensure a smooth and timely start to your adventure, though external delays can occur. If that happens, you will be updated on the day. One day before the activity, we may adjust the pickup time for your convenience.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Health and Fitness: This tour envolves a 4h30 hike (approximately) and it requires a moderate level of fitness and is not suitable for individuals with severe health issues or limited mobility.
- Rain or Shine: This tour will take place regardless of weather conditions (if it's possible to do it safely).
- Cancellation Policy: No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 24 hours of the activity's start time
- Breakfast: Ensure you have a hearty breakfast before embarking on the activity to keep your energy levels high throughout the hike.
- It might be possible to buy food and drinks before the hike, but this is not guaranteed. Please bring your own refreshments and do not count on purchasing them along the way
- Multilingual Guide: Your tour may be led by a guide fluent in multiple languages. While we do our best to provide a guide who speaks your preferred language, this is not always guaranteed. In such cases, the tour will be conducted in English.
Reviews(60)
Absolutely amazing experience, one of the best hiking adventures of my life. Our guide, Daria, beautiful inside and outside... :) A perfect day in the mountains. Highly recommend this tour.
Thank you, Ciprian! We're so glad you had such an amazing experience on the Caldeirão Verde Levada walk. It’s wonderful to hear Daria made the day so special for you. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back for another hiking adventure with Madeira Adventure Kingdom!
Our guide was very interesting pointing out various features along the way however we felt it was a bit of a route march back to the car park. No time to take photos or to rest and we were left behind. Good job we did not take a fall May I suggest that more time is given for the trip and an opportunity for some information on the walk back to break up the journey There is however little changes in altitude on this walk and some nice views. Less challenging than the 25 Fountains walk which is more scenic
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Deglan. We’re pleased you enjoyed some of the guide’s insights and the views along the Caldeirão Verde walk, but we’re sorry the return pace felt too fast and left you without time to pause for photos or rest. Normally, we complete this hike in around 5h30, which allows for a balance between progress and enjoyment, but we understand this can sometimes feel rushed depending on the group. We’ll take your comments into account and aim to allow more time and explanations on the way back. Your input helps us improve, and we hope to have the chance to welcome you again for a more relaxed experience with Madeira Adventure Kingdom
Beautiful hike with a unique view and a cool “Jungle feeling”. The guide was also very pleasant and accompanied/moderated the whole thing very well.
Danke, dass Sie Ihre Eindrücke teilen! Es freut uns sehr, dass Ihnen die Wanderung mit den besonderen Ausblicken und dem „Jungle-Feeling“ gefallen hat und dass Sie sich mit unserem Guide wohlgefühlt haben. Wir hoffen, Sie bald wieder zu einer weiteren Madeira-Adventure-Kingdom-Tour begrüßen zu dürfen.
Our most beautiful hike ever! No climbing, I remember only 1 stairs. But 6.5 km and then 6.5 km back can be a mental challenge. It's also very crowded and letting people pass can be challenging. Don't forget to bring a flashlight because you won't be able to see anything in the 4 tunnels you'll pass along the way. Nevertheless the views are absolutely stunning. And the end/storting point there is a small house were you can have coffee and feed the birds. (Maybe that wasn't allowed...) You need 50 cents for the public toilets. Parking is a disaster, so keep in mind you have to walk extra meters to get back to the car. Or go very early but don't expect to be there all by yourself. This hike isn't circulair so even when you go early, you will meet other people on your way back and have to cuddle them so nobody will fall in the ravine.
Thank you for sharing such a detailed review! We’re glad to hear you found the Caldeirão Verde hike so beautiful and rewarding, despite the crowds and challenges along the way. Your tips about tunnels, flashlights, and preparation are very valuable for future hikers. We’re happy you enjoyed the stunning views and atmosphere, and we’d love to welcome you back for another Madeira adventure soon!
First: do the hike best without a guide. You have more time for yourself and then it costs 3€ per person, you can pay directly on site. It took us about 5h to get there and back. If the road is too long for you then hold until the 2nd. Tunnel through. It's definitely worth it. After that it takes about 45 minutes to reach the end and the Breathtaking Waterfall. It was unfortunately very foggy and the view was of course limited but still very nice. I only recommend sturdy footwear and maybe even boots as it was sometimes wet. You should not be afraid of heights as you walk directly along cliffs. Light is mandatory in the caves. Parking costs 2€ per hour. Toilets are only available at the beginning of the hike.
Vielen Dank für Ihre ausführliche Bewertung, Sebastian. Wir schätzen Ihre hilfreichen Tipps zur Wanderung am Caldeirão Verde sowie Ihre Hinweise zu passendem Schuhwerk und Vorbereitung. Obwohl Madeira Adventure Kingdom geführte Touren aus Sicherheitsgründen und für ein bereicherndes Erlebnis empfiehlt, respektieren wir selbstverständlich Ihre persönlichen Vorlieben. Wir hoffen, Sie bald wieder zu einem weiteren Abenteuer begrüßen zu dürfen!
We did PR1, PR3 and PR8, and this trail (PR9) was definitely worth still seeing. Fantastic guide. Reuben was great and made the experience fun and memorable. We also greatly appreciated the airport drop off.
Thank you, David! We're thrilled you enjoyed the Caldeirão Verde Levada walk along with the other trails. It’s wonderful to hear Rúbenn made the experience fun and memorable, and that the airport drop-off was helpful. We hope to welcome you back soon for another adventure with Madeira Adventure Kingdom!
We were disappointed with some issues, though the tour guide was polite and helpful concerning the booking. We were charged and paid for this walk in advance. However when picking us up from our hotel the guide said we had to pay him cash to take part for some sort of “tourist tax”. Why, as no other bookings we made have asked for this. The other concern is that the general advice and warnings given in advance were eg to wear good footwear etc. However there was no information on your web site prior to booking that the walk involved moving through pitch dark tunnels. In years gone by on similar walks one was informed in advance and could take a torch with one. Indeed most organisers loaned a torch, but not on this booking. My partner and I decided we would start the walk but when arriving at the first tunnel told the guide we wouldn’t go further and turned back. The whole day was rather disappointing .
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the experience didn’t meet your expectations. We would like to clarify that the 3€ entrance fee is a mandatory charge imposed by the local authorities for access to the trail, and it is clearly displayed in the product information on our TripAdvisor listing. Additionally, the presence of tunnels along the walk is also mentioned in the tour description. We strive to provide accurate and complete details ahead of time so our guests can be fully prepared. We appreciate your comments and will continue working to ensure our communication is as clear as possible.
We had booked a levada hike and wanted to have a nice time. Unfortunately, our Führer didn't take care of us. We didn't even take a break on the hike. We didn't have time to photograph.. No explanation about the Levadas. The only info bananas and grapes grow here. It was very disappointing Philipp Heeb
Sehr geehrter Herr Heeb, vielen Dank für Ihre Bewertung. Wir nehmen alle Rückmeldungen sehr ernst, da sie uns helfen, den Qualitätsstandard unserer geführten Touren aufrechtzuerhalten. Ihre Anmerkungen sind für uns jedoch sehr ungewöhnlich und in mehreren Punkten nicht nachvollziehbar. Unsere zertifizierten Guides sind verpflichtet, ausführliche Informationen über die Geschichte der Levadas sowie über die Besonderheiten des Laurissilva-Waldes zu vermitteln – insbesondere auf der Route Caldeirão Verde (PR 9). Diese befindet sich ausschließlich in einem geschützten Waldgebiet, in dem weder Bananen noch Weintrauben vorkommen. Die Erwähnung dieser Pflanzen ist daher sachlich nicht korrekt. Zudem konnten wir in unserem Buchungssystem keinen Eintrag unter Ihrem Namen für diese Tour finden. Dies wirft die berechtigte Frage auf, ob die Bewertung möglicherweise einem anderen Anbieter oder einer anderen Route gilt. Wir bitten Sie daher, uns das genaue Datum der Tour und den Namen der Buchung mitzuteilen, damit wir den Vorfall vollständig prüfen können. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Madeira Adventure Kingdom
Tried to walk this one, but only turned around which fortunately was just possible.Last kms to it is narrow, winding, quite ascending. There is little manoeuvring space in front of the car park. Parking lot was already full, there were already waiting people who had crashed into each other. It doesn't say in advance if there are any parking spaces. If you are unlucky you will get there and you can join the back, on a sloping plane, on a narrow road. The result is that no one can leave either. The only option is back backwards, which is not a good idea. We were there in March, I'm curious if it gets even a little busier. Or you have to go there at 7 or 8 in the morning.
Bedankt voor uw opmerking. We willen graag verduidelijken dat deze situatie zich niet voordeed tijdens een van onze tochten. Op Madeira Adventure Kingdom bieden we begeleide wandelingen met georganiseerd vervoer, dus onze gasten hoeven zich geen zorgen te maken over de beschikbaarheid van parkeerplaatsen of de toegang tot de weg. Helaas hebben we geen controle over de openbare parkeeromstandigheden of het aantal mensen op de officiële paden, vooral tijdens drukke tijden.
This season it’s quite an adventure to do the almost 14km of this trail... but it’s worth it! At the end of this steep path, in the rain, feet with water up to your ankle in a tunnel, an incredible waterfall! Well the only negative is the 3€ paid to access the trail and the 2€ parking per hour... it still makes a nice note at the end! If you are looking for a nice hike, I can recommend this one!
Nous vous remercions pour votre commentaire. Nous aimerions préciser que cette situation ne s'est pas produite pendant l'une de nos excursions. À Madeira Adventure Kingdom, nous proposons des randonnées guidées avec transport organisé, de sorte que nos clients n'ont pas à s'inquiéter de la disponibilité des parkings ou de l'accès aux routes. Malheureusement, nous n'avons aucun contrôle sur les conditions de stationnement public ou sur le nombre de personnes sur les sentiers officiels, en particulier pendant les périodes de forte affluence. Pour ceux qui préfèrent une expérience sans stress et en toute sécurité, nous sommes toujours heureux de vous accueillir dans le cadre d'une visite guidée.
