Transfer to Rabaçal - 25 Fontes and Levada do Risco

Great tour with a personal recommendation from the guide Fabio. Super information and nice conversations made the trip entertaining.

The driver was punctual and they answered all my questions in advance! I don't think I realized it was a drop off/pick up but the hike was so well marked that it wasn't an issue at all. We did the 25 Fontes and Rabacal hike as a family and it was challenging but beautiful! There were a few things I wish I knew in advance. 1) Don't stress about snacks. There was a delicious and reasonably priced cafe (accepts credit card) at the beginning/end of the hike. 2) Bring 1 euro for a bathroom per person if you get there before 10am. The cafe has restrooms but before 10am or if you don't want to buy anything, you need to have change. 3) The shuttle back is 5 euro cash per person and can take forever! It ran every 20 minutes but we waited 40 minutes and finally just decided to walk. 4) You need to register for the hike in advance online. It was PR6 and was easy to do but needed to be done in advance. 5) My phone worked just fine throughout the duration of the hike.

Vitor who drove me up was incredible, very helpful and very very kind. He gave me a bunch of pro tips for the hike, meetup points and was incredibly patient while the shuttle bus back to the top of the hike took a bit to be ready and waited for me. I highly recommend Levadas in and out and have already recommended them to my friends coming to Madeira in September!

Exactly at 10.45 the car arrives, a nice boy (Vitor) picks us up, and also drives to a hotel where 2 other people are picked up. It is quite a drive to the interior of Madeira. Meanwhile, the weather is beautiful and the temperature is rising rapidly. Still, thanks to a cool breeze, it's easy to hold out. After a short instruction we set off. First, a 2.5 km stretch must be completed on the paved road. This can also be done by means of a shuttle bus, but we do not have to use that. For the way back it could be very different, but we leave that to the circumstances. This first section goes down quite steeply, but that goes well, partly because of the good temperature (I estimate 20-22 °C thanks to the cool breeze) and the shaded road. Then we arrive at the place where the trail really begins. There's a lady standing there with a mobile scanner, because without the contribution to the conservation fund you can't get in. But I can show the barcode on my smartphone, and we can walk through without any problems. The trip to the 25 Fontes does require some fitness because of the often narrow, uneven path that can sometimes rise and fall quite steeply. Despite the restrictive policy of the conservation organization (a time slot must be agreed online per trail) it is sometimes quite busy on the trail. But yes, we walk there too and another probably thinks exactly the same about us. Beautiful surroundings, beautiful views, lush nature, and everywhere the rippling levadas. The trail ends at several narrow waterfalls. If you walk back more than 1 km after this, you will come to the Risco waterfall at the exit. That is still 1 km., so not a long but a tough route. The waterfall is beautiful. From there it is another 3/4 km. to the restaurant that is at the point where the hike 'really' begins. This has a wide range of homemade pastries, pastels de nata and sandwiches. Good coffee and fresh homemade sour/bitter lemonade. Meanwhile, the temperature has risen considerably and fatigue strikes several participants, so quite a few people decide to take the shuttle bus. Unlike the way out, which dropped sharply at a pleasant shaded walking temperature, it is now steeply rising, often in the sun, at temperatures approaching 30 °C. Spicy, and I'm honestly happy when the end point comes into view. I text the driver that we're at the parking lot, and a moment later he's there. Now we have to wait another half hour for the 2 ‘riders’, they also come with the schuttle van. By six we'll be back in the hotel room

They were very helpful and on time. They were very clear on communication. We did two tour with them. Thanks a lot

Very nice experience and very nice trekking, it is worthing a visit! What I suggest to the company is to drive more slowly, we had enough time to do everything anyway, and to give the information about the trip more time before

I did the Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall hike and really enjoyed it. The trail was stunning and varied, with amazing views throughout. Everything was well organized, and our driver Fábio was friendly, helpful, and gave great tips. Highly recommended!

Lovely walk . 25 fontes waterfall was busy, but we could still take photos. The extra walking link to Risco waterfall was best. Level and only a short 0.8km. We also managed to come back to the cafe avoiding the steps. For information, the toilets at the cafe took €1. The shuttle bus back for €5 was definitely worth it. Our driver Viktor was brilliant. Very patient when we got back 15 mins late. He was also very informative on exactly where to start the walk and how long it would take. He was full of useful Madeiran facts, including recommending Jaket restaurant- which was fabulous.

A great experience and would use them again. Good commutation and our driver gave us all the information we needed. Just make sure to book your tourist tax in advance.

Nice guys, perfect info for the walk.