Hello and welcome back to my blog! Are you ready for a day of exploring one of the most famous levadas in Madeira? Well, in that case, get your hiking shoes on because today, I will share with you everything you need to know about Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall. Get ready for an amazing day through lush Laurisilva forests, water streams, and beautiful cascades.
Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco Waterfall is one of the most popular trails in Madeira due to its natural beauty. Located in the heart of Madeira, this trek offers an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the island’s captivating landscapes. You will walk along well-maintained paths alongside the levadas while hearing the peaceful sounds of water and birds singing.
Sounds interesting? Then, let’s get ready to hike!
What is a levada?
First of all, you might be wondering what exactly is a levada.
A Levada is an ingenious irrigation channel that winds its way through the island’s landscapes, carrying water from the mountains to the agricultural fields and villages. But they are also a hiker’s paradise within the island since there are narrow pathways running along the Levadas. These paths offer hikers the opportunity to explore Madeira’s lush forests and mountains.
Levada das 25 fontes (PR6) and Levada do Risco (PR6.1)
Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6)
PR6 or Levada das 25 Fontes is, together with Pico do Arieiro, one of the most popular hiking trails in Madeira, both for locals and tourists.
This Levada gets its name from Lagoa das 25 Fontes, the highlight of this hike. This small lagoon is created by the waters that come down from Paul da Serra in the form of 25 small water springs.
Apart from the 25 Fontes, this hike will surprise you with some beautiful landscapes and amazing views over the Ribeira da Janela valley, covered with a Laurissilva forest.
Levada do Risco (PR6.1)
Levada do Risco (PR6.1) shares the initial part of the trail with Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6). That is the reason why many people complete both trails at the same time rather than doing them at separate times.
The highlight of this trail is Risco’s viewpoint, from where you can contemplate the impressive waterfall that falls from the rocks. The white from the water makes a beautiful contrast with the dark rocks.
plan your trip to madeira
- Book your flight with Skyscanner.com
- Book your car with Rentalcars.com
- Find the best places to stay with Booking.com
- Get reliable travel insurance.
- Find the best activities to do like this hike from Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo.
- Don’t forget to pack your hiking boots and a power bank.
- Read the Lonely Planet Madeira as a preparation for your trip and Walking on Madeira to choose the best hikes.
getting to Levada das 25 fontes and risco waterfall
The easiest way to reach Levada das 25 Fontes is to drive from Funchal to Calheta along the coast following roads ER101 and VR3. From there, you will have to follow first ER222 and then ER110 until you reach the parking lot pinned on my map below.
If you don’t have a car, it is also possible to do this hike by joining a guided tour. Here are two options, depending on whether you want to be part of a group or make it a private tour.
things to know before hiking Levada das 25 fontes and risco waterfall
Equipment needed
As already mentioned before, this is a very popular hike in Madeira. This means you don’t need any specific gear to hike it but the following things will come in very handy.
- Appropriate hiking shoes. The trail is well-conditioned but there are some steep parts in which you will be glad to have shoes with a good grip.
- Reusable water bottles to ensure you have plenty of hydration during your hike.
- A headlight. This hike has a 1 km long tunnel so you will need a headlight to see where you step.
Tips to visit
Here are some other tips to make the best of your visit:
- Always check the weather forecast and trail conditions before heading to Ponta de Sao Lourenço. Weather conditions can vary a lot from one part of Madeira to the other. I recommend the app MadeiraWeather.
- When is the best moment to go? I would recommend doing this hike early in the morning. This is a super popular trail so if you want to beat the crowds you will have to get up early. And even then, you will not be alone… If you’re looking for a trail in which you will be completely alone, this might not be the trail for you.
- The trail is not a difficult one but there are some moderate ups and downs along the way with a total elevation gain of approximately 800 m. However, they are very manageable.
a day hiking Levada das 25 fontes and risco waterfall
Hike Summary
- Trail Start/End: Parking lot in ER110 (see map above)
- Distance: 8,21 km
- Elevation Gain: 813 m
- Route type: Circular route (although you can make it a linear one and skip the last part)
- Time needed: 6 hours (this included stopping for multiple photos and having lunch at Lagoa das 25 Fontes)
Reaching Casa do Rabaçal
The hike begins at a parking lot located in ER110 (see the map above for the exact location). From this parking lot, you can get a beautiful view of the valley that will be hiking today. There is also a detailed map showing the different hikes available and some additional information.
After enjoying the view for a little while, we began our hike. During the first part of the hike, you have to follow a paved road that goes downhill. This makes it lose a little bit of charm but fortunately, this paved road part doesn’t last long. While you go down the road, I was enjoying the nice views of the valley and the small water streams pouring down the rock walls.
Soon enough, we reached Casa do Rabaçal. Here, it is possible to get some snacks and drinks but it was still quite early in our hike so we didn’t stop.
Risco Waterfall
After Casa do Rabaçal, the hike starts to follow the Levada and I discovered why these Levada trails are so popular in Madeira. We were walking next to running water while the laurissilva trees made an arched way.
More or less, 2 km after the beginning of the hike, the trail splits into two. If you take the right trail, you will reach Risco Waterfall and if go left and downhill, you can continue to Lagoa das 25 Fontes.
I recommend first visiting Risco Waterfall and then continuing to the 25 Fontes. It only takes 10 minutes to reach the viewpoint from where you can see this beautiful waterfall. We stayed here for a few minutes enjoying the waterfall until a big tour arrived.
Lagoa das 25 Fontes
We quickly walked back to the split in the road and took the left trail towards 25 Fontes. The trail was very well marked and after a few more kilometers we reached the highlight of the day.
25 Fontes is a small waterfall that consists of a rocky wall, where 25 small streams fall down creating a water curtain that falls into a small lagoon underneath. I totally get why it is so popular and it would be a very peaceful place to admire if you were lucky enough to visit this place alone. Unfortunately, this was not the case. the fountain is definitely crowded and you will have to be patient to be able to get some decent photos without people in there.
It was almost noon, so we decided to have our sandwiches here with this pretty backdrop.
Descending into the valley and Estrebarias Tunnel
At this moment, we had two options, we could either decide to go back the way we came to the parking lot or keep going down into the valley and return through a different way. We chose option number 2 and I have to say it was the best decision we could take. This part of the trail was almost empty so it was really nice and peaceful.
Good to know: If you decide to take the same route as we did, you should know that you will have to go uphill with an elevation gain of 700 m at the end of the hike.
The descent into the valley was really pretty, we kept following the Levada but now, it was so peaceful that we could actually hear the water running next to us. We went all the way down into the valley and then, partially up again until we reached the entry of Estrebarias Tunnel. This tunnel was so much fun to cross. It is a 1km tunnel, so you absolutely need some sort of light to walk it. However, you should not be afraid of it, it is very well-maintained and there is no danger at all.
To make it even better, on the other side of the tunnel, there was an amazing viewpoint of the sea. There was this little bench where you could sit and admire the view. We stayed here for 10 minutes just relaxing.
After this, we had to walk all the way up back to our parking lot and I have to say it was not fun… It was still worth it though!
And that’s it for my blog about hiking Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) and Levada do Risco (PR6.1). I hope you liked it and found it useful. Let me know what you thought in the comments!
Happy hiking!
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