This hike begins in the beautiful village of Porto da Cruz, located on northeast side of the island of Madeira. The trail is called “Larano” footpath and it follows an old coastline trail, which for most part is around 350m (1148ft) high from sea level, offering breathtaking landscapes, abrupt and dramatic cliffs.
Along the way, on a clear day it’s possible to view Porto Santo Island in the background at roughly 50Km (31mi) away. We end this hike with an enchanting view over Ponta de São Lourenço and the fishing village of Caniçal.
Meet the Waterfalls of the north!
It is in the majestic Chão da Ribeira’s plateau, Seixal on the north west of the island that this hike takes place. The Feitas trail crosses a large and well preserved part of Laurissilva forest.
It follows a circular path, begining on the left side of Ribeira do Seixal, going uphill to the “levada” (waterway) of Seixal, where we can observe many waterfalls really up close, just before the descent through a rough and steep footpath called Lombo Barbinhas.
The Rabaçal Forestry Station in the region of Paul da Serra is the starting point for our walk which gives access to Levada do Risco with a length of about 11 km. First, we follow the Levada do Risco up to the waterfall with the same name and then we descend to continue our walk along the Levada Nova do Rabaçal, which takes us to the 25 Fontes lake, which gets its name due to the various waterfalls there.
The path goes through the indigenous and endemic flora of Madeira island, especially the high altitude vegetation and we can observe indescribable views over the valley. The return to the south coast of the island is done through the Cavaleiro tunnel (about 800 metres long).
Tour Logistics
- Prices: 45 € per adult | 22,50 € per child (0 – 12 years old)
- Duration: Full day (08:00 – 16:30)
- Degree of Difficulty: Moderate
- Walking Time: Approx. 4 hours
- Distance: 11 km
- Travel Time: 1.5 hours
