Levada do Caldeirão Verde: Complete 2026 Guide (PR9)

Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) is the levada walk almost everyone has seen a photo of — a narrow irrigation channel carved into the cliffside, four dripping tunnels, and a final green amphitheatre where a 100-metre waterfall falls into a jade-coloured pool. It's the walk most people remember for life, and it's also the one where the biggest mistakes are made: no torch, wrong shoes, arriving at 11am with the buses.

After guiding this trail regularly since 2018, here is the honest, updated 2026 walk-through: exactly where the trail starts, how the tunnels work, when it closes after rain, what to bring, and how to time your morning so you have the waterfall to yourself.

Distance: 13 km out-and-back. Elevation gain: 150 m (mostly flat with a stepped descent to the pool). Duration: 4-5 hours including tunnel photo stops and 20 minutes at the waterfall. Difficulty: officially 'moderate' but the exposure and unlit tunnels put it above a beginner's first-ever hike. Trailhead: Parque das Queimadas, Santana. Fee: none. Torch: essential (phone flashlight is not enough for the 220 m tunnel).

The trail starts at Parque das Queimadas, a small forest park at 883 m altitude above Santana on the north coast. From Funchal it's a 50-minute drive: VR1 east to Machico, then ER101 across the mountains to Santana, then a signposted 15-minute climb on a narrow mountain road (ER218) to the Queimadas car park.

Two practical warnings: (1) the final 4 km of road is single-track with passing places — technically drivable in any car but stressful for nervous drivers; (2) parking at Queimadas fills by 9:30am in high season (June-September) and cars are ticketed if left on the verge. Arrive by 8:30am or use a transfer.

Between km 3 and km 6 the trail passes through four hand-cut rock tunnels. They are the section that makes the walk memorable and the section unprepared visitors turn back at.

After the fourth tunnel, the levada narrows further and swings into a tight side valley. A short stepped path drops from the main trail down to the base of the waterfall — 30 m descent, muddy after rain, cabled hand-rail on the steepest section.

The waterfall itself is 100 m tall and lands in a 15 m circular pool the colour of green tea. It's cold (10-13 °C year-round) and the swim is short but memorable — most visitors just dip their feet. Bring a towel and a plastic bag for wet clothing on the walk back.

PR9 is closed after heavy rain because of rockfall risk in the tunnel section. The official closure notices are published on the Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza (IFCN) website — search 'IFCN veredas' the evening before your walk. In practice: if the north coast has had more than 40 mm of rain in the previous 24 hours, expect a closure. In winter (December-February) the trail is closed on average 4-6 days per month.

If the trail is closed on your day, the best fallback is Levada dos Balcões (2 km, family-friendly, 30-minute walk, same north coast, huge view of the central mountains) — a fraction of the experience but keeps the day worthwhile.

In summer, tour groups arrive at Queimadas from 9:30am onwards. To have the waterfall to yourself: leave Funchal at 7am, park by 8am, on the trail by 8:15am, at the waterfall by 10:15am — then you have 30 minutes alone before the first groups arrive. On the return leg you'll pass the incoming groups in the tunnels, which is when it becomes clear why torches matter for the etiquette of passing.

In shoulder season (October-May) any start before 10am is fine. Winter walkers often have the trail to themselves entirely, at the cost of shorter daylight and higher closure risk.

Children 8+ who are used to walking manage it well; younger kids can too if they are calm about the exposure and the dark tunnels. The narrow sections with unfenced drops are the concern, not the length — hold hands or use a short leash for young walkers. Not recommended for pushchairs (impossible past the first km) or for anyone with a strong fear of heights.