Madeira’s hikes: what 13 guides and 11,700 reviews say
Two hikes appear in every one of the 13 guides we counted: the ridge from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (PR1) and Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8). The coastal Vereda do Larano, 25 Fontes, Caldeirão Verde and the Balcões viewpoint come next. Below, each hike with its Tripadvisor rating and what travellers praise and complain about.
Choosing your walks? Start with the best hikes and how to book them.
The consensus ranking
| # | Hike | Guides | Tripadvisor | Time | Difficulty | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo PR1 | 13 of 13 | 4.7 (6,960) | 3 h | Moderate | €10.50 (full PR1) |
| 2 | Ponta de São Lourenço PR8 | 13 of 13 | 4.7 (2,650) | 2 h 30 | Moderate | €4.50 |
| 3 | Vereda do Larano to Boca do Risco | 10 of 13 | 4.8 (21) | n/a | Not graded (not a PR) | No fee, no booking |
| 4 | 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall PR6 | 9 of 13 | 4.3 (1,111) | 3 h | Moderate | €4.50 |
| 5 | Caldeirão Verde PR9 | 8 of 13 | 4.7 (895) | 6 h 30 | Moderate | €4.50 |
| 6 | Balcões viewpoint PR11 | 8 of 13 | 4.2 (24) | 1 h 30 | Easy | €4.50 |
| 7 | Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira PR1.2 | 7 of 13 | 4.7 (47) | 1 h 30 | Moderate | €4.50 |
| 8 | Fanal PR13 | 5 of 13 | 4.6 (15) | 4 h | Moderate | €4.50 |
Guides: the 13 “best hikes” lists ranking for “madeira hikes” and “best hikes madeira” in the UK, counted 22 October 2026. Ratings: Tripadvisor, same date. Quotes: travellers on r/Madeira. Times and difficulty: Visit Madeira. Fees: IFCN.
1
13/13 guides
4.7 on Tripadvisor, 6,960 reviews (includes people who only visit the viewpoint)
Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo · PR1
Pico do Arieiro → Pico Ruivo · 6.1 km · 3 h · Moderate · €10.50 (full PR1)
What people love
- The ridge between the three highest peaks, often above the clouds
- Tunnels and stairways cut into the rock
What people complain about
- The stairs are the hardest part, and reviewers disagree on how tough it is
- Cars parked along the road at the start; reviewers suggest starting before 8am
What travellers say
“found it challenging, but very rewarding”
“It’s a little challenging depending on your fitness but worth it.”
“our legs were in extreme pain for the next 3-4 days”
Best for: Fit friends who are fine with heights and long stairways. Plan the way back before you book.
Two-way only between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija; one-way towards Pico Ruivo after that. The east variant over Pico das Torres is closed; the route uses the west variant through the tunnels.
Our full PR1 guide →Trail facts and map How to book on SIMplifica The one-way PR1 rules No car? Sunrise PR1 with transfer both ways (affiliate link)
2
13/13 guides
4.7 on Tripadvisor, 2,650 reviews
Ponta de São Lourenço · PR8
Baía d'Abra → Cais do Sardinha · 4 km + 4 km back · 2 h 30 · Moderate · €4.50
What people love
- Cliffs and sea on both sides of a bare volcanic peninsula, with the north and south coasts in view
What people complain about
- No shade at all: bring water and sun protection
- The car park fills during the day; reviewers suggest arriving before 8am
- A few reviewers found it crowded or not worth the hype
What travellers say
“A unique hike up and down rocky path that has great views of ocean on both sides.”
“Very easy if you avoid the heat in the middle of the day.”
“It is extremely crowded so highly recommended to get here as early as possible.”
Best for: Almost anyone used to walking, early in the day. Without a car, a transfer from Funchal solves the parking.
Visit Madeira lists temporary diversions: follow the signs on the ground.
Our full PR8 guide →Trail facts and map How to book on SIMplifica No car? PR8 transfer from Funchal, with the permit (affiliate link)
3
10/13 guides
4.8 on Tripadvisor, 21 reviews
Vereda do Larano to Boca do Risco
Not a classified PR trail: no SIMplifica booking or fee, and no official status from the IFCN.
What people love
- A path along the north-east cliffs above the sea
- One of the highest Tripadvisor ratings of any walk in this list, from few reviews
What people complain about
- Reviewers report no-parking signs at the access and cars with punctured tyres
What travellers say
“Keep going because the middle few miles are stunning.”
“If you are afraid of heights skip this.”
Best for: Walkers without vertigo. It is not a classified PR, so there is no booking or fee, and no official status either.
4
9/13 guides, 1 says avoid
4.3 on Tripadvisor, 1,111 reviews
25 Fontes and Risco waterfall · PR6
Rabaçal → 25 Fontes · 4.3 km + 4.3 km back · 3 h · Moderate · €4.50
What people love
- Two waterfalls from the same start at Rabaçal
- Levada walking through laurel forest
What people complain about
- The most reviewed trail on Tripadvisor and the lowest-rated of the top group, mostly because of crowds at the 25 Fontes lagoon
- Reviewers who went early enjoyed it far more
What travellers say
“If you can only do 1 levada do 25 Fontes.”
On PR6.3, Lagoa do Vento
“the better version of levada das 25 fontes which is over crowded”
Best for: Families and mixed groups, if you start early.
Controlled one-way circulation: out along the levada, back by the alternative path called the bypass.
Our full PR6 guide →5
8/13 guides, 1 says avoid
4.7 on Tripadvisor, 895 reviews
Caldeirão Verde · PR9
Queimadas → Caldeirão do Inferno · 8.7 km + 8.7 km back · 6 h 30 · Moderate · €4.50
What people love
- Laurel forest, tunnels and a waterfall at the end
What people complain about
- A small car park: one 2026 review found it full at 9:55am, with police turning cars away
- Narrow sections where you wait for people coming the other way
- You need a torch for the tunnels
What travellers say
“absolutely stunning and very easy”
On the extension to the Caldeirão do Inferno
“This section is much more impressive”
“Need to be mindful of passing safely as there are a lot of narrow spots with people coming back”
“I cannot recommend Caldeirao Verde to anyone. It is not a convenient hike and sometimes dangerous.”
Best for: Groups with a full day and good legs. Start early for the car park.
Our full PR9 guide →6
8/13 guides
4.2 on Tripadvisor, 24 reviews
Balcões viewpoint · PR11
Ribeiro Frio → Balcões · 1.5 km + 1.5 km back · 1 h 30 · Easy · €4.50
What people love
- The shortest and easiest walk on most lists, ending at a viewpoint over the north-east valleys
What people complain about
- The lowest Tripadvisor rating in this list (4.2), from only a few reviews
What travellers say
“Levada dos Balcoes is the starter levada. Short accessible with gorgeous view.”
“Very popular place for people with less mobility and for younger children”
My photos from the walk: Ribeiro Frio, where the PR11 starts, the trail sign and one of the birds near the viewpoint.
Best for: Families with children, older walkers and anyone short on time.
Balcões in our levada walks guide →7
7/13 guides
4.7 on Tripadvisor, 47 reviews
Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira · PR1.2
Achada do Teixeira → Pico Ruivo · 2.8 km + 2.8 km back · 1 h 30 · Moderate · €4.50
What people love
- The easiest way up the highest peak of Madeira
- A favourite at sunset in one of the guides
What people complain about
- Forum users note the views are not as dramatic as the full PR1
What travellers say
“if watching the tallest mountain in madeira is what you want pico ruivo is the walk for you”
Best for: Anyone who wants the summit without the full ridge.
Pico Ruivo the short way, in our PR1 guide →8
5/13 guides, 1 says avoid
4.6 on Tripadvisor, 15 reviews
Fanal · PR13
Paul da Serra → Fanal · 10.8 km · 4 h · Moderate · €4.50
What people love
- Old til trees in the fog, the photo most people come for
What people complain about
- One of the 13 guides lists it among the hikes to avoid
What travellers say
“Fanal Forest was surreal, one of the best places I've ever seen in my life.”
“The ancient looking Laurisilva trees are truly magic in the mist.”
“There's a car park and the forest is right there. My disabled friend walked it fine. Fine for kids.”
Best for: Photographers, and anyone who likes forest walks in the fog.
Trails from Fanal, in our Fanal guide →Traveller favourites the guides barely mention
Lagoa do Vento · PR6.3
1.8 km + 1.8 km back · 1 h 30 · Easy · €4.50
“Must do, a great spin on the levada das 25 fontes and less crowded. Bring swimsuit”
Traveller on r/Madeira, 2024
Rated 10/10 in the most detailed hike review on r/Madeira: a muddier path from Rabaçal to a waterfall pool, with far fewer people than PR6.
In 1 of 13 guides. PR6.3 in our 25 Fontes and Risco guide
Levada Fajã do Rodrigues · PR16
3.9 km + 3.9 km back · 3 h 30 · Moderate · €4.50
“A very special cave tunnel that set this Levada walk apart from the others”
Traveller on r/Madeira, 2024
Rated 9/10 in the same review. The same reviewer warns: “100% you will get wet”.
In 1 of 13 guides. Trail facts
Levada do Rei · PR18
5.3 km + 5.3 km back · 3 h 30 · Moderate · €4.50
“I liked PR18 Levada do Rei. It has no noticeable elevation.”
Traveller on r/Madeira, 2023
Suggested when someone asked for a levada with little climbing.
In 1 of 13 guides. Trail facts
Popular in the guides, but not in the ranking
Levada do Moinho and Levada Nova (Ponta do Sol)
6 of the 13 guides recommend this loop behind a waterfall, and it has 165 reviews for Levada Nova on Tripadvisor. The Ponta do Sol council closed both levadas temporarily on 5 May 2026, so the walk was closed when we counted the guides and is left out of the ranking. It is open again as of 2 November 2026: see where to park in Lombada. Some guides call it “PR7”: the classified PR7 Levada do Moinho is a different route near Ribeira da Cruz, and it was also closed on the IFCN list of 2 November 2026.
How we ranked them
We took the 13 “best hikes” lists that Google shows in the UK for “madeira hikes” and “best hikes madeira”, and counted a hike when it had its own section in the list. Ties are ordered by Tripadvisor reviews. We added the rating and number of reviews on Tripadvisor, and the praise and complaints that come up again and again in recent reviews and the Tripadvisor forum. Official times, difficulty, fees and closures come from Visit Madeira and the IFCN, not from the guides.
The quotes come from the 20 r/Madeira threads, from 2019 to 2026, where travellers ask for or give hike advice. They are copied exactly as written. Many were posted before the 2026 booking system, so we use them for what a walk is like, never for fees or rules.
Questions about the study
Which hikes do some guides say to avoid?
25 Fontes and Risco waterfall (PR6, recommended in 9 guides), Caldeirão Verde (PR9, recommended in 8 guides) and Fanal (PR13, recommended in 5 guides). Each is on one guide's list of hikes to avoid; what reviewers complain about is in the hike's section above.
Is the Levada do Moinho and Levada Nova walk open?
Yes, open again as of 2 November 2026. The Ponta do Sol council closed both on 5 May 2026; we have not found a reopening notice on its website, so check it before you go. Our Ponta do Sol guide says where to park.
What time should I start a popular hike in Madeira?
Before 8am, according to reviewers of the PR1, PR8, PR6 and PR9. The common problems later in the day are full car parks and crowds at the viewpoints and waterfalls.
See all 42 trails on a map
Every classified route by area, with time, difficulty, fee and the ones that need no booking.