Canyoning Madeira from Funchal

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works

Visitors who see Madeira's waterfalls from a viewpoint soon wonder whether they can go down them. Canyoning Madeira operators run exactly that: guided descents of mountain streams, by rope down the falls, by jumps into pools and by slides down the smooth rock, in a wetsuit and a helmet.

Twelve canyoning trips leave from Funchal, and their ratings are high, from 4.82 to 4.99 on the trips with many reviews. They come in two levels: level 1 for complete beginners, and level 2, called intermediate, the harder of the two, which some operators still sell to first-timers. Most last about 4 hours, from 3 hours 30 minutes to 6.

The gear is included on all of them: wetsuit, helmet, harness, neoprene socks and canyoning shoes. You bring swimwear and a towel.

Level 1 or level 2

The common mistake is to book the higher level to get more for the money. Choose by your comfort with heights and water.

Level 1 is the introduction for complete beginners, such as the short beginners' canyon at Rochão, rated 4.99 from 161 reviews. It suits anyone who swims and wants to try.

Level 2, intermediate, is the harder of the two. The most-reviewed trip in the category is a level 2 from Funchal, 4 hours, with 1,339 reviews at 4.94, and the Nuns Valley canyon, sold to beginners at level 2, has 1,064 reviews at 4.97.

For more, a 6-hour intermediate trip for small groups only and a 5-hour full canyoning experience go further, and an afternoon premium trip adds rope work.

Every trip is led by certified guides, and every one can be cancelled free of charge within its window.

Level 1 canyoning tours for beginners are available at locations such as Rochão, rated highly by visitors.

What the descents are like

People often picture a gentle river walk. It is a descent, and you will be wet the whole time.

The Madeira canyoning waterfalls are on mountain streams above Funchal and in valleys such as the Nuns Valley. A trip goes down the stream by abseiling down the falls on a rope, jumping into the deeper pools, sliding down the smooth rock, and walking and swimming between them.

The guides fit you with the gear and give a safety briefing before the first descent.

Most trips run for about 4 hours in all, including the transfer, the walk in and the briefing; the time in the water is part of that. Some operators meet at the CR7 museum in Funchal and drive you up; others meet at the Terreiro da Luta viewpoint, above Monte.

The operators

Visitors often assume one company runs all the canyons. Several local operators do, each with its own canyons.

EPIC Madeira canyoning trips include a beginners' trip of 3 hours 30 minutes, rated 4.95 from 816 reviews, and an intermediate one, 4.96 from 37; they meet at the CR7 museum at 09:00, and the gear list runs to carabiners, descenders and lanyards, with permits included.

Be Local Madeira runs the most-reviewed level 2 trip from Funchal. Cascatas d'Artemis runs the Nuns Valley and Rochão canyons. Lokoloko Madeira runs a beginners' trip with a meeting at Terreiro da Luta, and Go Canyoning Madeira a trip for all levels with pickup at the CR7 museum. Madeira Extreme runs the 6-hour small-group trip.

Their ratings are uniformly high, from 4.82 to 4.99 on the trips with many reviews, so choose by the level, the meeting point and the time of day.

What is included, and what to bring

The mistake is to arrive in shorts and trainers. The operators supply the gear, but you dress for the mountains.

A Madeira canyoning adventure trip includes the technical gear: a wetsuit, neoprene socks, a harness, a helmet and canyoning shoes, with insurance and photos on most trips. Some add transport from the centre of Funchal, an energy bar and water.

Bring swimwear, worn under your clothes, and a towel; one operator also asks for a passport or ID card. There are no changing rooms at some meeting points in the hills, so arrive ready. Food, drinks and towels are usually not included.

A few days before, some operators send a questionnaire for your sizes, so the gear is ready; answer it in time.

Canyoning trips are subject to the weather, and a trip can be moved or cancelled for safety. Check the forecast for the mountains, not for Funchal, and the IFCN's notices for closures of the classified trails nearby.

Who can go

People often book the whole family and find a child is too young or too small. Check the limits first.

For a Madeira canyoning family trip, the limits are set per trip. Several trips require a height of at least 140 cm. One level 2 trip is not suitable for children under 10, and another beginners' trip for children under 9; the same trips exclude people over 65 and set weight limits, and they are not suitable during pregnancy or for people with heart problems or epilepsy. The beginners' trip of 3 hours 30 minutes also excludes people with back problems or recent surgery, and anyone who has been scuba diving in the previous 24 hours.

Being comfortable in the water matters, since the pools are part of the route.

For children below the limits, the levadas are the family choice: PR6.1 to the Risco waterfall is 1.5 km each way and rated easy. The waterfalls guide covers the falls you can walk to, and Visit Madeira lists the island's activity operators.

Common questions

Do I need experience to go canyoning in Madeira?

No. Level 1 trips are for complete beginners, and several level 2 trips are also sold to first-timers.

What is included in a canyoning trip?

The gear: wetsuit, helmet, harness, neoprene socks and canyoning shoes, with insurance and photos on most trips.

What is the minimum age for canyoning?

It depends on the trip: several require 140 cm in height, and some exclude children under 9 or 10.

What if it rains?

Trips depend on the weather and can be moved or cancelled; every trip can be cancelled free of charge within its window.