PR9 hike Madeira to the Caldeirão Verde

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The pr9 hike madeira walkers talk about is the Levada do Caldeirão Verde, a path along an 18th-century water channel through the Laurisilva, from the Queimadas forest park above Santana into a green bowl where a waterfall drops into a pool. It is rated moderate and takes about 6 hours 30 minutes there and back.

It is long rather than hard. The levada runs almost level, the altitude stays between 872 m and 1,020 m, and the path is shaded most of the way. What makes it a full day is the distance, the four tunnels and the drive: Queimadas is about 51 minutes from Funchal by road. Bring a torch for the tunnels.

Queimadas, the start

Walkers often drive to Santana and expect the trail to begin in the village. It begins higher up, in the forest.

The start is the queimadas forest park madeira maps show above Santana, on the north side of the island, at the edge of the Laurisilva. By road it is 44.3 km from Funchal, about 51 minutes. Parking at Queimadas costs €2 an hour, so a full day of walking adds up; count the hours before you leave the car.

The trail is classified and managed by the IFCN, so the standard fee applies: €4.50 for visitors over 12, booked and paid on the SIMplifica portal, with children 12 and under exempt. The IFCN's page on trail fees sets out the rules, including the combined rates.

Book before you set off. Closures are posted as notices by the IFCN and shown on the official trail page.

1. 1
   Queimadas Forest Park (start) Queimadas forest park, the start32.7828° N, 16.9116° W · Open in Google Maps
2. 2
   Caldeirão Verde the Caldeirão Verde, the waterfall and its pool32.7746° N, 16.9345° W · Open in Google Maps
3. 3
   Caldeirão do Inferno (end) the Caldeirão do Inferno, 2,200 m further, the end32.7702° N, 16.9493° W · Open in Google Maps

Parking at Queimadas costs €2 an hour for visitors accessing the classified trails.

The route to the Caldeirão Verde

The usual surprise is the tunnels. Walkers expect an open forest path and meet four passages cut through the rock, dark enough that a torch helps.

The levada was built in the 18th century to carry water to the farmland of Faial, and the trail follows it through the Laurisilva, the laurel forest that covers the island's north-facing slopes. The path is mostly level, cut along the hillside, with the channel on one side and the slope on the other; some stretches are narrow, and the drops beside them deserve attention.

The caldeirão verde waterfall madeira walkers come for is the turning point for most: a fall of about 100 m into a lagoon on the left of the levada. The trail is 8.7 km one way, 17.4 km there and back, and the return follows the same path.

Beyond the Caldeirão Verde the trail goes on a further 2,200 m to the Caldeirão do Inferno, the end of PR9. That stretch adds distance and time to an already long day. Walkers short of time turn at the waterfall; decide at the pool, with the hour and the weather in mind.

From Funchal without a car

People assume the only way in is a tour. There is a bus, but it stops short of the trail.

Buses run from Funchal to Santana: Horários do Funchal line 56, line 103, which goes via Ribeiro Frio, and line 138. The ride takes 75 to 90 minutes. No bus goes on from Santana to Queimadas, so the last stretch is a taxi, reported at about €12.

That makes a long day longer. Add the bus each way to the 6 hours 30 minutes of walking, and the timetable becomes the plan: check the last bus back from Santana before you set off, and keep the taxi's number for the return up or down.

The transfers sold from Funchal solve this. Two of them, including the most reviewed, leave the trail fee out, so book it on SIMplifica yourself; read what each product covers before you buy.

Rain, mud and when to go

The mistake is to judge the north side by the sky over Funchal. The rain at Queimadas is heavy, and the figures show it.

The weather station at Queimadas averaged 2,314.6 mm of rain a year over 1941-1970. November was the wettest month, with 391.0 mm, and January had 301.1 mm; July was the driest, with 47.1 mm, and June had 61.1 mm. Average highs ran from 12.4 °C in January to 20.4 °C in September, and the lows in winter were about 6 °C.

For the queimadas forest madeira walkers see in photographs, green, wet and misty, that rain is the reason. It also means mud on the path, water dripping in the tunnels and a cold start in winter. Summer is the drier choice; in any month, take a waterproof, a warm layer, shoes with grip, a torch, water and food.

Start early. The walk is long, and an early start leaves time to turn back if the weather closes in.

Santana on the way

A PR9 day passes through Santana, and it is worth an hour if you have one. Santana's typical houses are triangular, thatched and painted blue, red and white, with an attic for the harvest and a ground floor split into a kitchen and a bedroom; the Núcleo de Casas Típicas is the group you can visit.

The municipality has about 6,500 people, and the village is also where the bus from Funchal stops, so walkers on public transport see it either way.

For the other levada walks, including the ones near Funchal, see the levada walks page; for every classic trail and its fee, the hiking hub. The Visit Madeira PR9 page shows whether the trail is open.

Common questions

How long is PR9?

8.7 km one way and 17.4 km there and back, about 6 hours 30 minutes, rated moderate.

Where does PR9 start?

At the Queimadas forest park above Santana, about 51 minutes from Funchal by road. Parking costs €2 an hour.

Do I need a torch?

It helps. The trail passes through four tunnels, and some are dark.

Can I get there by bus?

Lines 56 and 103 run from Funchal to Santana; from there take a taxi to Queimadas.

Do I pay to walk it?

Yes: €4.50 for visitors over 12, booked on the SIMplifica portal. Children 12 and under are exempt.