25 Fountains Levada: Hiking Tour in Madeira Rabaçal Valley (PR6)

It was amazing hike with...

It was amazing hike with very friendly guide Daria.. we had s great time asking questions and learning more and more about Madeira and it's culture

Spectacular views with a great guide

The tour was fantastic, big thanks to Martha who is so passionate and lovely and really looked after everyone. I would highly recommend!!!

Stunning hike with fantastic guide Ruben

A fantastic experience, absolutely made by the passion for nature and expertise of our guide Ruben. Highly recommend this hiking tour.

Fantastic, exhilarating and enjoyable

Really great hike, not too difficult for those who are moderately active. Martha was fantastic super motivated and made the hike enjoyable. It took around 2.5 hours and we had around 30 minutes to see the water fall. Luckily we went off peak and the views were fantastic. Martha explained things incredibly well along the hike! Carlos was fantastic tooo

Beautiful misty valley & waterfall walk

The 21 springs and waterfall walk was great, made even better by Samuel, our guide’s happy and friendly manner

Marta was a great guide!

This was a beautiful hike led by Marta. She was an incredible guide and was able to manage a large group with many different levels of abilities. The hike is pretty easy for those who walk often. I would definitely book again!

Super Tour

A very good tour to the 25 Fontaines wot incredibly nature, and Martha is just a SUPER GUIDE, awys smiling and easy to talk with

Really enjoyed the trip.

Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient tour guide. Respectful and told us lots about Madeira and its fauna and flora. (Thanks Ruben). Minibus had air con and was sensibly driven. Really enjoyed the trip. Thank you.

Great walk

Great walk with a great guide (Ruben). Without a guide it would have been easy to go off track, as there were alternative routes crossing (signs were available, however). It was comforting to have a guide to point to where we were going. Great drive to and from the levada. Felt safe with driver Miguel. The roads are quite steep so I wouldn’t want to drive myself.

Great

The trip was amazing, our guide was amazing as well. The 25 fountains stop is disappointing, too many influencers occupy the place for photoshoots. Other stops and views are really beautiful so its worth it.

Great day out!

Samuel was a very informative guide. Our group had several age ranges and he made sure everyone was included and looked after. From when we were picked up to the end of the day our guide was imparting his knowledge of the island to us all.

Lovely levada walk

Very busy but a very fun hike. Highly recommend! Lovely cafe near the start. Waterfalls are popular and get very busy however we still really enjoyed ourselves.

Top notch!

I walked 25 fontes route and the new Stairway to Heaven route on different days. Both fantastic. Really, really excellent guides shared plenty of knowledge along the way. I particularly enjoyed the Stairway to Heaven for the vistas above the cloud lines across incredible peaks. As well as these two hikes, I took a sunset catamaran trip, a jeep tour and a mini bus tour. All activities were well organised and all communication at the organising stage when I had questions, and during when a change needed to be made the day before, was efficient and super friendly. All in all, Madeira Adventure Kingdom helped maximise the enjoyment and fun of my island holiday. I recommend highly.

Great hike, great guide!

The hike was easy and memorable. The views were very nice, and the guide (Ruben) was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the hike, flora and fauna. Marta was a super safe and reliable driver. Highly recommended!

Awesome route and guide

Route itself was beautiful, the last part was especially good since there were not a lot of people on a way to Calheta. Guide was making stops along the way to share info so the tempo was good and not stressful

View with an attitude

The hike was great and the views are amazing. But the tour guide was rude, condescending, and ruined the beauty of the hike. His attitude was unpleasant and acted like he was doing us a favor. I would use a different tour company next time.

Enjoyable walk

It was an enjoyable walk with a good guide who provided a lot of information. Pick up was scheduled for 8.30 but wasn't picked up till 8.55. The walk was good and scenic with a couple of longish sets of steps and one tunnel (torch required) near the end leading out to some lovely views. The only problem was it was very busy but I suppose these days it's to be expected !

Amazing walking tour

Amazing walking tour and great host plenty of information about everywhere. Very well looked after by the host Reuban

Good first hike

We did this hike, which is also known as PR6, on a week day. We arrived at the car park ~08:30am, early enough to avoid the crowds. Although the hike is ~4.5km, you need to walk for ~2km down a path before descending to the lagoon. You know you are at the right point to descend to the lagoon when you see a cafe. The descent to the lagoon is ~2.5km. We completed the route from the car park and back in ~3 hours. I'd recommend doing this hike as early in the day as possible because the lagoon is quite small and crowds do start forming from 10am onwards. A mini bus runs down the 2km path between the cafe and the car park. We didn't use it in the morning as the service starts at 9am. There are toilets near the cafe, but you will need a 50cent coin to use it.

Great hike

The trip was fantastic and the guide was wonderful. It should be noted that once the hike starts there are no restrooms and the stairs are slippery. The views are amazing and should not be missed

Great easy walk with a great guide

Great easy walk to start the holiday. Long but suitable for all ages with great views. Couple of moments you’re very high so be cautious if afraid of heights.

Great day hiking

We had a fabulous day out and our guide Martha was exceptional. Very highly recommended. The hike itself was great and the scenery was beautiful

Excellent, relaxing walk.

Great views of waterfalls and the surrounding mountains. Mostly shaded walkways running next to the levadas. Excellent guide with knowledge of most of the local flora. Not too tough physically.

Excellent first levada experience.

Well organised and guided walk in stunning scenery. First experience of walking a levada was memorable and definitely would do it again.

I recommend this hali day tour. You should have goretex shoes and light with you. Those will make your walk nicer.

Beautiful nature and views. Small group is nice way to do Levada walks. Our Guide Pedro was also nice person who was not bored with guide work.

Magnificent

Great guide and wonderful hike! We walked along the canals and saw waterfalls and beautiful scenery.

Levada Rabaçal and 25 Fountains Walking Tour

Doing the Levada Rabaçal and 25 Fountains Walking Tour - was amazing the mountains are really beautiful and seeing the waterfalls are really something special. The walk is about 7 miles with short stops at various points The guide was ally friendly and knowledgeable , also made the walk fun. We stopped at cafe on the way and back for refreshments too. I would highly recommend these walks

Not as described…

The guide and transport were very good.. Although we had a confirmation pick up time of 8.40 and the guide pitched up at 8.15… Administrative mistake… Pleasant journey up to the falls… We are a fit 60yr old couple, but this was definitely not an ‘easy ‘ walk by any standards. Lots of walking up and down for 13kms…. I had mistakenly thought we were seeing 25 waterfalls whilst in fact we saw 4… The worst part for me personally, which did spoil the day for me… Was when halfway through the tour… The guide announced that we would be walking 800m through a tunnel… I am severely claustrophobic and would never had booked the tour, had there been any mention of this anywhere! Shame because the guide did try to make the tour informative, he was very safety conscious and pleasant…

Worthwhile Tour to do the 25 Fontes levada

Well organised trip, picked up on time at a location close to where we were staying in central Funchal. Stopped for small break before the walk to go the toilet and buy any snacks/drinks (no official locations on the route to go the toilet). Guide was informative, friendly and went at a moderate pace based on the group pace. The trek was about 3.5 hours total, would of maybe like 10-15 more minutes at the main waterfall personally but still had about 25 minutes there.

Fantastic guide and experience.

Samuel our guide made our experience feel safe, informative, relaxed and a joy to take part in. It was very well organised and exciting.

10/10 highly recommend

The pickup was prompt and extremely well organised. The group was small with only 6 of us in total. Out guide and driver were both lovely, professional and enthusiastic! The tour itself was great fun and I felt very safe, with our very careful guide telling us well in advance where all the tricky slippery bits or head height hazards were! The levada and the waterfalls were of course beautiful and we were lucky with excellent weather in Feb! The tunnel at the end was a good experience and the company thoughtfully provided flashlights.

Great tour, fantastic views

So glad I did this! Fabio was an amazing guide - kept a good pace and gave us nuggets of info along the way. He made an effort to talk to everyone which I liked. So across trip advisor there are some mixed reviews on this walking tour but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were the first group there so we probably missed a lot of the Groups.

Just a great day and experience

Weather wasn’t too good but having said that the tour guide did a great job looked after everyone all on time from pick up to drop off the driver was excellent too

Well organised, definitely recommend.

We booked this tour directly through the Madeira Adventure Kingdom website. Confirmation was prompt, along with clarification of health and fitness. Although they pick up from hotels in the Funchal area, as we were renting an apartment, we were advised we would be collected from a meeting point. This worked like clockwork, the driver was waiting for us, and he then collected other people from their hotels. Carlos the driver was so pleasant and polite, and his driving skills were superb, given the winding roads and steep hills, he certainly made us feel safe in the minibus. Martha, the guide, was friendly, knowledgeable, and maintained our safety all throughout the walk. She took time to talk to everyone, and relayed her knowledge of history, flora and fauna. Nice and considerate that we were taken for a ‘comfort’ stop (cafe, toilet) just before the start of the walk, and again at the end - as there are no facilities in the levadas. The walk itself is not that difficult, there are some steep steps at times, and a few narrow paths, where you have to duck your head because of low hanging trees. Initially you walk to the Levada do Risco waterfall, tracking the levadas, and then on to the Levada das 25 Fontes. After this, there are steep steps, but they are achievable. The 800 meter tunnel at the end is dark, and wet in places, but head-torches are provided, and it only takes about five minutes to walk through. There is the option of an alternative path for those who do not wish to go through the tunnel. The scenery is stunning, the paths are well laid out, and clearly marked. However, good walking boots are needed for some uneven areas. It is cold in this area, so, even if the sun is shining in Funchal, do wear long trousers and top, and take a jacket. Our guide wore gloves and a fleece, the temperature is definitely cooler there. Our tour started early, so we missed the crowds. Our only criticism is that we were not allowed long enough at the 25 Fountains - only 30 minutes to explore, take photos, and have our lunch. It was far too rushed. 45 minutes or 1 hour would be ideal.

I will definitely recommend this tour to everyone I know !

I will definitely recommend this tour to everyone I know ! I really had a great time! Although it was December, the sun was shining and the temperature in the forest was not too low, a short-sleeved t-shirt and a jacket was enough. The driver was very good and cheerful; our guide was also very professional, and we didn't encounter many tourists or groups along the way, the journey was smooth and the scenery was great, we had a great time! I'm not a frequent hiker, but the 13km hike was not too much for me. A friendly reminder, the path in the forest is littered with lots of sharp rocks and roots, make sure you wear specialized hiking shoes for the event!!!! Otherwise, if you don't pay attention, you may hurt your ankle. In addition, because there are many downhill slopes, people with bad knees and hips may find it difficult to hike.

Rabacal and 25 fountains walk guided.

We did 2 levada guided tours. Manuel gave us options for the 25 fountains walk - kept us away from the hoardes of people, and none of the walk was as vertiginous as the Riberio frio to portela walk. Loved it and Manuel.

Rabical hike

This is such an amazing trip, easy online booking and kept up to date with Whatsapp messages. Sam our tour guide was amazing and knowledgeable. Lots of walking and amazing scenery for not a lot of money. Plenty of opportunities for photos and being a small group tour made it all the better. A brilliant day out😀

Steps!

Lots of steps and fairly busy but an enjoyable and worthwhile trip with a nice informative guide who communicated well.

Challenging walk but worth it.

Yes it is 13km long and quite challenging in places, do not overestimate your ability. It was very cold and very wet, but the views and experience was amazing. Tour guide very knowledgeable and entertaining. Not for beginners, we were held back by some members of the group.

A breathtaking walk with an excellent guide!

This was a fantastic trip which I'd highly recommend. The organisation of the trip was excellent and our guide and driver were very friendly and knowledgeable. We were collected spot on time from our hotel and the drive up to the walk was very scenic. The toilet and coffee break just before we started the walk was a good opportunity to top up on water! The walk itself is absolutely stunning - breathtaking. Our guide made sure that we took the walk at a good pace - not too fast, so that we could all take in the scenery and enjoy. She also shared interesting information about the flora and fauna seen along the walk. Once we finished the walk we stopped off for coffee at a lovely cafe. A brilliant day out! (Do remember to pack some snacks for a quick lunch eaten in the MOST beautiful place). A must do if you want to experience the spectacular scenery of Maderia. Thanks so much to our guide and driver!!

Beautiful walk!

The scenery was beautiful and our guide provided us with a lot of information about the wildlife and plants which can be found within the forests. It was lovely to see the levadas and understand their history on the island. However, it should be noted that there are only one set of toilets which are basically at the beginning (20-30 minutes in), you then have another three hours plus and no toilets at the finishing point! We also got taken to a bar afterwards which wasn’t made clear when booking, when we were ready to go back to the hotel!

Fun, tiring but worth every penny

Fantastic experience. Gabrielle our guide was lovely, very informative and friendly. Took everyone’s ability into account. Made the women very comfortable about having to use the outside facilities, in case any one is wondering!!! Although this levada is an easy level to walk there are a few steps and some downhill walking to take into consideration. I would definitely recommend going with Gabrielle.

Brilliant experience

Excellent guide. Made sure we had English time to explore the trek and times it so we beat the crowds. Having torches for the tunnel at the end made life so much easier than having to use your phone.

Tranquility

The walking is easy (not difficult). The guide made us discover a beautiful place with a smile and kindness. I recommended

Good

I liked the guide, she was young and enthousiastic. The walk itself was a bit to crowded for me to be honest. Especially at the waterfall... but it was beautiful nonetheless

The beautiful heart of Madeira

Wonderful hike in the beautiful Madeiran countryside with a guide who was knowledgeable about the history, flora, fauna and people of the island. Although the walk is not overly difficult, it should be noted that it is 12-13 km long and does contain some quite dramatic elevation changes (predominantly down). Not necessarily easy for all. Clearer details would be beneficial for all potential guests and guides. The 25 fountains, while exotic and beautiful to observe, can get very busy in the summer months.

Enjoyed the Levada walk...

Enjoyed the Levada walk and learning a little bit about the area and history. The pickup and drop off was a very good option as we did not had to back track ourselves which allowed us to see and experience more of the area.

Excellent well organised levada walk

Great levada walk with excellent guide Leanna and friendly driver Carlos. Weather quite rainy on the day so pack a mac! Would highly recommend.

A must do in Madeira

Better than expected, the hike was very doable and not too hard at all! The views were spectacular and the poncha at the end where we stopped was perfect!

Amazing experience

Definitely recommend this tour if you are visiting Madiera. Our guide Maria was patient and energetic, mindful of the group and stopping for breaks at appropriate times. Her general knowledge and expertise of the levadas and the area really heightened the experience. Overall an amazing tour with scenic views, one that I'd definitely go on again.