Levada Do Furado de Ribeiro Frio

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A must-do levada, very easy, for all ages, alternating shady sections on the mountainside, winding paths and panoramic views of the island's north coast and then the east coast as you reach Portela.
Less busy than other levadas, the 10.5 Km walk is 4/5ths flat, with no change in altitude (very gentle slope all along the levada), except for a 200-meter drop in altitude on the last 2 Km of the walk.
Take a cab back to the starting point.

Details

n°327246
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.10 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 611 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 897 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 893 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 602 m
  • ⚐ Country: Madeira
  • ⚐ City: Machico 
  • ⚑
    Start: N 32.73514° / W 16.886391°
  • ⚑
    End: N 32.746399° / W 16.826261°
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Description of the walk

Start: Park by the roadside in Ribeiro Frio. The start of the walk is easy to find, thanks to a sign on the roadside after the restaurant, which indicates "Portela 11 Km".

(S) From the car park, follow the levada Northwards at first, then quickly Eastwards. Nothing special to report, except to enjoy the walk and the views. Reach the end of the flat area.

(1) Turn left onto a dirt track heading left (East) to reach a picnic area with a small pond below.

(2) Turn left, heading North-East, and continue along the levada, reaching a place called Lamaceiros.

(3) Keep heading in this direction, continuing left to reach the start of the steps.

(4) Follow them for 1 Km to the finish. Enjoy the water, the ever-present flowers and the view.
Reach the roadside at Portela. Descend the last 50 m to the restaurant (E).

Take a cab back to the starting point.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 888 m - Ribeiro Frio
  2. 1 : km 7.45 - alt. 828 m - dirt track
  3. 2 : km 7.84 - alt. 778 m - picnic area
  4. 3 : km 8.37 - alt. 739 m - turn left at the crossroads
  5. 4 : km 9.07 - alt. 732 m - downward staircase path
  6. E : km 10.1 - alt. 602 m - Portela

Notes

Start: Park by the roadside in Ribeiro Frio. The start of the walk is easy to find, thanks to a sign on the roadside after the restaurant, which indicates "Portela 11 Km".

End & Transport: From Portela. Plan to return by cab (approx. 25 euros) unless you're prepared to walk a total of 22km. Possibly share the return fare with another hiker?

Terrain: Accessible hike, even with children or senior citizens. Allow 2 to 4 hours, depending on your pace and stops.

Gears: No special equipment required, other than the minimum for any hike (warm clothing, drink, suitable footwear). There are no tunnels along the way, so there's no need for a torch.

Waymarkers: Well-marked path, following the levada from start to finish, so it's impossible to get lost, but it's best to have a smartphone/GPS or equivalent, or a map.

Note: The altitude difference shown is overestimated (as is often the case in this steep sector). Ribeiro Frio is at 880 meters, Portela at 670 meters, and it's a gentle slope from start to finish (steeper in the last 2 kilometers).

Worth a visit

There are several alternatives to this hike:
- Downhill from Ribeiro Frio to Portela: the easiest because it's downhill all the way, but I wonder if it's easier to get a cab back to Ribeiro Frio than to Portela.
- Hiking uphill from Portela to Ribeiro Frio. This is what we did, because when we got to Ribeiro Frio by car, there was a cab there, and we asked it to take us straight to Portela. So at the end of the ride in Ribeiro Frio, our car was waiting for us. The only problem was that the first two kilometers from Portela were about 150m or 200m uphill, so we were tired for the rest of the hike, but it really wasn't that much. We even trotted 40% of the way and completed the walk in 2h10' (despite various breaks).
- Round trip if 22km doesn't scare you too much? In that case, it might be better to start from Portela, so that the return trip is downhill and easier.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
PierrickBZH
PierrickBZH
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A fairly cool hike in the mist, with very poor visibility and no difficulty. Given these conditions, we didn't find it particularly interesting, even though the distance in one direction is about 10 km. We took the time to have lunch in Portella and then made our way back (5½ hours there and back), so if you're feeling motivated, there's no need to arrange transport to return to the starting point.

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PierrickBZH
PierrickBZH

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We did this hike at the end of our stay, in foggy conditions, with no significant elevation gain except at the end, walking along the levada with little to see and cool, damp weather. The round trip took five hours, and the only real highlight was stopping for lunch in Portella. It's possible to do the round trip without taking a taxi, but bear in mind that if you start the hike early in the morning, there is a €3 per person charge to cross the primary forest.

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Laurent F
Laurent F
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you to the poster for this very pleasant, peaceful walk.
When I arrived at 8:30 am, the car park was empty and the restaurant and bar were closed.
The starting point is served by buses 56, 103 and 138.
You can't go wrong on the well-marked route.
On arrival we took a taxi to the start, costing €30.
There is also a bus to Funchal or Machico.

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RPodor
RPodor

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with some fine viewpoints, although not as spectacular as some of the others on the island. Please note: there is no shuttle bus on the way back. If you haven't planned it, you'll have to do this hike in reverse...

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stravers
stravers

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At last, a quiet trail.
Leaving Ribeiro Frio, we only did part of this long hike, not knowing if there were any buses or taxis at the end.
We drove to Portella, where we saw a beautiful panorama, and then set off along the start of the mimosa-lined path, which climbs steeply at first.

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aurelien.martineau
aurelien.martineau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Accessible to all, only the last 3 km are uphill/downhill, but the difference in altitude is small. Magnificent scenery and easy to get to via the local bus network at ; just be sure to check the timetable.

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michel m
michel m

Bonjour les Visorandonneurs , les traces (Madere) téléchargées sont prévues pour fin avril 2018, merci à tous pour ces info qui sont précieuses dans un pays que je ne connais pas. Michel M.

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tailland
tailland

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Easy walk through the laurel forest for the first 3 quarters, following the Levada on a gently downhill slope.
Very fine views of the coast at the end of the route
Making the return trip becomes more strenuous (22km) but accessible. Check the bus timetable on arrival at Portela, or take a taxi but expect to pay €50 for the journey to Funchal. Alternatively, take a taxi to Machico (€15) from where a bus leaves for Funchal every 30 minutes.

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