The Levadas of Rabaçal

it's indeed a beautiful walk... this hike is very popular, so of course there are lots of people.

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A very nice walk, one of those you should do when discovering Madeira. Crowded, but reasonably so for this time of year. Part of the route was closed for roadworks. As a result, we did the last part in return mode (points 7, 8, 9 and 10). It was a case of being "alone in the world" on this part of the route. On the way back, we took a little diversions to get to the forest house and avoid the main path. Here again, we were "alone in the world".
It's very easy to find your way around (everything is perfectly signposted), and everything is magnificent! The difference in altitude is 600D+, but it's all fairly easy.

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It's a shame it's foggy, but it's very pretty.
Busy circuit, often in single file and impossible to overtake, so go early.
Route closed from point 5, so not possible to do points 7, 8, 9 and 10, like the last comment.

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Closed for a large part of the route (points 7, 8, 9 and 10), which concentrates everyone on the easy part of the PR 6 and 6.1, which is open.
So start early in the morning to enjoy the walk without the crowds
Very well signposted
The car park is large but still overcrowded

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A lovely walk along a very well-maintained Levada.
Very pleasant and in line with your description

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Thank you for the directions, which made for a lovely walk. This route is fairly, if not very, busy, but it's well worth it. As with all these hikes in the mountains, it's best to set off early to enjoy the scenery and there are fewer people.

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Thanks for the route, especially the loop at point 5.
A word of advice: it's better to get there early, as there were lots of people at the car park on the way back.
We didn't do points 3 and 8 because we didn't have enough time, but the return trip to the car park took 8.5 km in 2 hours 50 minutes.
The scenery is magnificent, well worth doing 👍

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A lovely walk, in a local setting, and interesting despite the clouds. Best done early in the morning, before there are many people on the route. Beware that the route is far from flat. In this case, the levadas are at the bottom of the valley and everything that goes downhill has to come back up!
The paths are well laid out and signposted, so it's hard to get lost!

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A pleasant walk, to be done either very early in the morning or in the early afternoon to escape the flow of groups... Fortunately, the happy finches liven up the lunch break.
The levada da rocha vermeilla is not indicated either on the path or on the start sign, and we didn't find it.

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For an appetiser, a descent along the tarmac road and the "Levada do Risco" is easy and very busy. Then, a little more difficult, head for the "Levadas das 25 Fontes" where you'll find the crowds taking the chill off. The less busy part of the "Levada de Rocha Vermelha" is steeper to reach, but also quieter. A tunnel half crossed along the way was our turning-off point. Back to the starting point with the shuttle bus, which isn't cheap (€3), but it's 2km of tarmac uphill without much interest! You have to choose.

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For this very beautiful hike, a return path from 25 fontes has been added to avoid crossing each other and the paths that can continue to the SW (levada da rocha vermelhia) across the valley are closed.
That said, the walk is well worth it and the bistro in Rabaçal is very nice, with plenty of homemade sandwiches and sweet and savoury tarts. Suoer

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This is a lovely walk to do at the end of the morning, as the groups and many hikers have already passed through, so it's quieter. The first difficulty was finding a place to park, followed by a descent on a tarmac road through giant heather, towering laurel trees and a magnificent view of the surrounding cliffs. The walk to the Risco waterfall is the easiest, as you stroll along the levada under clumps of shrubbery, but beware of low-hanging branches! The arrival at the waterfall is breathtaking. The waterfall is double and you can see hikers at the first rise who got there via the (levada ribeira grande PR 6.2) you have to retrace your steps to reach the path to the waterfall (das 25 fontes) a tough descent on a path of irregular steps, here again beware of low branches, the heather is strong. then take the path again, a few steps up then follow the (levada of the same name) to the waterfall. Don't look for the 25 fountains along the way, they're right inside the waterfall. The caldera from which the waterfall rises is criss-crossed by multiple streams of water that form the fountains. A refreshing footbath guaranteed. To return, retrace your steps to the junction of the previous descent. There, continue straight on along the (levada da rocha vermeilla) towards (Arco da Calheta), 2.5km later, turn left up the stone steps that will take you back to the (posto florestal de Rabacal). A very friendly welcome, lemon pie, cane sugar honey cake, enchanting setting, local beer, all for nothing (€5.50). For the return journey, you can either walk, which is free, but at the end of the day it can be difficult for some, or take the shuttle bus, which costs 3€ per person. It's definitely worth the trip.

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For hikes in Madeira, the best thing to do is download the routes from the Portuguese website, as the signposting is revised from time to time and some PR trails are sometimes detoured or under repair, particularly because of scree (crumbly volcanic rock).
For the Risco waterfall, I followed PR 6.
Be careful, there are 1.8 km of tarmac road between the car park and the start of the levada. There is a shuttle bus but I didn't take it. After that, the scenery is enchanting. I recommend this hike.

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I think the Risco is magnificent. We didn't do point 8, so we turned left straight away at 7. The path down is sometimes narrow. To get to point 9, you have to leave the Levada, cross the bridge 20 m below and very soon after there's a path leading uphill. This path has 2 or 3 tricky sections. It's more climbing than hiking, with about 2 m each way. So be careful! We ended up at the Lagoa Do Vento (sign on the road going up), which is the top of the Risco. It was magnificent. Then we returned to the car via the Levada Do Alecrim (sign for the ER105).

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Hello everyone, Very nice walk on the island of Madeira without any great difficulty as far as the Cirque Vert, with lovely, very green, relaxing areas on the banks of these atypical levadas. This passage through the tunnels is really worth discovering. The rest of the route to the Cirque infernal (Not so much, although the climb up the stairs to change levadas is quite physical. But the effort is soon forgotten. No more mobile phone and no more connection!! it's still nice from time to time just to listen to nature and the trickle of water :whistle

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