Levada walk · Queimadas, Santana
PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde
PR9 – Levada do Caldeirão Verde is one of Madeira’s classic levada walks. Starting in the Queimadas Forest Park near Santana, the trail follows a narrow irrigation channel through lush Laurissilva forest, across high valleys and through dark tunnels before reaching the waterfall-filled amphitheatre of Caldeirão Verde.
History and character
Like Madeira’s other levadas, this route follows part of the island’s historic water-management network. Levada channels were built to carry water from the wetter mountains to farms and settlements in drier areas. The path became a walking route because maintenance workers needed access along the channel. Today PR9 gives visitors a close view of the Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, while showing the difficult engineering required to bring mountain water across steep terrain. The official PR9 route is 8.7 km each way from Queimadas, with the option to continue between Caldeirão Verde and Caldeirão do Inferno only when that section is officially open.
Why visit
- Official PR9 route: 8.7 km each way, starting at Queimadas Forest Park near Santana
- A moderate full-day walk through Madeira’s Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape
- The traditional thatched-roof Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas near the start of the route
- Four dark tunnels on the way to Caldeirão Verde, where a torch or headlamp is essential
- Narrow levada paths, waterfalls, green valleys and views into the São Jorge area
- Caldeirão Verde: a dramatic waterfall and lagoon enclosed by high, moss-covered cliffs
- A possible continuation towards Caldeirão do Inferno, subject to the official trail status
Practical tip
Check the official PR9 status before travelling: rain, rockfall or maintenance can close sections of the route. Take a torch or headlamp for the tunnels, shoes with good grip, waterproof layers, water and food. The walk is long despite the gentle levada gradient, so start early and do not enter any closed section, including the continuation towards Caldeirão do Inferno.