A complete guide to Levada das 25 Fontes, the PR6 hike on Madeira

Where is Levada das 25 Fontes

Located in the heart of Rabacal is Levada das 25 Fontes, Madeira’s most popular Levada walk, and the one that guides you to both the Risco Waterfall and the 25 Fontes Waterfall.

Since there are two official starting points, I have to make clear that I will discuss the Rabacal route.

The Rabacal starting point of the hike is easily accessed by car and is situated roughly an hour’s drive from Funchal.

Arrival at the Rabacal Parking

Once you arrive at the parking at the beginning of the Rabacal Route, you will notice one paved road down. From here, you can start hiking, or wait until a transfer bus picks you up.

Every 10 minutes, a bus will transfer people up and down at a cost of €5,- round trip. Do note that you can only pay by cash and that it operates between 10:00 and 18:00 every day.

I’ve you visit early, or simply want to hike the whole journey – it takes only 2 kilometres to get to the official start of the PR6 hike by foot.

Start of Levada das 25 Fontes

After following the paved road for about 20 minutes, you’ll reach the Forest House, this is where you’ll find the official beginning point of the PR6 hike.

From here, the path will guide you into a dense forest with plenty of twisting tree branches hanging above the path, as well as an iconic Levada aqueduct flowing abundantly along it.

PR6.1 | Take a short detour to visit the towering Risco Waterfall

Around 2 kilometres into the hike, you’ll reach a crossroad that gives you the option to continue in the direction of 25 Fontes or take a short detour to the Risco Waterfall.

From this point on, I’d recommend taking the detour, especially given it takes only half an hour to see this impressive must-see waterfall.

After a couple of hundred metres, you’ll reach the stunning Risco Waterfall, a two-tiered waterfall with a height of approximately 100 metres.

While the waterfall is slightly less powerful during the summer months, it’s a pretty spectacular sight to behold at any time of the year.

Once you’ve taken some photos at the waterfall it’s time to head back to the crossroad, where you continue the PR6 path into the direction of the 25 Fontes waterfall.

PR6 | Levada das 25 Fontes

Now that you’ve made it back to the intersection, continue on the main path on your left-hand side, which leads you into the direction of the 25 Fontes Waterfall.

This path starts with some steep steps down before you’ve reached the Levada, which is without question the most interesting part of the hike.

Along the way, you’ll stumble upon plenty of tunnels formed by overgrown branches, densely grown forest and beautiful tropical flowers, as well as Madeira’s iconic Levada aqueducts.

The 25 Fontes Waterfall

About 5 kilometres in the hike, you’ll reach the 25 Fontes Waterfall, an amphitheatre-like waterfall with, as the name might suggest, 25 waterfalls flowing along the wall of the waterfall, before dropping into a large central basin.

Due to the tropical circumstances, the waterfall is encircled with incredible flora, including lush vines, plants, and moss covering the walls of 25 Fontes.

While it’s totally possible to take a plunge into the waterfall’s basin, keep in mind that it will be freezing cold, even during the peak summer months.

Since this Levada walk is considered Madeira’s most popular, the 25 Fontes waterfall can become very crowded, so make sure you start off the hike a little earlier than your fellow travellers.

How to wrap up the Levada das 25 Fontes PR6 hike

After you’ve spent some time at the 25 Fontes Waterfall, it’s time to retrace your footsteps back to the beginning of the hike, where you’ll find the Rabacal Nature Spot Café.

Once arrived at the cafe, you can take a short coffee break, some snacks and refreshments, or a lunch, before heading back to the parking lot.

At this point, you could decide to hike back or take the bus directly to the parking. Since I had a day with lots of activities planned out, I decided to take the €3,- bus back to the parking lot.

Additionally, if you’re looking for some more adventure, take the Caltheta route, which leads you through the tunnel. Do, however, keep in mind that this route has a pretty steep climb up – plus that your car will most likely be parked at the Rabacal parking lot, which is pretty far from the end of the tunnel.

Best time of day to do the Levada das 25 Fontes PR6 hike

As with most popular activities on Madeira, the Levada das 25 Fontes hike gets rather busy later in the day, so imagine what it’s like during the peak summer months.

For that reason, I’d say that the best time to follow this hike is early in the morning when it’s still relatively quiet in comparison to later in the day.

If you don’t mind sharing the experience with lots of other people, starting the hike in the late morning or early afternoon will do just fine too. However, make sure you wrap up the hike before it turns dark.

Best time of year to do the Levada das 25 Fontes PR6 hike

Madeira is known to have excellent weather year-round, yet this area is prone to slightly more rainfall, which makes sense given waterfalls emerge from rainfall.

Therefore, the best time to visit the Levada das 25 Fontes PR6 hike and Risco Waterfall is during the summer months of June, Juli and August, when the waterfalls flow and the temperatures are good.

If you prefer travelling during the off-season like me, opt for the shoulder months of May, September or October. During this period, you experience smaller crowds, yet still have comfortable weather conditions.

I hiked the PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes at the beginning of October and had great circumstances – plus it was relatively quiet on the trail, which helped me get some good photography.

What to bring on your Levada das 25 Fontes hike

As with any hike, I believe it’s essential that you’re well-equipped before setting out on your adventure.

For that reason, I recommend anyone who’s planning to hike the Levada das 25 Fontes PR6 hike to do the same. To help you have a comfortable journey, I’d highly suggest bringing the following items:

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE | One travel essential that I carry with me at all times is the Grayl Geopress. This reusable water purification bottle allows me to fill up water from nearly every water source, making it one of my best investments to date.

HIKING BOOTS OR A GOOD PAIR OF SNEAKERS | While hiking boots definitely provide more stability to your ankles, I believe you could easily do the PR6 hike in a good pair of sneakers – just be sure that they have a firm sole with enough grip, so you’re supported when things get slippery. I recently bought the New Balance Hierro v7, and am really happy with them, as they offer all the feats of a hiking boot, while still looking like a dope sneaker.

HIKING POLES | I did the PR6 hike without hiking poles, but if you have poor knees or prefer a little support during the more strenuous parts of the trail, I highly advise bringing a set of quality hiking poles. These Montem Ultra Strong Hiking Poles are light, collapsible, and a great value for the price.

Where to stay on Madeira

Given Madeira is rather compact, I highly recommend anyone to base themselves in Funchal, Madeira’s vibrant capital city.

Funchal is an awesome city in its own right and is home to plenty of excellent accommodation options, is packed with history and culture, plus it has trendy restaurants and cafes at just about every corner.

To help you find suitable accommodation, I’ve listed three of my favourites below, one of which is marked – this is the place where I stayed.

Stay safe on Madeira | Travel insurance

Since travelling on Madeira is all about hiking and nature, I recommend everyone to sort out good travel insurance before setting out on their own adventure.

Where we prefer that everything goes smoothly during our travels, something unfortunate can happen at any moment, whether it’s an injury during a hike or an accident on the road. 

For travel insurance, I use Heymondo, as they offer full covid-19 coverage, as well as a handy app with 24-hour medical assistance. Make sure you check it out – readers of WTSW receive 5% off any insurance policy too.