Calheta
PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes, and why it is now a one-way loop
The short answer
PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes follows a water channel through laurel forest from Rabaçal to a lagoon fed by springs out of the Paúl da Serra plateau. IFCN now runs it as a controlled one-way loop, out along the levada and back on a separate Bypass section, and a booked timeslot is required.
Trail fee, per person over twelve
€4.50
Booked as a dated timeslot on the SIMplifica portal. Free for ages twelve and under, who still have to be on the booking.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails in one day
€9.00
SIMplifica applies whichever rate is cheapest at checkout. PR1 is excluded.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Length, each way
4.3 km
The controlled loop returns on a separate Bypass section.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Calheta |
|---|---|
| Type | Walks and levadas |
| How long | 3 hours |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Cost | €4.50 |
| Best season | Spring for the fullest waterfalls, though it works year round |
| Permit | Yes — book before you go |
The walk
The route runs 4.3 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 each way from the Rabaçal trailhead on ER 105, and the tourism board gives 3 hours, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. It stays between 964 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 and 1,288 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, so there is very little climbing; the effort is in the length and the footing.
The destination is a lagoon fed by springs emerging out of the Paúl da Serra plateau. The forest it passes through is laurisilva, the relict laurel forest that put Madeira on the UNESCO list in 1999.
The one-way loop
IFCN now runs PR6 as a controlled circuit: out to the lagoon along the Levada das 25 Fontes, back to Rabaçal on a separate Bypass section. Walking against that flow is not an option, and the change exists because the channel path is too narrow to carry two-way traffic at the volumes this trail attracts.
The fee is €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, booked as a dated timeslot on SIMplifica. Eight classified trails radiate from the same trailhead, so anyone doing more than one on the day pays €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 rather than two singles.
Getting to the trailhead
Rabaçal sits on the Paúl da Serra plateau, reached from ER 105. The access road down from the plateau to the Casa de Abrigo is narrow and restricted, so the choice is to walk down or take the shuttle. That descent is a walk in its own right, and the climb back up happens at the end of the day.
Slots lock automatically once carrying capacity is reached, and the early ones go first.
What is not perfect about it
The single most crowded trail on the island. The channel-side path is narrow with unprotected drops in places, and on a busy slot the experience is largely of standing aside for people coming the other way. The one-way loop was introduced to manage exactly that.
Questions people actually ask
Can you still walk PR6 as an out-and-back?
No. IFCN runs it as a one-way loop, out along the Levada das 25 Fontes and back via the separate Bypass section.
How busy is Levada das 25 Fontes?
It is the most popular levada walk on the island, which is why capacity is capped and slots lock when full. Early timeslots are the quietest and are the first to sell.
Is it worth combining with the other Rabaçal trails?
The one-day combined rate of €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 covers two or more trails and is cheaper than two singles at €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each. PR6.1 Levada do Risco and PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento share the same trailhead.
Where this came from
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Governo Regional da Madeira: SIMplifica — reserva de percursos pedestres classificados. simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259 Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Rabaçal. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/west-coast/calheta Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.