Santana
Queimadas Forest Park, a thatched shelter and a small car park
The short answer
Parque Florestal das Queimadas is a forest park in the laurisilva above Santana, with a thatched shelter built in the style of the old Santana houses. It is free to visit, and it is the trailhead for PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde, which needs a paid, booked timeslot.
Trail fee, per person over twelve
€4.50
Applies to PR9 and PR9.1, which start at Queimadas. The park itself is free.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Santana |
|---|---|
| Type | Gardens |
| How long | An hour, or a full day with PR9 |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | Free; PR9 charged separately |
| Best season | Year round |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The park
Queimadas sits inside the laurisilva above Santana. The Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas at its centre is thatched, built in the style of the old Santana houses, and it is the building the park is known for.
The forest around it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Visiting the park costs nothing.
The trailhead
PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde starts here, and so does PR9.1, the adapted section between Queimadas and Pico das Pedras. Both are IFCN Classified Walking Routes at €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 with a dated timeslot booked on SIMplifica.
The car park was not built for the volume PR9 now attracts, and the timeslot system caps the trail rather than the parking.
What is not perfect about it
The car park is small and it serves the most popular long levada on the island, so it fills early and the overflow is on a narrow road. Arriving mid-morning in summer usually means parking somewhere that was not designed for it.
Questions people actually ask
Is Queimadas Forest Park free?
Yes. The classified trails starting there, PR9 and PR9.1, cost €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each with a booked SIMplifica timeslot.
Why is parking difficult at Queimadas?
The car park is small and it serves the island’s most popular long levada walk. It fills early, particularly in summer.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Queimadas Forest Park. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/santan Read August 26, 2026.
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.