The Levada das 25 Fontes walk in the Rabaçal valley, with a guide

Madeira's levadas are irrigation channels that carry water from the wet mountains to the farms of the south, and the paths beside them are how most visitors walk the island. The listing dates the system to the first settlers, in the 16th century. Rabaçal, below the Paul da Serra plateau in the west, is where two of the island's classic levadas meet: the Levada do Risco, which ends at a waterfall, and the Levada das 25 Fontes, which ends at a lagoon at the foot of a cliff, fed by springs running down the rock. The forest around them is Laurisilva, Madeira's laurel forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999.

Lido Tours, a Funchal firm in business since 1996, picks up at selected hotels in Funchal or at set points in the city, such as bus stops and the cruise terminal, and its own site runs the walk every day from 09:00 to 17:00. A qualified mountain guide leads the group, of up to 16, down from the plateau into the valley, along the Levada do Risco to the Risco waterfall, then by a footpath across to the Levada das 25 Fontes and along it to the lagoon. The operator gives the walk as about 11 km, point to point, with about four hours on foot and 499 metres of climbing, between 971 and 1,286 metres up. The way back is a different path, through a tunnel that carries water south towards Calheta, where the walk ends.

The rules changed in 2025. Every classified trail on Madeira now needs a timed slot on the regional government's SIMplifica portal, and in 2026 visitors over 12 pay 4.50 euros a trail, or 9 euros for two or more trails in one day. Lido books the group's slot and collects the fee on the day: 4.50 euros a person, on top of the GetYourGuide price. On 26 October 2026 the forestry institute, IFCN, listed both trails as open, with the 25 Fontes path one way only: out along the levada, back by a separate path it calls the Bypass. So the walk has a fixed direction, and the guide sets the route around it.

Food and drink are not included, says the operator, so bring a picnic and water. Bring a torch for the tunnels, which it says can flood above shoe level, walking boots with a good grip, and a waterproof layer.

Of the guided Rabaçal walks on GetYourGuide we compared on 26 October 2026, this one has by far the most reviews, about 2,700, rated 4.7, with guides scored 4.9 out of 5. It also costs less here than direct: Lido's own site sells the same day at 48 euros, against 43.20 on GetYourGuide. The closest rival is Rabaçal: 25 Fontes & Risco Levada Hiking Transfer, a GetYourGuide bestseller rated 4.8 from about 2,500 reviews, from 42 euros, which drives you there, arranges the permit and lets you walk at your own pace, without a guide. Pick it if you would rather stop where you like than hear about the forest. Madeira: Rabaçal Valley & 25 Fountains Small-Group Hike is rated 4.8 from about 330 reviews, from 48 euros, for a seven hour guided day.

With a hire car you can do it yourself: book your slots on SIMplifica, 4.50 euros for the 25 Fontes alone or 9 euros with the Risco the same day, and drive about an hour from Funchal, or about half an hour from Ponta do Sol. If you want the north side of the island and the laurel forest at its deepest, The forest levada, on the Caldeirão Verde, is the other walk we would book; for the high peaks, The sunrise above the clouds on Pico do Arieiro.