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Rabaçal 25 Fontes Levada Walk: Exploring Madeira's Laurissilva Forest and Waterfalls
4.5
12 Ratings
Funchal
Embark on the Rabaçal 25 Fontes Levada Walk and explore the enchanting Laurissilva Forest and breathtaking waterfalls of Madeira. Discover the lush greenery, diverse plant species, and unique birdlife of this World Heritage site.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Pico Fernandes - Descending from the famous plateau Paúl da Serra, we arrive at the house of Rabaçal shelter and from here we head towards the waterfall known as Risco.
- 25 Fontes and Cascada da Risco - Here you visit Lagoa das 25 Fontes, 25 water springs created by the waters that come down from Paul da Serra.
On the way back the route takes us through a tunnel which also directs water to the south of the Island.
What's Included
- Live commentary
- Insurance
What's Not Included
- Bottled water
- Lunch
Additional Information
The Rabaçal Levada starts from Paul da Serra, specifically in Rabaçal. This spot offers one of the most breathtaking views of the Rabaçal Valley in Madeira and leads down to the Rabaçal Forest House. The journey takes us through the Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After strolling through an area of remarkable beauty, we reach our first destination - the awe-inspiring Risco waterfall. A brief halt at the Risco balcony gives us the chance to take in the scenery before we continue on our journey.
Throughout the walk, you’ll be mesmerized by the lush greenery of the forest and the calming sounds of nature that define the heart of Madeira Island. The area boasts a multitude of plant species including the Tree Heather, Besom Heath, and Madeira Bilberry.
Keep an eye out for various bird species, as with some luck we might come across the Trocaz Pigeon, a species endemic to Madeira.
Our final destination is the 25 Fontes with its stunning green lagoon, which is nestled amidst vines and colossal ferns.
- Not recommended for travelers with severe claustrophobia (tunnels).
Location
Monumental Experience
Estrada Monumental
We are located at the entrance of the Shopping Center, on the right side. Our shop is easy to find, just look for a yellow smiley face, shop sign.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(12 Ratings)
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Henri
Jan 26, 2024
Interesting - Apart from the first 2 km paved, the rest of the hike is pleasant in the shade, even in the cool at the edge of the levada until the final waterfall it takes around 4 hours, including the picnic and the detour via the levada do Risco
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariannabj3466mu
Oct 19, 2023
25 Fontes Levada - Perfect guided walk. I booked with Happy Tours. Their guide was great. Lots of information about Madeira. Were a little bit busy, but the view is amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomm160
Jul 6, 2023
Brilliant and well organised. - Superb experience from start to finish. Easy to book and the chap in the shop was very helpful in recommending walks. The bus collected us from the hotel exactly on time and our guide (Elton) was excellent. The walk was simply stunning, beautiful scenery with well maintained paths and walkways to preserve the local wildlife and fauna.
Elton’s knowledge of local plants, animals and the island’s history was amazing and he really helped to make our day special. The final leg was a visit to a local cafe for Poncha or coffee before heading back. A fantastic day - thank you to Happy Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mickydouglas
Apr 28, 2023
Very enjoyable walk - Tony the driver was very friendly and knowledgeable, being a local from Porto Moniz originally. Stopped for a coffee, 1 euro, just shows how Starbucks rip us off. Met up at Rabacal with the rest of the walkers, Jorge was our walk leader. Can't speak more highly of him. His knowledge of the flora and fauna ,as well as his guidance on the walk was exceptional. Would not hesitate to book with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mc8sr
Jun 11, 2022
A ‘must do’ trip to see the best of Madeira with a customer focused company. - This is our first trip to Madeira and I would say that this particular trip is a ‘must do’ if you want to experience the best of the island.
Then there is the question of who to do the tour with. We chose Madeira Happy Tours based on reviews and a recommendation from another tour company that didn’t do this particular trip. We booked the trip before we arrived (to give us a good chance of getting a place) and we were very happy with our choice.
The trip was for 12 people plus a guide. We don’t normally do a guided tour, but this trip worked well. The guide was excellent, knowledgeable, friendly and he spoke English and German fluently, meaning he good deal equally well with the mixed nationalities.
The pace was good (not too fast or slow), we felt the guide really did want us to have a good day and the timings were accurate.
Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dale235
Apr 2, 2022
Fabulous Levada Walk - A really great day out.
We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel and both the driver and guide gave excellent service all day.
The pace was good with some nice short, steep sections; some lovely shaded walks along the levadas; and some breaks for photos or where the guide gave history, nature and safety information.
You will obviously need a moderate level of fitness and DO take water and either a packed lunch or some snacks!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annette
Sep 27, 2021
Met geweldige gids Eglesio deze prachtige enerverende wandeling gedaan, had een leuke kleine groep. Aanrader! - Super mooie natuur, een onvergetelijke ervaring in groene oase! Excellent driver/ guide Eglisio showed us a lot of interesting indeginous plants and other vegetation, and of course the brilliant levada system. Unforgettable great experience I would recommend to others if in good condition for sure 🙂
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannah_w
May 5, 2023
Lovely walk with some beautiful scenery - Really well organised walk with some beautiful views. Good length and not too difficult apart from the brief period of steep steps, worth it for the walk through the tunnel and view over the valley at the end alone. The pace is relatively slow with lots of rest stops and photo opportunities so if you're a serious walker it's probably not for you but for a nice walk with the benefit of a great knowledgable
guide I'd thoroughly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Lee_n
Aug 24, 2021
Busy but enjoyable! - Excursions of this kind are really valuable ways of getting to memorable sights if you haven't got your own transport, and this was no exception. This trip was well-organised, with a knowledgeable, friendly guide. TBH, the route itslef doesn't really need a guide, as the route is well-signposted and quite obvious really - and with around 20 in the group it can be frustraing if the pace is overly slow. In addition, this is a very popular area, and the routes to the waterfalls are narrow in lots of places - causing 'pinch points' when passing other groups - perhaps this is an excursion to consider out of the main tourist season? That said, I did three excursions duriong my stay in Madeira, and they were all well organised and enjoyable.
Review provided by Viator
Dudaozao
Jul 1, 2022
Madeira Unhappy Tours - It likely would’ve been a nice tour, if they actually picked us up. We paid for the tour the previous day. We were emailed a pick up location. We arrived to the pick up location 15 minutes prior to pick up time and waited 45 minutes. We figured the driver was late, because we took a tour with these guys the day before and the driver was late then. I call the tour company, the blame is initially placed on me as ‘I wasn’t at the pick up location, so the driver left’. Madeira Un-Happy Tours provided me the wrong location where I waited 45 minutes with ZERO communication from them. They have an enormous internal and external communication problem. There were no other tours to book and it was our last day. We had to spend more than double to book a private driver for the day. If you’d like to be frustrated, without communication, accused of not being at the right place at the right time, please, book at Madeira Unhappy Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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