Madeira Nature Tourism

Best Hiking Routes to Promenade Calhau das Achadas da Cruz

The Cascata dos Anjos is a waterfall (cascade) that is located at the site of Anjos, Ponta do Sol

This is a short walk to the Garganta Funda waterfall at Ponta do Pargo. There are a lot of great lookouts on the west side of the island, and this is one of the best. See for yourself and enjoy the waterfall, rugged cliffs and ocean view at the end of this stroll.

Starting at regional road ER 105, at Rabaçal, this trail follows the Levada do Alecrim, at an altitude of 1300 metres, until it reaches its spring at Ribeira do Lajeado.

It is 3.5 km (one way) full of cinematographic sceneries in close proximity to Nature.

With an estimated duration of 2:30 hours, and considered an easy trail, PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim offers wide views over the Rabaçal valley and Ribeira da Janela.

The characteristic density of the Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shows its imposing shades of green.

Seixal is a village in Madeira that has one of the most important and popular natural pools in the region, after Porto Moniz.

The natural pool is open and free to use, so it does not offer first aid or lifeguard services. However, the waters are calm, clear, and pleasant, surrounded by impressive rock formations with the Atlantic Ocean in front.

Ponta de São Lourenço is the easternmost point of the island of Madeira. It is inside the town of Caniçal and forms a part of the municipality of Machico. Its terrain are made up of rocks and herbaceous vegetation.

Discover this 19.5-km round-trip route near Canhas, Madeira. It is generally considered a difficult trail, with an average completion time of 6 hours and 24 minutes. The area is very popular for hiking, so it's likely you'll encounter other people while you're there. The trail is open year-round and is perfect for visiting at any time.

Discover this 3.7-mile out-and-back trail near Ilha, Madeira. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 47 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

Take a walk up to the highest point in Madeira, the Pico Ruivo peak. Enjoy spectacular views and a beautiful walk past volcanic rock with its lava veins and jagged peaks.

his is probably the hardest hike on the island leading you from Pico do Arieiro (1818 m) to Pico Ruivo (1862 m) (and back) with a height difference of 320 meters (1542 m – 1862 m). Websites say it takes about 3,5 hours to do the walk. But if you really want to enjoy the sights and take photos like I do, it will take a day (It took me from 9 am to 4pm and I stopped after the last tunnel because I heard I had done the most beautiful part and you can reach Pico do Ruivo from Achada do Teixera). It’s a challenging walk for those who are afraid of heights and if you are in bad physical shape (lots of climbing and difficult stairs) . So I can say I’m very proud I did it. The views on your way are absolutely breathtaking and you’re mostly above the clouds. This made me feel as if I could rule the world. If you have a good physical condition don’t hesitate to do this hike! You won’t be disappointed.

Hiking in Madeira also means waterfall chasing! So of course I picked this hike because it ends with a waterfall! What I didn’t know is that there were waterfalls on the way to the Caldeirao Verde as well! So this was a nice surprise! This hike doesn’t have that much climbing to do, but there are some parts that are quite scary when you’re afraid of heights and it also has some tunnels that are very long and dark! So don’t forget your flash light and watch out for your head! I loved the end point which is a “cauldron” with a massive waterfall of 100 m.

These two hikes don’t take that long so they can be easily combined (at a certain point the path splits, so after you did 25 Fontes you just return to the crossing and then turn to Risco) Make sure to arrive very early, because around 10 am busses full of tourists arrive to do these hikes in groups of 30. How you can enjoy nature this way is something I can’t understand, but if you want to avoid the crowds, go early like I did and you’ll have the 25 Fontes all to yourself! The 25 Fontes is a 30 m waterfall of many different streams in a “cauldron” just like Caldeirao Verde. The impressive Risco waterfall makes a drop of 100 m and can only be seen from a path. You can’t reach the bottom (unfortunately). These hikes are very easy. The only “hard” part is the stairs to get back from 25 Fontes