Madeira · 123 places
The levadas are Madeira's masterpiece: over 2,000 km of irrigation channels carved into the mountains since the 1500s, each with a maintained path alongside. Together with the official PR footpaths they make this the best hiking island in the Atlantic. Flat walks through laurel forest sit next to ridge climbs above the clouds.
32 of the 37 classified PR trails are open right now. See today's best picks, matched to the live weather. Currently closed: PR 7 Levada do Moinho, PR 20 Vereda do Jardim do Mar, PR 27 Glaciar de Planalto, PS PR 3 Levada do Pico do Castelo, PR 28 Levada da Rocha Vermelha. Closures are usually weather or maintenance related, so check again before you plan around one.
The most documented places: photos, history and local knowledge first.
Madeira has roughly 200 historic irrigation channels totalling around 3,000 km, of which a few dozen are maintained as waymarked walking routes. This guide covers 123 walkable levadas and trails, with difficulty and access notes for each.
