Popularity doesn’t mean a trail is the most beautiful or the best fit for you personally
Madeira has countless hiking trails, but travel guides keep recommending the same routes over and over. As a result, the most famous hikes are getting increasingly crowded, even though popularity doesn’t necessarily mean a trail is the most beautiful or the best suited to you.
I’d like to share alternatives where you can enjoy waterfalls, levadas, lush greenery and mountain views while meeting far fewer people.
6 most popular hikes on Madeira (not necessarily the most beautiful!)
Here are six routes that appear in travel recommendations again and again:
- PR1 Vereda do Areeiro — Stairway to Heaven
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9)
- Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8)
- Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6)
- Fanal Forest (PR13)
- Vereda dos Balcões (PR11)
PR1 is especially popular because of its dramatic mountain scenery and easy access to altitude: the car park is right up in the mountains, so you find yourself among the peaks almost immediately. But there are other spots on Madeira with stunning high‑mountain views and convenient access, for example a hike in the Bica da Cana area.
Alternatives: waterfalls, incredible greenery and unspoiled nature
Here are six routes I recommend instead of the most popular ones. Levada da Achada Grande and Fajã do Penedo — Lombo do Urzal take you through dense greenery to waterfalls, and there are hardly any people. PR10 Levada do Furado runs through Laurissilva, Madeira’s laurel forest, and you can walk any section you like. PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal combines mountains, forests and levadas for those who enjoy long-distance hikes. PR12 Caminho Real da Encumeada climbs the slopes of the central massif with views over the Curral das Freiras valley. PR16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues offers waterfalls, dense forest and three tunnels.
1. Levada da Achada Grande — one of my favourite routes
Levada da Achada Grande is one of my favourite hikes on Madeira. It’s a route for those who want to walk through incredibly lush greenery, see a waterfall and enjoy nature far from the main tourist flows.
The trail runs through dense vegetation in a beautiful valley. Along the way you’ll see a levada and a waterfall, and in places you’ll get views of the ocean and the mountains. The scenery is varied, full of vivid shades of green, and you have the feeling you’ve reached a part of the island largely untouched by mass tourism.
It’s a lovely place to walk at your own pace, stop whenever you like and take in the surrounding nature. There are usually far fewer visitors here than on Madeira’s best‑known routes.
2. Fajã do Penedo — Lombo do Urzal via Levada dos Tornos
Another route I recommend for lovers of waterfalls and dense greenery.
It runs in the same area as Levada da Achada Grande, through beautiful valleys and nature that’s almost untouched by mass tourism. Here you’ll find a mix of waterfalls, a levada, mountain scenery and occasional views of the ocean.
Both routes are especially good for anyone who wants to see waterfalls and stroll through incredibly green nature, unrushed and away from the busiest tourist trails. If variety of landscapes, peace and a feeling of seclusion matter to you, I’d start with these.
3. PR10 Levada do Furado — green forest and a flexible walk length
PR10 is a great option if you enjoy levadas, dense forest and mountain views. The trail runs through Laurissilva, Madeira’s laurel forest, with sections that open out onto valleys and the ocean.
In terms of footfall it’s a moderately busy route: you’ll generally see more people here than on the previous two alternatives.
You don’t have to walk the entire PR10. The full distance is around 11 km and takes about five hours. You can choose a section that suits you, walk for an hour or two, then turn around and return the same way. That way you decide the length of your walk yourself while still enjoying the forest and the levada.
The full route connects Ribeiro Frio and Portela. If you plan to do it end to end, think through transport in advance, as the start and finish are in different places. Always check the latest details and access conditions on the official PR10 page.
4. PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal — for fans of long mountain routes
PR17 is a good choice if you’re interested in mountain scenery, forests, levadas and long hikes.
The full route is very beautiful but in places demanding. Like PR1, it requires good fitness and careful planning. At the start you’ll be surrounded by mountains. There are tunnels, and the surface can be slippery. Beyond the tunnels you’ll be rewarded with lush greenery. In terms of visitor numbers, PR17 is also a moderately busy route.
You can study the route in advance and choose a format that matches your fitness level and the time you have. You can also walk any comfortable section, hike for an hour or two and simply turn back at any point.
Important: the route status changes
At the time of writing, PR17 is listed in the official IFCN register as partially open. Before planning, be sure to check which sections are accessible in the official list of walking routes.
5. PR12 Caminho Real da Encumeada — a mountain route with panoramas of the central massif
If you want to head into the mountains and see Madeira from above, take a look at PR12 Caminho Real da Encumeada. The route starts at the Boca da Corrida viewpoint, where the car park is practically at the trailhead (as with PR1). It traverses the slopes of the central mountain massif close to some of the island’s highest peaks and opens up beautiful views of the mountains and the Valley of the Nuns (Curral das Freiras). It’s one of the interesting alternatives to the popular PR1: you can enjoy mountain scenery in a more tranquil atmosphere.
6. PR16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues — an alternative to Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Caldeirão Verde
This is a very green and scenic route with waterfalls, dense vegetation and the feel of Madeira’s true forest. It’s an excellent alternative to two popular levadas — 25 Fontes and Caldeirão Verde.
There are three tunnels along the route, which adds a bit of adventure to the walk. You must bring a flashlight or headlamp to go through the tunnels safely.
Before hiking on Madeira
- Step 1. Check the route status
Footpaths can be temporarily closed or restricted. Before you set out, check the official IFCN register, even if the route has been on your list for a long time.
- Step 2. Prepare your navigation
The AllTrails app is convenient for finding routes and studying their characteristics. In the free version you can search for trails and view information about them; downloading maps for offline navigation is available with a paid subscription. If there’s a chance you’ll be without internet on the trail, prepare an offline map in advance and study the start and end points of the route.
- Step 3 Check the weather specifically in the hiking area
On Madeira, conditions vary greatly by region and altitude. It can be warm and sunny in Funchal (the capital) while the mountains are cold, windy or foggy. I’ve repeatedly seen tourists arrive on Madeira in clothes that were too warm for the season because they’d only checked the forecast on their phone.
Check temperature, wind, precipitation and cloud cover both the day before and on the morning of your hike. Useful resources include IPMA and the official weather information on the Visit Madeira website. Choose your clothing based on conditions on the route, not just the weather on the coast.
IFCN — status of walking routesofficial notifications about closures and restrictionsIPMA — weather forecast, Areeiroweather in the mountains, not on the coast
Discover another side of Madeira
The island’s best‑known routes are absolutely worth visiting, but they don’t define all the variety Madeira has to offer. If you want to see waterfalls, walk along levadas, wander through dense greenery and discover beautiful mountain valleys, consider the less‑visited trails.
Another option is a private hike on Madeira with a local guide who knows the island and its walking routes well. You’ll be able to explore lush green forests, beautiful valleys and natural corners that mass tourism has barely reached, while feeling confident with navigation. A guide will choose a trail in advance based on your interests and fitness level, check conditions and work out the logistics. All that’s left for you is to enjoy Madeira’s nature and discover places many travellers never reach.