Full-day Rabaçal Levada Walk From Funchal

We planned this full day walk to experience the levadas but got so much more! We were picked up by the group and driven to the starting point where we began our descend to the Risco waterfall (after a coffee of course). Our guide Sara was very informative and told us all about the flora and fauna of the region. Risco was beautiful but it was just the start! When we headed towards 25 Fontes, an easy 45 minutes hike, we saw the second levada and even more beautiful scenery. 25 Fontes itself was breathtaking but somewhat crowded. Luckily we found a spot for lunch on one teh boulders and could enjoy the waterfalls and the pond. Last but not least, after returning from the pond, we got to walk through an 800m man made tunnel (using dynamite). Good to have a small light ready. Thanks to Sara and to our walking group for making this a walk to remember!

What a fantastic day out! Everything was fantastic and so well organised, from start to finish. We went direct to their office and spoke to Isabelle who was extremely friendly and helpful. We chose the Rabacal/Risco/25 Fountains walk as that was the most appropriate for us. Isabelle made it all so quick and simple and it was nice to be able to organise everything face-to-face. Isabelle gave us advice on what we should take with us - always useful. Our guide was Julia and she was lovely! Very friendly, helpful, funny and extremely knowledgeable. Julia gave us plenty of information about the plants and wildlife, as well as interesting facts about the levadas. She made the trip even more enjoyable. There is plenty of walking (up and down), you definitely need sturdy footwear, but what a fantastic day with beautiful scenery. We would definitely recommend Lido Tours (they have a wide range of walks as well as coach tours). Thanks to everyone for a fantastic experience.

Fantastic walk with lovely views and scenery. Pick up and drop off were well organised and Sara our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. The walk has some parts with slippy steps but overall was an easy to moderate walk for experienced walkers. As the description suggests the trip takes up most of the day. I would just be aware that there is a very long unlit tunnel on the walk if you don’t like small dark spaces. The tunnel is relatively wide and high and we used our iphone torches to see where we were going.

Awesome day out hiking as expected started off a little bit damp and cold but that is to be expected. Our tour guide Rubina was extremely patient and approachable also very knowledgeable as you would expect. Great views and scenery with a couple of stops for coffee/lunch. Maybe a little short for the more experienced hiker at around 11km but as our group was of mixed age I would say it is the perfect length for most.

This walking tour into the forest to see the waterfalls but great. There were alot of steep steps which were a bit slippery in places. I was a bit slow getting down them and although I found it challenging, it was worth it. Our guide was amazing and very patient. I didn't feel rushed to keep up with the group, I did it at my own pace. The views and photos we took made this tour well worth the effort. Some advice, make sure you take a jumper as it gets cold and we took some disposable ponchos as it did rain for a bit and they take up less space than a coat. I highly recommend this tour.

Great tour! Beautiful views. Our guide Daniela was amazing!

I find these type of tours succeed or fail on the organisational skills f the Tour company and that of the guide in most cases. Lido Tours were very good in their marketing & organisation and in Farah they had an excellent Tour Guide. Her local knowledge and generally pleasant demeanour were a big plus and her English (and German) were slick and faultless. The tour is strenuous in parts but it saves a climb back to the start point by using the 800m tunnel which contains the Hydro Electric feeder pipe to bring you to a finish point lower down the mountain. Bring rain gear and boots as the tunnel is wet under foot and drippy. Really enjoyed this walk.

This was a great day - our guide, Reuben, was so friendly and informative. He told us a lot about flora and fauna, and there was a lot of chat about environmental issues and the impact of tourism on these levada trails. The scenery was wonderful - from the wide panoramic views, to the waterfalls, to the tunnels created by the trees overarching the levadas. This isn't a hike - more of an amble, apart from the several stretches of very steep steps. You don't need proper hiking shoes or boots - but the tunnel at the end has a LOT of puddled water on the ground. It's difficult to avoid, so trainers may well get very wet.

The whole experience was fabulous. The guide was friendly, helpful & professional. Highly recommend 👌🏻

Great walk views were spectacular. Little busy with walkers and some tight passages of passing walkers coming the other way! Guide was very insightful and looked after the group really well

Even though it was raining, the scenery was beautiful. But the tour group was much too crowded making it difficult to communicate.

We were 2 persons walking at the beginning of March. The pickup and transport was very good..carefull driving...makes a real difference. The guide, Sara was very good, was positive and enthusiastic despite doing this 3 times a week. The walk was good enough. Coming from Scotland...it was a little familiar, and not particularly busy. ...except for the waterfall.....next time id come back when its warmer and avoid the waterfall...tour company, def deserve their top rating.

A wonderful magical adventure through Madeira's Lavada network and stunning forest left a smile and as you can see from the photos a fantastic memory. Rubina our guide was fab from start to finish, they turned up on time and Rubina made sure you knew facts about where we where.

Great to get away from busy Funchal & walk the beautiful levadas & see more of the island. Easy walking, torch req for long tunnel.

Stunning PR6 hike complemented by a very knowledgeable tour guide with clear instructions throughout the tour. Information provided was comprehensive before the trip. Clear expectations on plan of the whole journey e.g toilet breaks, picnic spot, slippery surface, uphill and downhill steps, tunnel. Punctual pick up and drop off time. Make sure to wear waterproof hiking shoes and a torch for the tunnel at the end of the hike.

I really enjoyed this day walking through the ancient forest, the waterfalls were genuinely spectacular. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Whilst walking alongside a Levada is near horizontal (if a little narrow in places) some of the paths we took away from the Levada did involve assent and descent but all were well made. However I was still glad of good footwear and and of having a jacket as the weather can be somewhat colder in the hills.

We booked this with Lido Tours, our guide was Rubina. She was excellent, friendly and informative. The bus journey was just over a hour to the start of the walk. Stunning scenery, the waterfalls and 25 springs were particularly wonderful. We stopped at a cafe quite near the start with toilets and very good coffee. One of our group was unable to continue, our guide was attentive and arranged for her to meet us at the end of the walk. Some narrow pathways, muddy and wet in places. Some low hanging tree branches too. Quite a few steps both up and down but the walk is mainly downhill, walking through a tunnel for the final 15 minutes. We brought a torch but a phone light works well too.

A great walk. The Levadas are a must see when seeing Madeira I think. A little crowded in parts, but that didn't spoil the experience. Ruby (our guide) was a delight - knowledgeable, obviously loves her job, approachable and friendly. The hike was well organised, fun and reasonably priced. Thank you.

Great walk and guide Sarah lovely. Not too hard and very varied. I imagine in height season too busy though as very popular

The driver and guide were both excellent. We were picked up and dropped off very close to our hotel. The guide was very informative and spoke English and Spanish. The waterfalls weren’t particularly interesting but the walk there along the irrigation channels was fascinating and beautiful. Overall, it was a very nice experience and we recommend it. The hiking was not difficult.

We had an excellent guide and driver. The walk and the scenery were spectacular. We had such an amazing day.

First class walk,interesting scenery. Pick up on time and transport good.The guide sorry ,I didn't pick up her name ,was brilliant .So knowledgeable about area and made time to answer questions.

Before the trip I was kept informed of pick up times & information. The pick up from our hotel was on time & the transfer was excellent. Our guide (sorry can’t remember her name) was excellent, very friendly & extremely knowledgeable. The only negative would have been a longer time for our picnic lunch.

Way too busy. A highway of hikers passing each other, best to choose an alternative route. Would have been nice if the guide had spent more time explaining about the local flora.

This Hike was one of the most beautiful hikes I have done so far, I would recommend 10/10. Before the trip had started, I was contacted by Lido Tours to organise the pickup location and they also gave me a time at which I would be picked up. They offer hotel/port pickups which is super convenient and the driver was very prompt which I appreciated. On the trip, our Guide Ruben was very informative, knowledgeable, and funny. He accommodated to each individuals’ walking pace and medical conditions. He also allowed us to stop and take pictures. The Hike itself is very comfortable and at a moderate level with most of the hike being flat or downhill. Some parts had stairs that were challenging but only for short distances. The weather conditions were sunny with zero rain which was amazing! And some parts like the 25 Fontes did have a few tourists but it wasn’t as crowded as I expected it to be. Overall, this was an excellent and unique tour and I would recommend to try!

I highly recommend Lido Tours Madeira, I enjoyed two amazing trips walking in Levada areas. The service was smooth, efficient, and well-organized, with excellent communication throughout. Our guide, Rubina, was exceptional—knowledgeable, welcoming, and friendly. She ensured the group had ample opportunities to stop, ask questions, and take photos.

We had a great hike along the Levadas. We were picked up in downtown Funchal and drove up to our starting point. We learned a lot along the way from our amazing guide and had several stops to take a bite and hydrate. At the end we were brought back to our pick-up location on time. Highly recommended tour!

Our guide was very punctual and happy to greet us at our hotel ! The journey up into the mountains in a mini bus was ok - it was full but comfortable! Charlotte was our guide who was very attentive and super happy to provide interesting facts and kept us safe on our walk! Some of the Lavada walk was very narrow but she was very good at keeping us all together and looked after the group very well! Can highly recommend going with Lido Tours !!

Unfortunately we did not enjoy the experience. It started with being picked up from our hotel at 8.15 am. We then spent an hour picking up other people from various locations around Funchal before we set of for another 45 mins to the location , so that was 1 hour 45 mins in a minibus. When we arrived at the destination it was packed with other hikers. The group had been promoted as English speaking, but the vast majority of the time was talking to the German members of the group in a pretty loud voice as it was a large group.All the way to the waterfall it was a constant stream of hikers which we needed to squeeze by at times. Then at the final 25 waterfalls there was already about 40 hikers already there. So impossible to take any serene photos. We were given 30 mins to have our picnic before heading back. The guide did the best he could although the way he communicated was a bit like a school teacher. He did kindly drop us back at our hotel first as we had been picked up first, which was kind. If you enjoy peace and tranquility I think Madeira tourism need to restrict access to these places so that you can experience this. Its just so busy.

Rubina was the most wonderful guide!! So kind and friendly- it was a pleasure to do the Rabacal tour with her and learn more about this beautiful island! We were very grateful to avoid the crowds by taking an alternative route to the 25 springs with her and the scenery was gorgeous throughout. She assessed the individual needs of the group really well and I highly recommend Lino tours and Rubina as a lovely guide!! Thank you so much 😊 See you next time!

Wonderful experience, everything is planned for you. The guide explains a lot of things to us about the island history, Funchal, the different spots and so on. We had a very pleasant time.

This is a great walk. The route is designed to start high and ends at a lower elevation. This walk is called moderate. It does include some sections of steps, but it is not really a moderate hike. It is heavily used and mostly on rock paths. The waterfalls are fantastic and there is plenty of time to view the sites. The pace is leisurely and allows for picture taking. This is really a walk, not so much a hike, but it covers beautiful grounds and was a great day. My guide, Lillyanne or Leeanne???, was fantastic. I am sorry I do not remember her name. She is a naturalist, knew the history, the plants, was patient, conversational, really fantastic. If you have a chance to learn from her, I recommend it.

An excellently led, guided and organised 11km walk in a beautiful hilly part of Madeira, about 40 minutes drive from Funchal. The scenery on a dry clear day is superb. You will need good shoes, a smartphone "light" to navigate the tunnel safely - and be able to cope with steps and some narrow Levada paths. Our guide gave a masterpiece of clear communication about all the organisational details (including refreshments/toilet and lunch stops, estimated walking times for each stage and how to keep safe at all stages) - and superb guidance on the local plants, animals, birds, geology, history of the levadas etc. We not only had a great walk, but learnt a lot from a very fluent guide.

I did a total of 3 full day tours with a mini bus and 3 full day levada walks, all with Lido Tours and I can't recommend it enough! The tour guides are funny and at the same time very informative, they make sure everyone understands and it's having a good time. The mountain guides are also amazing! They'll explain everything about the forest around you ,both fauna and flora. The views on the Levada walks were breathtaking and you get a good chance to connect with nature.

We had a great tour with Lianna, she was very friendly and knowledgeable. The hike was 12km, a moderate and very enjoyable walk. The scenery was amazing. Take a packed lunch & a drink there is nowhere to eat there. We had a lovely day. Definitely do this tour when in Madeira.

Great day trip with our guide Yulia, she was very knowledgeable about the Levada & the surrounding environment. Loved it!

The trip was well organised and pickups on time. Our Guide, Sara, was very friendly and knowledgable and managed to herd all of us safely across some narrow paths and a long tunnel. The walk was very interesting, following levadas to waterfalls and pools. Who knew that dandelions can be trees - only in Madeira! Sara explained the interesting flora and how it grows in the vulcanic soil really well. The walk is relatively easy with just one set of stairs upwards the rest flat or downhill. Lots of lovely views and photo opportunities. You can see why it is one of the most popular Levada walks. Definitely take sturdy walking shoes and a couple of layers or weatherproof top.

The rain was crazy but the planning and emphasis on safety was great. We didn’t get the message about the change in pick up location but the guide made the experience memorable. I’m not a great hiker but there was no pressure and everybody was very easygoing

Julia was our guide. She was excellent and delivered a well informed and safe tour. She was aware of climate and tourist pressures and ensured the group understood the need to follow guidelines. A pleasant and professional guide.

The walk itself is lovely with some great views to begin with. We followed a path that ran through the forest with some occasional views. The 25 Fontes itself was a little underwhelming – mainly because it was quite crowded, although as it is the lunch stop for many different tour groups and individual walkers, that's hardly surprising. A beautiful and peaceful area overall. The three stars reflects the poor organisation of our trip. Twenty minutes after we set off, the guide realised he had missed a pick up. We had to drive part way back to Funchal, wait in a lay-by for the missing person to be brought to us, then set off again. All in all, this delayed us by an hour. As others have mentioned, there were over-long cafe stops on the way to the walk and on the way back, during which time the minibus was left unattended with all doors wide open, despite people leaving their bags on board. The walk felt rushed and our only stop was 25 minutes to explore the 25 Fontes and eat lunch (would've preferred more time here and less at the cafe). Although our guide took great care for everyone's safety, his communication skills weren't brilliant – it did feel a little like being on a school trip. Despite being an hour late starting, we were still dropped back at our hotel at 4.30, so maybe this explains why the walk felt rushed.

The guide with the pink top (sorry I cannot recall your name as I was overly excited throughout the tour lol), was fantastic and very humorous. She communicating very well and took care of my daughter who is 10 years of age throughout the tour and was very friendly, she even took responsibility of my daughter when we were going through the 1km tunnel as she was getting overwhelmed by it, so thank you once again lady in pink!. We went for a full day tour of Ramacal and it was nothing but breathtaking! with some amazing scenery. The walk itself was nicely paced so enough time to take pictures and catch your breath. Will definitely be going again when we visit Madeira in the near future.

The booking and the pick up was all very efficient. This was our first time doing a guided walk and will be our last. The majority of people were not prepared for this type of walk and the guide was very impatient with them. Apart from the lunch stop of 30 minutes there was little opportunity to stop and take in the surroundings and take photos. At one point a couple got left behind and Ruby was very rude to them when they eventually found the group. Ruby was very knowledgeable but we just felt we were in a walk with a teacher as she had a rather aggressive manner.

Excellent guiding by Sarah. Fantastic walk with great sights until we cam upon the hordes of people at the waterfall. The Falls were impressive but no toilet facilities there so people walked further down a track and left their used tissue paper next to the path - not good.

Booking was easy and post booking communications good. The day was kept to schedule and Sara was a great guide talking us through the flora and fauna and history of the levadas. It all may for a very enjoyable day.

Really lovely walk, although a bit overcrowded at the waterfall. Sara was an amazing guide, I learnt so much about the plants and wildlife. We weren't hurried, it was a gentle pace with time for photo stops. Lido Tours were on time with clear instructions for pick up. Can't rate Sara highly enough, thank you!

Our tour guide Ruby was very knowledgeable and informative and the scenery was amazing. Beforehand I was slightly worried about my fitness level, but it was fine. There are lots of steps down to 25 Fonts and a short climb up after leaving this area but the rest is mostly flat. There was a walk through a 800m long tunnel which was a bit wet so wear good footwear. It was an excellent day out.

This levada walk was amazing. Bit overcrowded with tourists, but definitely worth it!!! We're happy we chose the option to do it with Lido tours as we learned a lot along the way. Thank you to our guide :)

This was the 25 Fountains Walk which is actually 25 Waterfalls. Well organised, excellent guide and overall a really good day. It is quite strenuous with a lot of steps up and down so a degree of fitness is required. Beautiful scenery and very varied terrain. Expect a lot of other people doing this trail, it is very popular.

The natural setting of the waterfalls does not allow for big groups of people. Passing hundreds of tourists on a narrow walkway turned this nature hike into a crazy unpleasant experience. I could as well go to the Times square.