Easy levada walks in Madeira: three short routes to compare
Compare Balcões, Queimadas–Pico das Pedras and Levada do Paul II by full return distance, exposure, transport and booking rules. Easy does not mean risk-free.
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Which easy levada walk should you choose?
Choose PR11 Balcões for a short forest walk ending at a viewpoint, PR9.1 Queimadas–Pico das Pedras for a forest-park levada outing, or PR6.8 Levada do Paul II for a short, almost level route on the western plateau. Start with the full return distance and your comfort with edges, not a list ordered only by the shortest published number.
All three follow a levada or its associated path. Balcões is officially rated easy; the other two are presented by Visit Madeira as “Um caminho para todos” routes designed for inclusive access. Those descriptions do not certify today’s surface, every wheelchair’s suitability or a person’s tolerance of heights. A short trail can still be unsuitable after heavy rain or in poor visibility.
IFCN: classified routes and current restrictionsCompare the complete outing, not just the outward distance
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Your decision | Published route and duration | If you return to the same start |
|---|---|---|
| PR11 Balcões | Ribeiro Frio ER103 to Balcões; 1.5 km each way; official estimate 1 hour 30 minutes for the walk. | 3 km total. Turn around at the viewpoint and return along the same path. |
| PR9.1 Queimadas–Pico das Pedras | 1.9 km between the forest parks; official estimate 45 minutes for that route. | 3.8 km total if you retrace it. Allow return time as well as stops; the 45-minute figure is not a round-trip promise. |
| PR6.8 Levada do Paul II | Rabaçal loading chamber on ER105 to Estrada do Rochão; 1.2 km; official estimate 30 minutes. | 2.4 km total if you return. The 30-minute listing describes the one-way route, not your complete outing. |
Balcões: choose this for the viewpoint
PR11 starts at ER103 in Ribeiro Frio and follows Levada da Serra do Faial to Balcões. The official altitude range is only 870–880 metres, but the viewpoint is still an elevated place with a drop beyond the edge. Stay behind barriers and decide for yourself whether the platform is comfortable. You can turn back before it rather than forcing the last part of a walk to satisfy a photograph.
Return to Ribeiro Frio on the same path. For transport, use the Ribeiro Frio stop and its current service rather than a drop-off elsewhere on the plateau. Our dedicated guide covers the bus and booking decisions in more detail. Do not accidentally continue onto PR10 Levada do Furado, which is a different, much longer route with separate restriction evidence.
Visit Madeira: PR11 Vereda dos BalcõesQueimadas–Pico das Pedras: stop at the short route’s endpoint
PR9.1 links Queimadas Forest Park and Pico das Pedras near Santana. Visit Madeira gives 1.9 km and about 45 minutes, with an altitude range of 870–890 metres. This is a useful choice when you want a forest-park walk without committing to the longer Caldeirão Verde outing.
From Queimadas, follow the signed PR9.1 connection to Pico das Pedras and turn back there if your vehicle is at Queimadas. The name “Levada do Caldeirão Verde” does not mean this short branch reaches the famous waterfall. Extending onto PR9 changes the distance, equipment and exposure decisions. Arrange collection at the correct forest park; a bus to Santana is not a confirmed transfer to either entrance.
Visit Madeira: PR9.1 Queimadas–Pico das PedrasLevada do Paul II: the short western-plateau option
PR6.8 begins beside the Rabaçal loading chamber on ER105 and runs to Estrada do Rochão. Visit Madeira lists 1.2 km outward, 2.4 km return and an altitude range of 1,279–1,280 metres. The small height difference makes it a useful alternative to a longer Rabaçal walk, but the high, open setting still needs a suitable weather forecast and a warm layer.
Use the PR6.8 start, not Casa do Rabaçal or whichever Rabaçal pin a driver first recognises. Turn around at Estrada do Rochão when returning to your original collection point. PR6.8 does not take you to 25 Fontes or Risco; choosing it is a shorter levada outing, not a shortcut to those waterfalls.
Visit Madeira: PR6.8 Levada do Paul IIVertigo, children and mobility needs
Low elevation gain measures climbing, not the consequence of a slip or how an edge feels. Before choosing any of these walks, separate your distance limit from your tolerance of narrow sections, viewpoints, wet surfaces and passing other walkers. Do not use a route’s easy label as evidence that a child can wander away from an accompanying adult.
PR9.1 and PR6.8 are the authority’s inclusive-access choices, but someone using a wheelchair or other mobility aid should establish current surface condition, entrance arrangements and assistance requirements for that specific route. This guide does not promise independent wheelchair access from every parking space. If the first section is uncomfortable, return while the way back is familiar rather than pressing on to the named endpoint.
Current opening status, fees and entry slots
On 25 October 2026, IFCN’s classified-route table lists PR11, PR9.1 and PR6.8 as open. Its notices also list Balcões, Levada do Paul II and Queimadas–Pico das Pedras as passable. Recheck those exact routes before departure, especially after bad weather; an open listing is not an assessment of your ability or a future-date guarantee.
For 2026, an independent visitor’s individual non-PR1 route costs €4.50 under the covered IFCN regime. Children aged 12 or under are exempt from the fee, but registration and an entry-slot reservation are still required. Make the booking online through SIMplifica before arriving; the IFCN FAQ says reservations and payment are not handled at its physical premises. Recheck the applicable tariff if travelling in 2027.
IFCN: 2026 fees and reservation rulesChoose one walk and solve its return journey
For the simplest day, choose one route and return to the same start. With a driver, specify the trail code, meeting point and pickup time; do not book only a transfer to “the levadas”. Carry water, a waterproof layer and footwear with grip even for a short outing.
If you are relying on public transport, Ribeiro Frio has its own bus-planning guide. For Queimadas or the PR6.8 loading chamber, use a confirmed transfer or a car unless you have verified the exact outward and return service. Leave room for waiting and stops instead of setting your pickup from the one-way walking estimate alone.