PR18 Levada do Rei

• Outdoors
• From 8
• Children free
• Booking required

5.3 km each way through laurel forest to the Ribeiro Bonito spring, near-level the whole way - 10.6 km and three and a half hours in total.

The levada holds between 535 and 573 metres, so the difficulty is the distance and not the climb: it is a real levada for a child of about eight upwards who will walk three and a half hours, and below that age the honest answer is Balcões instead. The path is a narrow dirt ledge with rock steps and short wet tunnels, so no pushchair gets on it and reviewers with under-fours carry them. Some stretches have a drop on the outside; most are railed and some are not.

Worth knowing: A head torch each for the tunnels, and remember the walk is out and back - turning round at the water mill is a legitimate finish, not a failure.

Opening hours

The operator publishes no opening hours. Phone before you drive.

Prices

4.50 € a head from age 13 since January 2026, free for children of 12 and under, who must still be named on the booking. About 3 € a head with a certified guide. Book a 30-minute arrival window at simplifica.madeira.gov.pt; there is no entry without it.

Season

Walkable all year, but this is the north coast: the path stays slippery for days after rain.

Getting there

Prices and opening times change without notice, and on this island they change often. Everything here carries the date it was checked in our research notes; if a place has moved or closed, tell us and we will fix it.