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Tell me about the Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno levada walk in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about a specific levada walk in Madeira - the Levada do Caldeirão Verde / Caldeirão do Inferno. This is a hiking trail question, so I should use the `find_hikes` tool to get the official information about this trail, including its current status, difficulty, distance, etc. I'll also check for curated videos of this trail to give a visual sense. Let me search for this trail using find_hikes, and also find curated videos.The user asked about "Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno" levada walk. Let me look at what I got: 1. **Official PR trail**: PR 9 — "Levada do Caldeirão Verde" with route "Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno" 2. **Community trail**: There's a specific AllTrails route named "Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno" which is an unofficial community route. The user specifically named the "Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno" route, which maps to BOTH: - The official PR 9 trail (route: Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno) - A community AllTrails route with that exact name (17.4 km, out and back) Let me focus on the official PR 9 trail as the primary answer, since the route name matches it, and also mention the community route variant. **Official PR 9 — Levada do Caldeirão Verde:** - PR code: PR 9 - Route: Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno - Distance: 8.7 km (+ 8.7 km return) = ~17.4 km round trip - Difficulty: Moderate (IFCN) / Moderate (AllTrails says moderate too) - Duration: 6:30 hours - Start: Queimadas Forest Park - End: Caldeirão do Inferno - Max altitude: 1,020 m - Min altitude: 872 m - Access fee: €4.50 (visitors > 12 years), free for ≤ 12 years; Parking €2.00/hour - Managing entity: IFCN - AllTrails: 4.6★ from 4,562 reviews - Status: Not specified in this result (the note says this is evergreen and status is deliberately omitted, so I should tell the user to check current status) The community trail with the exact same name "Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno" shows: - 17.4 km, out and back, hard difficulty, 9.5-10.5 hr, 4.6★ from 531 reviews This is essentially the same physical walk as PR 9 (the full out-and-back), just mapped independently on AllTrails. I should present the official PR 9 trail as the authoritative answer, and note the community mapping as supplementary. The route goes from Queimadas Forest Park in Santana, following the levada through lush laurel forest, through tunnels carved in rock, past waterfalls, to the stunning Caldeirão Verde waterfall and further to Caldeirão do Inferno. Let me also note there are photos from walkmeguide.com. I need to note that the status may change, so the user should check current status before going.
How this was derived · 4 steps
TrailsMap & photos
Levada do Caldeirão Verde6 photos
Levada do Caldeirão VerdeLevada do Caldeirão VerdeLevada do Caldeirão VerdeLevada do Caldeirão VerdeLevada do Caldeirão VerdeLevada do Caldeirão Verde
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)
Levada do Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno (PR 9)

This is one of Madeira's most iconic levada walks — a lush, tunnel-carved route through the Laurissilva forest to spectacular waterfalls in the municipality of Santana.

Official trail details (IFCN)
PR codePR 9
RouteQueimadas → Caldeirão Verde → Caldeirão do Inferno
Distance8.7 km one way (+ 8.7 km return)
DifficultyModerate
Duration~6 h 30 min
StartQueimadas Forest Park
EndCaldeirão do Inferno
Altitude872 m – 1 020 m
Managing entityIFCN (regional forests & nature authority)
Access fee€4.50 (visitors > 12 years); free ≤ 12 years · Parking €2.00/hour

The fee is paid via the SIMplifica portal.

What to expect

The trail begins at Queimadas Forest Park, where you'll find the traditional Santana thatched-roof shelter house. From there you follow the 18th-century levada along the main bed of the Ribeira do Caldeirão Verde, carved into steep hillsides through the laurel forest. You'll pass through several rock tunnels (bring a headtorch), cross narrow aqueduct sections, and experience dramatic views over deep valleys before reaching the Caldeirão Verde waterfall — one of the most photogenic spots on the island. Continuing further, you reach the Caldeirão do Inferno viewpoint, the trail's dramatic terminus.

Theme tags from hikers: forest · river · views · waterfall · wildlife

Community rating

4.6 / 5 from 4,562 hiker reviews on AllTrails — one of the most popular and highest-rated walks on the island.

Getting there
⚠️ Trail status

Check the current open/closed status on OpenMadeira before setting out — conditions in the mountain forest can change, and tunnels or sections may be restricted after storms.


Photos: walkmeguide.com


Want me to check the current trail status (open/closed) and the mountain weather forecast before you go, or show you how to get to Queimadas by bus?

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