Tell me about the Levada do Risco - Cascata das 25 Fontes - Levada do Alecrim levada walk in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about a specific levada walk in Madeira - the Levada do Risco - Cascata das 25 Fontes - Levada do Alecrim. This is a hiking trail question, so I should use the find_hikes tool to get information about this trail, including its status, difficulty, distance, etc.
Let me search for this trail. It's likely PR-6.1 (Levada do Risco) and PR-6 (25 Fontes) in the Rabacal area, and PR-6.2 (Levada do Alecrim). These are often done as a combined walk.
Let me search for thesetrails.The user is asking about the "Levada do Risco - Cascata das 25 Fontes - Levada do Alecrim" trail. This appears in the community_trails section of the results as an unofficial AllTrails route. Let me provide detailed information about it.
The community trail entry:
- **Name**: Levada do Risco - Cascata das 25 Fontes - Levada do Alecrim
- **Rating**: 4.7★ from 478 reviews on AllTrails
- **Difficulty**: hard
- **Length**: 12.7 km
- **Route type**: loop
- **Estimated time**: 5.5–6 hr
- **Area**: Madeira Natural Park
- **Description**: This route combines several of Madeira Island's famous trails, such as Levada do Risco, Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Alecrim. The Cascata das 25 Fontes is a magical place where you can experience the tranquillity of nature. Levada do Risco also leads to Lagoa do Vento, another magnificent waterfall.
This is NOT an official IFCN PR trail — it's a community route mapped on AllTrails. I need to clearly label it as such.
The three individual official trails that make up this combined route are:
1. **PR 6.1 - Levada do Risco** (official, 3 km one way, easy, ~2h)
2. **PR 6 - Levada das 25 Fontes** (official, 4.3 km one way, moderate, ~3h)
3. **PR 6.2 - Levada do Alecrim** (official, 3.5 km one way, easy, ~2.5h)
All three require an access fee via SIMplifica (€4.50 for visitors >12 years, free for ≤12 years).
I should also mention that the combined route is a community/unofficial route, and provide details about the three official trails that make it up. Let me also check if there's a video I can suggest.
Let me compose a helpful answer. I'll describe the combined community route and then the three official component trails, clearly distinguishing between official and unofficial.
How this was derived · 1 step
Trails near RabaçalMap & photos
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
- Levada do Risco Directions
- Levada das 25 Fontes Directions
- Levada do Alecrim Directions
- Levada do Alecrim Directions
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)
Levada do Risco – Cascata das 25 Fontes – Levada do Alecrim
This is a community route mapped on AllTrails — it's not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN (the regional government's forests & nature authority). It therefore has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee. That said, it combines three of Madeira's most popular and spectacular official levada walks — all starting from Rabaçal — into one big loop:
| Rating | 4.7★ from 478 hiker reviews on AllTrails |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Distance | 12.7 km (loop) |
| Estimated time | 5.5–6 hours |
| Area | Madeira Natural Park |
The route weaves through Levada do Risco (and its waterfall/Cascata do Risco), the famous Cascata das 25 Fontes lagoon, and the serene Levada do Alecrim with its forest lagoons — a greatest-hits tour of the Rabaçal valley.
Directions to trailhead ↗ · AllTrails page ↗
The three official trails it combines
Each of these is a separate, officially managed IFCN trail. All share the same starting point at Rabaçal (ER 105) and all require an access fee via the SIMplifica portal: €4.50 per visitor (over 12); free for children 12 and under.
1 · PR 6.1 — Levada do Risco
- Route: Rabaçal → Risco (out & back)
- Distance: 3 km one way (+ 3 km return)
- Difficulty: Easy | Duration: ~2 hours
- Altitude: 1,000–1,288 m
- Highlights: The impressive Cascata do Risco waterfall, also leading to Lagoa do Vento
- AllTrails: 4.4★ (642 reviews)
2 · PR 6 — Levada das 25 Fontes
- Route: Rabaçal → 25 Fontes (out & back)
- Distance: 4.3 km one way (+ 4.3 km return)
- Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: ~3 hours
- Altitude: 964–1,288 m
- Highlights: The magical Cascata das 25 Fontes — a waterfall-fed lagoon where 25 springs converge, surrounded by lush laurel forest
- AllTrails: 4.5★ (6,244 reviews) — one of Madeira's most popular trails
3 · PR 6.2 — Levada do Alecrim
- Route: Rabaçal → Water spring / Lagoa Dona Beja (out & back)
- Distance: 3.5 km one way (+ 3.5 km return)
- Difficulty: Easy | Duration: ~2½ hours
- Altitude: 1,256–1,339 m
- Highlights: Serene forest walk past several natural lagoons (Lagoa Dona Beja, where you can swim on hot days) and small waterfalls
- AllTrails: 4.6★ (1,719 reviews)
Practical tips
- Start early — the Rabaçal car park fills up quickly, and morning clouds often burn off to reveal stunning views.
- The combined loop is demanding: 12.7 km of constant up-and-down on narrow levada paths. Good boots and fitness are essential.
- Rain makes paths muddy and slippery — check conditions before you go.
- All three official trails require the SIMplifica access fee (pay online before you arrive).
Would you like me to check the mountain weather forecast + IPMA warnings for the day you plan to go, or how to get to Rabaçal by bus?
OpenMadeira can make mistakes — check the sources.