💭 Thinking
How this was derived · 4 steps
- Vereda dos Balcões Directions
- Levada do Furado Directions
Here's what I found about walks in the Maroços – Ribeiro Frio area of Madeira. There isn't a single official IFCN PR trail called "Maroços – Ribeiro Frio," but there are two official trails and one popular community route that cover this area:
| Route | Miradouro da Portela → Maroços |
| Distance | 8.7 km |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Duration | ~3 hours |
| Altitude | 186 m – 624 m |
| Managed by | IFCN |
| Access fee | €4.50 (via SIMplifica portal; free for children ≤ 12) |
| Community rating | 3.9★ from 184 hiker reviews on AllTrails |
This is the official trail that ends in Maroços (starting at the Portela viewpoint). It traverses the lush Funduras landscape with views over Machico and the Atlantic, passing through laurel forest and agricultural terraces. It's a point-to-point walk descending from the mountain ridge down to Maroços village.
Trail info on Visit Madeira · AllTrails · Directions to trailhead ↗
Two official PR trails begin at Ribeiro Frio, just up the road:
| Trail | Route | Distance | Difficulty | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR 10 – Levada do Furado | Ribeiro Frio → Portela | 11 km | Moderate | 5 h |
| PR 11 – Vereda dos Balcões | Ribeiro Frio → Balcões | 1.5 km (+ 1.5 km return) | Easy | 1 h 30 |
Both have the same €4.50 access fee via SIMplifica (free ≤ 12 years).
Community route mapped on AllTrails — not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, so it has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee; check access and conditions locally before going.
| Distance | 19.3 km (out & back) |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Duration | 7–7.5 hours |
| Community rating | 4.5★ from 81 reviews on AllTrails |
| Highlights | Agricultural plantations, views over Machico, seasonal fresh fruit stalls along the way |
This longer route covers the classic levada path around Maroços — it's the one most people mean by "the Maroços walk." It's well-rated but rated hard due to its length and terrain.
AllTrails page · Directions to trailhead ↗
A popular approach is to combine PR 10 (Ribeiro Frio → Portela, 11 km) with PR 5 (Portela → Maroços, 8.7 km) for a full Ribeiro Frio → Maroços day hike — roughly 20 km total.
Would you like me to check the current trail status for these routes, or look at how to get to the trailhead by bus?





