The Rabaçal area is home to some of Madeira's most iconic levada walks — all sharing the same starting point and access fee. You mentioned three official PR trails (25 Fontes, the Rabaçal Tunnel, and Levada do Alecrim), plus a popular community route that combines them. Here's the full breakdown:

All three official trails start from the Rabaçal car park (E.R. 105) on the Paul da Serra plateau and require a €4.50 access fee (via the SIMplifica portal; free for children ≤ 12). They're managed by IFCN, Madeira's forests and nature-conservation authority.

• Route: Rabaçal → 25 Fontes waterfall (out and back)
• Distance: 4.3 km each way (8.6 km total)
• Difficulty: Moderate (official) / Hard (hiker consensus)
• Duration: ~3 hours
• Altitude: 1,288 m max → 964 m min
• Highlights: The famous Cascata das 25 Fontes — a spectacular waterfall cascading into a lagoon surrounded by lush laurel forest. Madeira's most popular levada walk.
• Official page ↗ · AllTrails ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗

• Route: Rabaçal → Risco viewpoint (out and back)
• Distance: 3 km each way (6 km total)
• Difficulty: Easy (official) / Hard (hiker consensus)
• Duration: ~2 hours
• Altitude: 1,288 m max → 1,000 m min
• Highlights: The Risco waterfall — a tall, elegant cascade viewed from a panoramic viewpoint over the Rabaçal valley.
• Official page ↗ · AllTrails ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗

• Route: Rabaçal → Water spring of Levada do Alecrim / Lagoa "Dona Beja" (out and back)
• Distance: 3.5 km each way (7 km total)
• Difficulty: Easy (official) / Moderate (hiker consensus)
• Duration: ~2 h 30 min
• Altitude: 1,339 m max → 1,256 m min
• Highlights: A gentler, quieter walk through dense forest to the beautiful Lagoa Dona Beja lagoon and waterfalls — you can even swim on a hot day. Less crowded than 25 Fontes.
• Official page ↗ · AllTrails ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗

The trail you asked about that goes through the tunnel is officially PR 6.6 — Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo:

• Route: Zona de Lazer da Caldeira (Estrada Dr. Roberto Ornelas, "Garagem") → Casa do Rabaçal
• Distance: 2.3 km (one-way)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Duration: ~5–5.5 hours (full out-and-back experience, including exploring the valley)
• Access fee: €4.50 (SIMplifica portal; free ≤ 12 years)
• ⭐ 4.6★ (595 reviews) on AllTrails — AllTrails ↗
• Highlights: This trail descends from the Paul da Serra plateau through an 800 m long tunnel carved into the rock, connecting the highlands directly to the Rabaçal valley. The tunnel is cool, dark (bring a torch!), and atmospheric — a dramatic contrast when you emerge into the lush green valley on the other side. From there you can connect to the 25 Fontes and Risco trails.
• Official page ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗

The combined route you described — Levada do Risco → Cascata das 25 Fontes → Levada do Alecrim — is a popular community-mapped loop on AllTrails (not an official IFCN PR trail, so it has no official open/closed status):

• Rating: ⭐ 4.7★ (478 reviews)
• Distance: 12.7 km loop
• Difficulty: Hard
• Estimated time: 5.5–6 hours
• Description: This route links all three highlights — the Risco viewpoint, the magical 25 Fontes waterfall lagoon where you can feel the tranquillity of nature, and then on to Levada do Alecrim and its wild swimming lagoons — in one big rewarding loop through the Rabaçal valley.
• AllTrails ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗

⚠️ Community route mapped on AllTrails — not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, so there is no official open/closed status or maintenance/signage guarantee. Check access and conditions locally before going.

All trails: €4.50 access fee (SIMplifica portal; free ≤ 12 years). Check the current trail status on openmadeira.org before setting out, as conditions can change.

Photos from walkmeguide.com · Levada do Alecrim gallery

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