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Tell me about the PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde levada walk in Madeira
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The user is asking about the PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde levada walk in Madeira. I should use the find_hikes tool to get detailed information about this specific trail, including its current status, difficulty, distance, duration, andother details.The result came back with count:0 hikes and an empty hikes array, but there's a note about it being an evergreen trail guide for a static page. This seems like a special response format. Let me look at what's provided - it seems like the tool is telling me to provide general evergreen information about PR 9 without stating a specific open/closed status. Wait, but the hikes array is empty. That's odd. Let me try a different query - maybe "Caldeirão Verde" willwork better.Now I have the full details about PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde. Let me also get the video for thistrail.Now I have all the information I need about PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde. Let me compose a comprehensive answer about this trail. Key facts from the official IFCN data: - PR code: PR 9 - Name: Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Route: Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno - Distance: 8.7 km (+ 8.7 km return) = out and back - Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 6:30 hours - Start: Queimadas Forest Park - End: Caldeirão do Inferno - Max altitude: 1020 m - Min altitude: 872 m - Managing entity: IFCN - Access fee: €4.50 (visitors > 12 years), free for ≤ 12 years; Parking €2.00/hour - AllTrails: 4.6★ from 4,562 reviews There's also PR 9.1 "Um Caminho para Todos" — an accessible 1.9 km trail at the same location. Also several community (unofficial) routes from AllTrails. Let me also note the note says this is an EVERGREEN trail guide for a static page, so I should NOT state an open/closed/restricted status — and should tell the reader to check the current status before setting out. Let me write a thorough answer.
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
Photos: walkmeguide.com ↗
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)
PR 9 — Levada do Caldeirão Verde

One of Madeira's most iconic levada walks, PR 9 takes you through the lush laurel forest of Santana to the spectacular Caldeirão Verde waterfall and onwards to the dramatic Caldeirão do Inferno canyon.

Trail essentials
Official codePR 9
RouteQueimadas → Caldeirão Verde → Caldeirão do Inferno
TypeOut-and-back
Distance8.7 km each way (≈ 17.4 km total)
Duration~6 h 30 min
DifficultyModerate
Altitude872 m – 1 020 m
StartQueimadas Forest Park (Santana)
EndCaldeirão do Inferno
Managed byIFCN (regional forests & nature authority)
Access fee

Payment via the SIMplifica portal is required:

  • €4.50 — visitors > 12 years
  • Free — visitors ≤ 12 years
  • Parking — €2.00/hour

Directions to the trailhead ↗

The route

The trail begins at the Queimadas Forest Park, where you'll find the charming Casinhas de Santana — traditional thatched-roof shelter houses that reflect Santana's vernacular architecture. The park itself is worth exploring, planted with cryptomeria, European beech, Madeira cedar, and native trees like til and pau-branco.

From Queimadas, you follow the Levada do Caldeirão Verde — an 18th-century irrigation channel carved into the mountainside. The path hugs the levada through dense laurisilva (Madeira's ancient laurel forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), passing through several rock-cut tunnels and crossing steep, moss-covered slopes. A torch/flashlight is essential for the tunnels.

The first key highlight is Caldeirão Verde ("Green Cauldron") — a stunning waterfall plunging into a deep emerald pool, surrounded by towering green walls. Further along (and worth the extra effort), the trail continues to Caldeirão do Inferno ("Hell's Cauldron"), an even more dramatic and wild canyon — the official endpoint.

You return the same way.

Community rating

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

AllTrails page ↗

The accessible variant — PR 9.1

If you want a shorter, easier walk to the same area, PR 9.1 "Um Caminho para Todos" (A Path for Everyone) is a 1.9 km accessible trail in the Queimadas Forest Park — ideal for families or those wanting a gentler introduction to the area.

Before you go
  • Check the current trail status on openmadeira.org before setting out — conditions can change (especially after heavy rain or rockfalls).
  • Bring a torch for the tunnels.
  • Wear proper hiking boots — the path can be wet and slippery.
  • The trail is in the mountains; weather can shift quickly — check the mountain forecast and IPMA warnings for the Santana area.

Would you like me to check the weather forecast & IPMA warnings for the day you're planning to go, or help you find how to get to Queimadas by bus?

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