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- PR18 - Levada do Rei 4.5 Directions
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde - Caldeirão do Inferno 4.6 Directions
- PR18 - Levada do Rei - Caminho dos Cascalhos - Boca das Voltas 4.4 Directions
- Parque das Queimadas via Um Caminho para Todos 4.2 Directions
- Bicycle Route CIMA PR17 - Achada do Teixeira 4.6 Directions
- Santana - Ponta do Clérigo Trail 4.6 Directions
I'm sorry, but our trail database doesn't have a specific trail called "Santana – Porto da Cruz – Ribeiro Frio" as a single official route. This isn't one of Madeira's official PR (Percurso Recomendado) trails managed by IFCN — it's a combined route often described in guidebooks, linking several paths between these three places on Madeira's north coast and central mountains.
Here's what I can tell you, and the nearby official trails in that area:
The Santana → Porto da Cruz → Ribeiro Frio route is a point-to-point itinerary that typically:
- Starts in Santana (famous for its triangular thatched houses)
- Descends east to the coastal village of Porto da Cruz on the north coast
- Climbs inland/south through laurisilva forest up to Ribeiro Frio (~900 m altitude), a levada hub in the central mountains
It's a demanding long day — expect significant elevation changes, levada sections, and described distances of roughly 13–16 km depending on the exact path taken. It's not an officially maintained or waymarked single trail, so there's no official open/closed status for it as a whole.
These are the IFCN-recommended trails near Santana and Ribeiro Frio (all shown as community-sourced listings with AllTrails ratings):
| Trail | Area | Difficulty | Distance | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR18 – Levada do Rei | Santana / São Jorge | Moderate | 11.4 km | 4.5★ (1,654 reviews) |
| Levada do Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno | Queimadas / Santana | Hard | 17.4 km | 4.6★ (531 reviews) |
| Parque das Queimadas – Um Caminho para Todos | Queimadas / Santana | Easy | 5.6 km | 4.2★ (290 reviews) |
| Santana – Ponta do Clérigo Trail | Santana coast | Hard | 6.6 km | 4.6★ (145 reviews) |
⚠️ Note: These are community routes mapped on AllTrails — not part of the official IFCN PR trail network, so they have no official open/closed status. Check access and conditions locally before going.
Ribeiro Frio is a popular starting point for the famous Levada do Balcão (Balcony Walk), and sits at a forestry park at ~880 m. From there you can connect onto levadas that run toward Santana and the north coast.
Since this combined route isn't official, it's especially important to:
- Check current trail conditions — some sections may be closed or restricted
- Carry a GPS track — waymarking won't be consistent across the whole route
- Consider the weather — these mountains can change fast
Would you like me to check the mountain weather forecast + IPMA warnings for the day you're planning to go, or find the closest official PR trail to your hotel?