PR 10 · Madeira
Levada do Furado
Eleven kilometres of levada from Ribeiro Frio to Portela, through some of the oldest laurel forest on the island.
- Distance 11 km
- Walking time 5 h
- Highest point 880 m
- Difficulty Moderate
- Route One way
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
One way. The trail ends somewhere else from where it starts, so plan how you get back before you set off.
The walk
One of the classic long levada walks: flat by levada standards, wooded nearly all the way, and it ends in a completely different place from where it started.
Check the status before you plan anything around it. Sections of this trail have been closed for safety more than once.
Long drops on the levada side with an intermittent handrail, and the path is often wet.
Before you go
Where to park
Roadside at Ribeiro Frio. It is tight and shared with the restaurants.
Getting back
It finishes at Portela on the ER 102, a long way from Ribeiro Frio. Bus, taxi or a second car.
By bus
Lines 801 and 850/860 (formerly 56 and 103) reach Ribeiro Frio, but not every run goes over the mountain instead of through the tunnel. Portela, at the far end, is served by other lines — check both before setting off, because this walk does not come back to its start.
When to go
Five hours end to end, and that is walking time.
Toilets, water and food
Restaurants and toilets at Ribeiro Frio.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 10
- You, on the line The whole trail on the map with your position on it, from the car park to the end.
- No signal needed Kept on your phone for the valleys and tunnels where the network goes.
- Today's free slots Every half hour of the day, live from SIMplifica, and booking in a tap.
- A timer for the walk Private, it counts from the trailhead and stops by itself at the end.
- To do, and done Mark the walks you want to do and the ones you have walked.
- Open or closed, every morning The IFCN status on every trail, read again each day.
Questions people ask
Is PR 10 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 10 (Levada do Furado) as open.
Do I need a licence for PR 10?
Yes. Every visitor over twelve books an entry slot on SIMplifica, the regional government's portal, before walking, and pays €4.50. Madeira residents, children aged twelve and under and people with a disability of 60% or more do not pay, but still register.
How long does PR 10 take?
The official walking time is 5 h for 11 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Where do I park for PR 10?
Roadside at Ribeiro Frio. It is tight and shared with the restaurants.
How do I get back after PR 10?
It finishes at Portela on the ER 102, a long way from Ribeiro Frio. Bus, taxi or a second car.
Can I get to PR 10 by bus?
Lines 801 and 850/860 (formerly 56 and 103) reach Ribeiro Frio, but not every run goes over the mountain instead of through the tunnel. Portela, at the far end, is served by other lines — check both before setting off, because this walk does not come back to its start.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 10 (11 km, 5 h, moderate, 645–880 m)
- IFCN notices (closure between Ribeiro Frio and Lamaceiros)
- IFCN / SIMplifica (licence and fee)
Status as the IFCN publishes it. This page was last rebuilt on 15 October at 07:00, Madeira time. Trails close without warning after storms: check again on the morning you walk.
Guides that mention this trail
Trails nearby
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