PR 16 · Madeira

Levada Fajã do Rodrigues

Open

Officially open. One trail-tracking site reported it closed for maintenance in 2026, which the official sources do not repeat — worth a check before driving out there.

Licence needed · €4.50 a person Book on SIMplifica Which slots are free right now? The app shows every half hour, live.

A levada into the São Vicente valley with three tunnels, the longest around 600 metres.

Distance 3.9 km
Walking time 3 h 30
Highest point 630 m
Difficulty Moderate
Route There and back

Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.

The route

The whole trail, with you on it The full line, where you are on it and the way back, in the app. It keeps working with no signal.

Open it in the app

Start Line © OpenStreetMap contributors, for orientation, not navigation

600 m 700 m 800 m 900 m 1,000 m

The profile shows the shape of the walk; the figures above are the official ones.

The walk

Three point nine kilometres in from Ginjas to Ribeira do Inferno, and the same back out. Flat, as levadas are, and almost entirely about the tunnels.

There are three. The long one takes twenty minutes or so to walk through and you need a headlamp, not a phone — in one of them the passage is tight enough that you end up close to sharp rock and want both hands.

It is a dead end at the far side, which is why it is an out-and-back rather than a crossing.

Take care

Three unlit tunnels, one of them around 600 m. Tight in places.

Before you go

Where to park

Free parking at the trailhead at Ginjas.

By bus

No bus reaches the trailhead. Car or taxi.

What to bring

A headlamp. This is one of the trails where a phone light genuinely is not enough.

In the app

Everything for the day you walk PR 16

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.

Download on the App Store

Free. Scan with your phone.

Questions people ask

Is PR 16 open today?

Yes. The IFCN lists PR 16 (Levada Fajã do Rodrigues) as open. Officially open. One trail-tracking site reported it closed for maintenance in 2026, which the official sources do not repeat — worth a check before driving out there.

Do I need a licence for PR 16?

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 16 take?

The official walking time is 3 h 30 for 3.9 km. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.

Where do I park for PR 16?

Free parking at the trailhead at Ginjas.

Can I get to PR 16 by bus?

No bus reaches the trailhead. Car or taxi.

Checked against

Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 16 (3.9 km each way, 3:30, moderate, 600–630 m)
Start point given as Ginjas by the trail sheet and Fajã da Amã by the official status list
Tunnel count, length and torch requirement from independent trail guides, not from an official source

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.