PR 18 · Madeira
Levada do Rei
A quiet levada walk into a wooded valley above São Jorge, and one of the few popular trails where you can still be alone.
- Distance 5.3 km
- Walking time 3 h 30
- Highest point 573 m
- Difficulty Moderate
- Route There and back
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
The walk
The path follows the Levada do Rei from the water treatment plant at São Jorge up into the Ribeiro Bonito valley. Dense forest, a lot of ferns, several small tunnels, and far fewer people than anything at Rabaçal.
Five point three kilometres in and the same back out. Three and a half hours if you keep moving.
It starts beside a treatment plant, which is not promising, and improves within five minutes.
Narrow with drops in places, and slippery after rain. Small tunnels — a torch is useful rather than essential.
Before you go
Where to park
At the São Jorge water treatment plant, signposted off the ER 101. Small.
By bus
Buses reach São Jorge village; the trailhead is a walk from there.
When to go
Three and a half hours. It holds shade well, so it works in the middle of a hot day when the coast is unbearable.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 18
- 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 18 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 18 (Levada do Rei) as open.
Do I need a licence for PR 18?
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 18 take?
The official walking time is 3 h 30 for 5.3 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 18?
At the São Jorge water treatment plant, signposted off the ER 101. Small.
Can I get to PR 18 by bus?
Buses reach São Jorge village; the trailhead is a walk from there.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 18 (5.3 km each way, 3:30, moderate, 535–573 m)
- 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
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