PR 6.3 · Madeira
Vereda da Lagoa do Vento
Down to a waterfall and lagoon below Rabaçal. Short, and much harder than short suggests.
- Distance 1.8 km
- Walking time 1 h 30
- Difficulty Easy
- Route There and back
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
The walk
Officially 1.8 km each way and an hour and a half. Also officially graded easy, by the tourism board.
The Calheta council, whose ground it is, grades the same walk for experienced walkers only, gives it two and a half to three hours, and says plainly that the route to Lagoa do Vento is not one the forestry service recommends. It also warns that there is no protection at the lagoon itself and the ground there is slippery.
When the tourism board and the council disagree this sharply about the same path, we would rather you heard both than heard our average of the two. Treat it as the council does.
The lagoon is worth it. The water that falls into it goes on to feed the Risco waterfall further down.
Steep, slippery and muddy in places, with small landslips and stream crossings. No barrier at the lagoon. The Calheta council rates this for experienced walkers, against the tourism board's easy.
Before you go
Where to park
The ER 105 car park. The trailhead is unsigned, on the right of the paved road before the forestry house — if you take the shuttle down you have to walk back up a few hundred metres.
What to bring
Boots with grip. Not a walk for trainers.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 6.3
- 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 6.3 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 6.3 (Vereda da Lagoa do Vento) as open.
Do I need a licence for PR 6.3?
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 6.3 take?
The official walking time is 1 h 30 for 1.8 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 6.3?
The ER 105 car park. The trailhead is unsigned, on the right of the paved road before the forestry house — if you take the shuttle down you have to walk back up a few hundred metres.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 6.3 (1.8 km each way, 1:30, easy). Its altitude figures, 200–1600 m, are not credible for a 1.8 km path and are reported here as unusable rather than corrected.
- Câmara Municipal da Calheta: 6.4 km round trip, 2:30–3 h, for experienced walkers, irregular ground, no protection at the lagoon
- IFCN classified list, page updated 24 July 2026: open
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
All 43 trails
PR 6.2 Open Levada do Alecrim
A gentle levada from Rabaçal out to the Dona Beja lagoon, and the quietest of the walks that start there.
- 3.5 km
- 2 h 30
- Easy
- There and back
Vereda do Pico Fernandes
The back way into 25 Fontes, dropping off the Paul da Serra plateau instead of coming down from Rabaçal.
- 3.8 km
- 1 h 30
- One way
Vereda da Palha Carga
A short, steep drop off the ER 209 into the top of the 25 Fontes valley.
- 1.8 km
- 45 min
- One way