PR6.1 Levada do Risco

A short out-and-back levada walk, PR6.1 covers 3 kilometres and about two hours to the Risco viewpoint, moving between roughly 1,000 and 1,288 metres, and it shares its opening stretch with the busier PR6 route to 25 Fontes before the two paths split. After a steep initial drop from the Rabaçal car park down to the water channel, the walk levels out and runs through dense UNESCO laurel forest thick with moss and giant ferns, staying cool and often misted over even on warm days. It ends at the Risco viewpoint, where a waterfall of roughly 100 metres drops down a dark cliff face into a rock basin below, usually wreathed in spray. The path stays damp most of the year, so go early for fewer people on the narrow sections, and skip heavy-rain days when the roots and stones underfoot turn slick.

Levada do Risco (PR6.1) is a round trip route of about 6.0 km in Madeira.

Full Rabaçal circuit: Alecrim → Lagoa do Vento → 25 Fontes & Risco: One way only: out along the Levada do Alecrim (PR6.2) to Lagoa do Vento, back along the Vereda da Lagoa do Vento (PR6.3) with a detour to Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) and Levada do Risco (PR6.1) partway, then the paved road or van back to the parking. About 16.2 km on foot in total. See the map for the full route.

Along the way you'll find a levada water-channel path, waterfalls, laurel forest (laurisilva) and panoramic viewpoints.

Landmarks on the route include Risco.

The path runs between roughly 1,000 m and 1,288 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.

Levada do Risco rates as medium on our objective scale, based on 6.0 km round trip, 366 m of ascent and low exposure.

This grade is an estimate from distance, ascent and exposure, not an official IFCN rating.

Allow about 4h for the round trip (you return the same way).

The app's live 0-100 score also flags the latest safe start time for the day. See it in the app.

Starts at Rabaçal. Ends at Risco. The car park at the start has room for about 50.

One drinking-water point is mapped on the route. Fill up if you pass it, but carry enough to finish without it.

Year-round, but it stays cool, damp and often foggy; go early and skip heavy-rain days when the stones and roots turn slippery

Most of this route sits in shade, which keeps it walkable on days when open ground is punishing.

The sun and shade reading comes from the slope's aspect and steepness, so it describes terrain shading and not tree cover.

A live 0-100 score picks the best 30-minute window for the day. See today's window in the app.

Levada do Risco is a regulated trail with a daily visitor cap, so you must reserve a timed slot in advance through SIMplifica before you go. The official fee is around €4.50 per person. Levadas does not sell tickets or make the reservation for you.

According to IFCN, as of 7 Sept 2026, this trail is currently officially open.

IFCN's own status page is dated 24 Jul 2026. The date above (7 Sept 2026) is ours: it records when we last read that page, not when IFCN wrote it.

Official status can change, so always check the latest before you go.

Fire and other live hazards near this trail are tracked on the Madeira trail alerts page