I’ll be honest from the start. We didn’t enjoy this levada as much as it deserves. We arrived on a Saturday after ten o’clock. Prime time. There were crowds of people and the beautiful levada turned into a tourist procession.

But wait… when you get the timing right, this same trail is an amazing green pocket of tranquility with waterfalls, tunnels and epic views across the valley.

Queimadas Forest Park

We parked at the paid parking lot at Queimadas. It’s small, so it was filling up fast. A few steps from the car stood those classic Santana cottages with thatched roofs – Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas.

We took a quick orientation break at the information boards about birds and the laurel forest. There are benches here, a quiet zone, but at ten in the morning there were already so many people that peace was just a relative concept.

Along the Levada in a Column

The trail is almost flat and at the beginning quite wide and paved along the levada. Technically easy, but after a while it gets very narrow in places. We were passing people every few minutes. Fortunately, there’s a railing at the more exposed sections, so when you’re looking into the deep valley, you can walk with confidence.

In total, we walked about 13 kilometers round trip in something between 4 to 4.5 hours. It depends on how much time you spend waiting for the column ahead of you to pass.

Tunnels with Living Roots

The tunnels were the highlight of the trail. Low, wet, roots growing through the ceiling. In the first tunnel, we walked in a line of about twenty people. Without a headlamp or at least a phone with a flashlight, you’d be lost here. In places, water was dripping directly onto the path and it was slippery.

Roots hung from the ceiling like some kind of natural installation. Photogenic, but when water is dripping on your head and you have to crouch so the roots don’t hit you, the romance fades a bit.

Laurel Forest and Moments of Peace

Soft green moss covered everything – rocks, tree trunks, even the railings. Ferns, occasional moss-covered boulders and the sound of water in the levada. This section would be pure meditation (if there weren’t so many people).

When it rains, everything comes alive. We saw small pools and cascades along the way, but stopping to photograph them without strangers in the frame was almost impossible.

Narrow Ledges Carved into Rock

Some sections were carved directly into the rock. Beautiful, photogenic, but wet. Wall on the left, abyss on the right, you hold onto the steel cable and try not to look down.

Good trail shoes with grip really came in handy – we saw a few people in sneakers slipping on the wet stones.

View with a Rainbow

When the clouds parted, views across the entire valley appeared. We were lucky – we caught a rainbow across the opposite ridge. This moment made it all worth it.

Caldeirão Verde – Waterfall in a Round Cauldron

After two hours, we reached our destination. A high waterfall falling into a round rock cauldron. Because it had rained before, it was spectacular. The water roared, broke into droplets, created a misty veil.

We wanted to continue to Caldeirão do Inferno, but the red chain clearly said no. There had been landslides after the rains. When a trail is closed on Madeira, there’s no discussion. Going on such a trail isn’t heroism, it’s stupidity.

Practical Tips (from Our Experience)

When to arrive: Before 9:00 or after 4:00 PM. During weekdays and in worse weather it’s significantly better. We made a mistake – Saturday, 10:00 = procession.

What we had and what helped:

• Waterproof jackets (it drips in the tunnels even when it’s not raining)
• Headlamps (we only had phones, but a headlamp would be better)
• Shoes with traction (it was slippery as hell)
• Snacks and water (there’s no snack bar along the trail)

Tip for crowds: When a tourist train forms, stop for a few minutes at some cascade. Let the column pass and then go at your own pace. We did this a few times and it helped.

Is Caldeirão Verde Worth It? Yes – But Timing Is Everything

When you arrive at prime time like we did, you’ll be cursing the crowds and enjoy maybe 30% of what the trail offers. When you come at the right time, you’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful levadas on Madeira.

Tunnels with roots, moss-covered forest, waterfall in a cauldron – it’s all there. It just depends on whether you’ll be sharing it with ten or a hundred people.

Long story short: We learned that you either go to popular levadas very early or very late. Nothing in between. Or choose another one where there won’t be such crowds.