📍: 12 km Out&Back

🚘: Paid Parking at Queimadas

📈: 100 M

🕒: 3-5 hours

Levada do Caldeirão Verde is a 12-kilometer hike that will take you through the scenic landscapes of Santana. The path begins with some very scenic levada trails, completely surrounded by jungle. The lush greenery is very dense, you’ll feel yourself in a real jungle. The trail passes through a dense forest, culminating in a stunning waterfall, and boasts incredible views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

The trail starts at Queimadas Forest Park, a place with a big parking area where you can leave your car. You pay for parking when you leave, based on how long you stayed. The park itself is cool too. There are two interesting buildings right at the entrance. One is a simple café where you can get coffee and snacks after your hike. There's also a pond, a little area with farm animals, and some shorter paths to explore.

The start of the trail is easy to find from the park. It's well marked, so you won't get lost – no need for a map. At first, the path is wide, following a narrow water channel (levada), which leads to the Caldeirão Verde waterfall, where the levada begins. Right from the start, you'll see how amazingly green this path is. The different shades of green from leaves and ferns are incredible. After about a kilometre, you'll reach the first waterfall, a bit distant but it's only one of many impressive waterfalls you'll encounter on this hike. Further along, the path narrows, allowing only one-way traffic. When you meet people returning, both of you will need to move aside to let the other pass. Avoid leaning on the fence; it's a safety barrier meant more for mental comfort and won't hold if someone leans on it.

About halfway through the hike, you'll reach a fascinating spot. It's not exactly a classic waterfall; it's more like a wet wall with some small cascades. The lush greenery and rocks create an ideal setting for a photo. It's one of those moments that might make you feel like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, giving off a real jungle vibe. And it gets even more exciting once you reach the first tunnels.

Tunnels are common along Madeira's levadas. They can be uncomfortable with low ceilings, wet walls, narrow paths, and darkness. But on the Levada do Calderiao Verde, these tunnels are the best compared to others on the island. They're relatively short, and a phone flashlight works just fine to light your way. While you might need to bend a bit at times, most of the time, you can walk through them normally. They're also wide enough for passing people comfortably at several spots.

After passing through the tunnels, you'll reach a point where the dense jungle clears, offering a view around. This part of the trail is more open but still safe with a metal cable. We saw kids walking this part on their own, so it's generally safe, but a little extra caution wouldn't hurt.

Soon, you'll hear water cascading into a small lagoon beneath one of Madeira's most impressive waterfalls. Although the path under the waterfall is closed, some people still venture there. It's risky due to falling rocks near the waterfalls. Exercise caution when considering a risky photo opportunity. We've seen rocks falling close to people during our time on Madeira, and local news often report such accidents. Rockfalls are a real and frequent occurrence here.

After the waterfall, you can keep hiking to the next one, Caldeirao do Inferno. It's smaller than Calderiao Verde, but if you liked this trail, you'll enjoy a bit more walking. To get back to the parking, you must follow the same route you came here with.