📍: 16 km Out&Back

🚘: Free Parking at Trailhead

📈: 100 M

🕒: 2-3 hours

Levada Fajã do Rodrigues is a 16-km hike that takes you through the beautiful landscapes of northern Madeira. The trail follows a narrow channel along the cliffside, offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding mountains. Along the way, you'll pass through several tunnels, including one that is very long, narrow, and low, requiring you to walk bent over for about a kilometer.

Levada Fajã do Rodrigues is located near the town of Ginjas, close to São Vicente in the north. The hike begins with a wide and beautiful levada, leading through a dense, green forest with amazing flora. Although most of the trail is forested, there are occasional openings that offer views of the São Vicente valley. The second part of the trail is the most interesting and adventurous, featuring several tunnels, one of which is about a kilometer long. These tunnels are more challenging than others on Madeira, as you'll need to bend your back for extended periods of time and use a proper headlamp or torch due to the darkness. The tunnels are so narrow that passing people coming from the opposite direction seems impossible. On rainy days, parts of the trail can become flooded with icy cold water, requiring you to walk through ankle-deep water. Additionally, strong waterfalls can pour water directly onto the path, like a natural shower.

Despite these challenges, this hike is one of the most adventurous on Madeira. In our YouTube video about the Top Levada Walks, you can see how much fun we had tackling the Levada Fajã do Rodrigues. The trail ends with a small waterfall, which is more like a wet wall and isn't the highlight of the hike at all. However, the trail offers excitement throughout its entire length. To return, you need to retrace your steps back to the starting point.