PR 14 Levada dos Cedros

PR 14 Levada dos Cedros is on the IFCN classified-trail table updated on 2 October 2026 and read here on 12 October 2026. The official distance on that table is 7.2 km. The places named there are Fanal and Curral Falso. The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 7.2 km · 2 h 30 min – 3 h 00 min · +50 m / -340 m (1,130 m to 840 m) · Easy–Moderate · Point-to-point transfer required. Cut into the steep eastern flank of the Ribeira da Janela canyon in the 17th century, PR 14 Levada dos Cedros is one of the oldest and most undisturbed Laurissilva forest channels in northwestern Madeira, linking the Fanal plateau area on the ER 209 road down to the Curral Falso forestry junction above Ribeira da Janela.

Trailhead access and point-to-point return logistics

Although both ends of PR 14 touch the ER 209 regional road between Paul da Serra and Ribeira da Janela, the route is a 7.2 km linear walk from the upper Fanal start (at around 1,100 m) down to Curral Falso (at around 850 m):

• Returning to a rental car: There is no scheduled public bus along the ER 209 mountain road between Curral Falso and Fanal. If you park at the Fanal trailhead and walk the 7.2 km one-way to Curral Falso, do not walk the twisting ER 209 tarmac road back uphill; either walk back along the levada channel (14.4 km round trip) or pre-book a taxi from Porto Moniz or Ribeira da Janela to meet you at Curral Falso.
• Continuing to the coast on PR 15: At the Curral Falso finish on the ER 209, PR 15 Vereda da Ribeira da Janela begins directly across the road and descends 2.7 km along an ancient cobbled timber-haulage path into the coastal village of Ribeira da Janela (where northern coastal buses and taxis are easier to reach).
• Connecting from Paul da Serra on PR 13: Walkers arriving at Fanal via PR 13 Vereda do Fanal (10.8 km from Assobiadores) can link PR 13 + PR 14 + PR 15 into a long north-slope traverse, provided transport is arranged at the finish.

Route character, waterfall crossing, and footing

Unlike concrete-lined modern channels, much of the Levada dos Cedros is dug directly into earth and volcanic rock under a towering canopy of centenary laurel, stinkwood, and Madeira mahogany trees:

• Start descent: From the Fanal roadside sign on the ER 209, a steep initial path drops through the forest to meet the water channel near its headwaters.
• Stream cascades and wet ledges: Along the 7.2 km course, side streams tumble across the path and a waterfall curtain drops into a rock pool beside the channel. Narrow sections are guarded by wire fencing above the Ribeira da Janela gorge.
• Footwear and layers: Because the canyon stays shaded and humid year-round, mud, wet tree roots, and slick basalt slabs are constant. Wear waterproof boots or grippy trail shoes and carry a rain jacket and torch as outlined in What to carry on a levada.

Before you go

The IFCN fee FAQ lists €4.50 per person for one classified route other than PR 1. Remember that PR 13 and PR 15 are listed as separate PR numbers on the IFCN table. Residents of the region, children aged 12 or under, and covered disability cases do not pay the fee and still need a reservation; see PR trail fees and reservation rules on Madeira. This site does not publish a live forecast. Source: Percursos pedestres classificados, table updated 2 October 2026, read here on 12 October 2026. The fee figures are from the IFCN fee FAQ.

Channel history and waterworks notes

• Water intake (Madre): Lombo do Cedro (Levada Velha 980 m, Levada Nova 920 m)
• Terminus (Fim): Eira da Achada, Ribeira da Janela (400 m)
• Total hydraulic channel length: 7 km
• Traditional and local names: Levada Velha dos Cedros
• Engineering and basin context: Seventeenth-century earth-and-stone channel (Levada Velha dos Cedros, 980 m) paired at Lombo Alto with the modern Levada Nova dos Cedros intake (920 m) above Ribeira da Janela.

First excavated and stone-paved directly into the soil in the 17th century, Levada Velha dos Cedros is one of the oldest irrigation channels in northern Madeira and a cornerstone of agriculture in the parish of Ribeira da Janela. While the original 980 m intake reach between Lombo do Cedro and Lombo Alto is now deactivated, the modern concrete intake (Levada Nova dos Cedros, 920 m) captures a larger flow on Lombo do Cedro and joins the ancestral 17th-century channel at Lombo Alto, continuing for 7 km along the right bank of Ribeira da Janela—Madeira's longest river valley—through primary Fanal Laurissilva forest down to Eira da Achada (400 m).