PR 16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues

PR 16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues is on the IFCN classified-trail table verified on 25 October 2026. The official distance on that table is 3.9 km each way (7.8 km there and back). The places named there are Fajã da Ama and Ribeira do Inferno. The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 3.9 km each way (7.8 km there and back) · 2 h 30 min – 3 h 00 min · +60 m / -60 m (580 m – 600 m) · Moderate (Long Unlit Tunnel) · Out-and-back returns to car. Located in the green northern valley of Ginjas in the municipality of São Vicente, PR 16 is an out-and-back levada walk famous for its sequence of long, rock-cut tunnels, cliffside waterfalls splashing directly over the walkway, and deep views into the Ribeira do Inferno gorge.

Out-and-back logistics and parking at Fajã da Ama (Ginjas)

Because PR 16 dead-ends at the water intake (madre da levada) in the upper Ribeira do Inferno canyon, every walker returns along the same channel to the starting point at Fajã da Ama:

• Road approach: From the centre of São Vicente, drive inland toward Ginjas and follow the steep, narrow local road signs up to the Fajã da Ama trailhead.
• Parking: Roadside parking near the start of the levada is narrow and limited. Arrive early in the morning, park tight to the verge without blocking farm driveways or turning spaces, and use low gear on the steep approach lanes.
• Public transport: Buses serve the main São Vicente valley floor below, from where a local taxi is the easiest way to reach the upper Fajã da Ama start if you do not have a car.

Tunnels, waterfalls, and essential kit

Do not start PR 16 without a proper torch and a waterproof jacket, even on a dry sunny morning:

• Long, dark tunnels: The second half of the 3.9 km outward walk passes through a series of unlit tunnels blasted through solid basalt — including one tunnel stretching for nearly a kilometre with curves that block daylight completely. Permanent waterfall runoff cascades directly from the tunnel ceiling, creating deep puddles and wet rock benches. A dedicated 300+ lumen headlamp (plus spare batteries) is mandatory; phone lights are inadequate for the uneven, waterlogged tunnel floor.
• Waterfalls over the path: Between the tunnels, streams cascade down vertical canyon walls right onto and across the narrow concrete levada ledge. A hooded waterproof shell jacket and shoes that handle ankle-deep splashes and wet stone are essential to keep your core warm in cold subterranean draughts.
• Vertigo and railings: The open stretches between tunnels contour high above the Ribeira do Inferno ravine behind post-and-wire fencing. Walk single-file and let returning hikers pass at wider rock bays before entering narrow tunnel portals. Full packing advice is in What to carry on a levada.

Before you go

Because the upper channel toward Ribeira do Inferno runs through three long, water-dripping tunnels where a 300+ lumen headlamp and waterproof shell jacket are mandatory, check your lighting gear at Ginjas before stepping onto the levada. The IFCN fee FAQ lists €4.50 per person for one classified route other than PR 1. 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 verified 25 October 2026. The fee figures are from the IFCN fee FAQ.

Channel history and waterworks notes

• Water intake (Madre): Ribeira do Inferno (600 m)
• Terminus (Fim): Sítio do Loural, São Vicente (570 m)
• Total hydraulic channel length: 6.5 km
• Traditional and local names: Levada da Fajã da Ama
• Engineering and basin context: Mid-20th-century CAAHM rock-gallery and tunnel conduit tapping the upper Ribeira do Inferno gorge to irrigate Ginjas, Fajã do Rodrigues, and Loural in São Vicente.

Inaugurated under the mid-twentieth-century hydraulic works of the Comissão Administrativa dos Aproveitamentos Hidráulicos da Madeira (CAAHM), Levada da Fajã do Rodrigues (historically also called Levada da Fajã da Ama) captures the cold headwaters of Ribeira do Inferno at 600 m deep in the São Vicente mountains and runs for 6.5 km through a series of long rock-cut tunnels and cliff-cut galleries to Sítio do Loural (570 m) in São Vicente, irrigating the agricultural slopes of Ginjas and Fajã do Rodrigues; PR 16 follows its 3.9 km upper gallery section.