PR 18 Levada do Rei

PR 18 Levada do Rei 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 5.3 km each way (10.6 km there and back). The places named there are Quebradas and Ribeiro Bonito. The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 5.3 km each way (10.6 km there and back) · 3 h 00 min – 3 h 30 min · +50 m / -50 m (530 m – 550 m) · Easy–Moderate · Out-and-back returns to car. Running from the historic water mill and treatment station at Quebradas in São Jorge into the deep headwater sanctuary of Ribeiro Bonito, PR 18 is one of the finest out-and-back Laurissilva levada walks in northern Madeira, combining an easy-angled channel path with a waterfall crossing, a short tunnel, and an untouched native forest amphitheatre at the turnaround.

Out-and-back return logistics and parking at Quebradas (São Jorge)

Because Ribeiro Bonito is a remote river sanctuary deep inside the northern mountain fold with no road access, PR 18 is walked strictly out-and-back (10.6 km total) returning to your starting point at Quebradas:

• Road approach: From Santana or Arco de São Jorge on the north coast (ER 101), turn inland at São Jorge toward Achada da Felpa / Quebradas and follow signs to the Estação de Tratamento de Água das Quebradas and the historic water mill (Moinho da Achada).
• Parking: A dedicated parking area and café sit near the start of the levada at Quebradas. Because every hiker returns to this same car park after the 10.6 km round trip, no taxi transfer or bus coordination is required for drivers.
• Public transport: Northern buses between Funchal, Santana, São Jorge, and Arco de São Jorge stop in the village of São Jorge, from where you can walk up the local road or take a short taxi ride to Quebradas.

Route character: exotic woods to primary Laurissilva

PR 18 offers a textbook cross-section of Madeira's northern forest belt:

1. Outer agricultural and mixed forest: Leaving Quebradas, the levada contours above the terraced slopes of São Jorge and Santana, offering open views toward the Atlantic and the farmland below.
2. Inner UNESCO Laurissilva: As the channel turns deeper into the gorge, introduced trees give way to dense primary Laurissilva draped in mosses, ferns, and lichens, where Madeira firecrests and Trocaz pigeons are frequently spotted.
3. Waterfall ledge and tunnel: Near the inner canyon, the walkway passes directly behind and beneath a cascading waterfall and threads a short, low-ceilinged rock tunnel before reaching the clear stream pools of Ribeiro Bonito.

Footwear, torch, and before you go

Check your headlamp at the São Jorge water-treatment trailhead before setting out toward Ribeiro Bonito, as the return walk passes through damp bedrock tunnels and spray-wet creek crossings deep inside the laurel forest. Carry a small torch or headlamp for the tunnel and a waterproof jacket for the waterfall spray along the cliff ledge. The shaded levada wall and muddy forest margins stay slick year-round; wear grippy hiking footwear. See What to carry on a 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 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): Ribeiro Bonito, São Jorge (540 m)
• Terminus (Fim): Achada Grande, São Jorge (525 m)
• Total hydraulic channel length: 7 km
• Engineering and basin context: Nineteenth-century royal parish conduit capturing the primary Laurissilva headwaters of Ribeiro Bonito to power the historic São Jorge watermill and irrigate Achada Grande.

Built by the royal administration in the 19th century to power the traditional watermill (Moinho de Água) of São Jorge and irrigate the parish's agricultural ridges, the complete Levada do Rei extends 7 km from the indigenous Laurissilva sanctuary of Ribeiro Bonito (540 m) past the Quebradas water-treatment station to Achada Grande in São Jorge (525 m). Along the 5.3 km PR 18 walk between Quebradas and the Ribeiro Bonito intake, the channel bridges the transition between exotic forest plantings and untouched primary laurel forest.