PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim

PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim 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 3.5 km each way (7 km there and back). The places named there are Rabaçal and the levada spring (Madre da Levada). The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 3.5 km each way (7 km there and back) · 2 h 00 min – 2 h 30 min · +40 m / -40 m (1,290 m – 1,300 m) · Easy · Out-and-back returns to car. Starting from the upper Rabaçal car park area on the ER 105 road, PR 6.2 follows the high-level Levada do Alecrim across the western rim of the Rabaçal valley to its water intake at the base of the Dona Beja waterfall and lagoon (Poço da Dona Beja).

Why PR 6.2 avoids the Rabaçal forestry road climb

Unlike PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes and PR 6.1 Levada do Risco — both of which drop deep into the Rabaçal gorge past the Casa do Rabaçal forestry house — PR 6.2 begins right near the upper ER 105 car park at around 1,280 m altitude:

• No shuttle or tarmac road climb required: You step directly onto the Levada do Alecrim near the ER 105 parking area, walk 3.5 km along the gently contoured channel to the spring and waterfall pool, and walk 3.5 km back to your car (7 km round trip).
• Not the PR 6 bypass: As noted in PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes is one-way, PR 6.2 is an independent upper levada, not the return bypass for 25 Fontes.
• Connection with PR 6.3 Lagoa do Vento: Halfway along PR 6.2, a signed junction branches off onto PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento (1.8 km each way), descending to the dramatic upper pool of Lagoa do Vento above the Risco cliff.

Route character, waterfall pool, and terrain

PR 6.2 runs through open high-altitude tree heath (urze) and laurel scrub along the rim of the Ribeira da Janela headwaters:

• Open valley views: Because the channel sits high on the plateau shoulder rather than deep on the canyon floor, walkers enjoy wide panoramas down the Rabaçal valley and across the Paul da Serra moorland.
• No tunnels: The path stays in the open air all the way to the Madre da Levada, where the channel collects water from the Dona Beja cascade Pool. Near the end, short sections of stone steps and narrow masonry kerbs require steady footing.
• Plateau wind and mist: At nearly 1,300 m on Paul da Serra, dense fog and chilly Atlantic gusts can roll across the ER 105 in minutes even when Calheta on the coast is hot. Pack a windproof waterproof shell and wear grippy trail shoes; see 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. Note that PR 6, PR 6.1, PR 6.2, and PR 6.3 are four separate PR numbers on the IFCN classified 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): Ribeira do Lajeado / Ribeira da Janela (1304 m)
• Terminus (Fim): Câmara de Carga do Paúl (1280 m)
• Total hydraulic channel length: 3.8 km
• Traditional and local names: Levada do Paúl I · Levada Grande do Paúl · Levada Nova do Lajeado · Levada dos Moinhos do Paúl
• Engineering and basin context: Highest collection tier of the CAAHM Item No. 4 Calheta hydroelectric scheme (completed 1953), remodeling the upper reach of the historic Levada dos Moinhos do Paúl.

Completed in 1953 under Item No. 4 of the Comissão Administrativa dos Aproveitamentos Hidráulicos da Madeira (CAAHM), Levada do Alecrim—also recorded under five historic names including Levada do Paúl I, Levada Grande do Paúl, Levada Nova do Lajeado, and Levada dos Moinhos do Paúl—forms the highest of the three collection tiers feeding the Calheta Hydroelectric Power Station. During the 1940s redesign of the Paul da Serra water network to concentrate flows toward the Calheta turbines, engineers remodeled and reused the upper section of the historic Levada dos Moinhos to create the 3,783 m (3.8 km) Levada do Alecrim, capturing water from Ribeira do Lajeado (Ribeira Grande, 1304 m, at Lagoa da Dona Beija) and Ribeira do Alecrim along the rim of Paul da Serra down to the Paúl hydroelectric forebay (1280 m).