PR 6.3 · PR route
RABAÇAL · RABAÇAL → LAGOA DO VENTO, THEN BACK
PR 6.3 · PR 6.3 VEREDA DA LAGOA DO VENTO · 1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back) · 1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min · IFCN €4.50
PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento
MODERATE · RABAÇAL · +150 M / -150 M (1,000 M – 1,050 M)
Distance
1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back)
1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min · +150 m / -150 m (1,000 m – 1,050 m)
IFCN Fee
€4.50
Return to Car
Returns to starting car park
Area / Difficulty
Rabaçal · Moderate
Status note. IFCN, 2 October 2026: open. 1.8 km each way, Rabaçal to Lagoa do Vento. Updated 25 Oct 2026.
Rabaçal
Start Car Park · IFCN €4.50
Lagoa do Vento
1.8 km each way · Open Both Ways
START BEFORE 08:30 AM AT RABAÇAL FOR CLEAREST VISIBILITY & EASIEST PARKING
POINT-TO-POINT ROUTE (RABAÇAL → LAGOA DO VENTO, THEN BACK) — PLAN RETURN TAXI OR TURN AROUND AT MIDPOINT
BOOK OFFICIAL IFCN SIMPLIFICA SLOT (€4.50) ONLINE BEFORE ARRIVAL
PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento is listed open, 1.8 km each way from Rabaçal.
Notices still inside their window
Checking notices.
Interactive Field Calculators & Logistics Tools (Shuttle, Cost, Microclimate & Offline Card)
Closure & Congestion Mitigation
Twin-Trail & Plan-B Engine
If parking is saturated or weather conditions deteriorate at PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento, these nearby alternative routes share the same terrain character and offer verified open conditions.
PR 8 Ponta de São Lourenço
Iconic open coastal trail with ocean views
PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões
Accessible viewpoint walk through native forest
Field Logistics Intelligence
Return-to-Car & Linear Loop Solver
Self-contained vehicle loop: this route safely returns directly to your starting parking bay at Rabaçal.
Self-Contained Vehicle Return
This trail is an out-and-back or circular loop that terminates at the same parking area where you started (Rabaçal). No taxi, public bus transfer, or multi-car shuttle required.
Coordination & Taxi-Split Action
Send this verified return plan to your group via WhatsApp or SMS.
Field Hazard & Body Impact Intelligence
Reality Matrix: Tunnels, Vertigo & Knee Strain
Beyond generic difficulty ratings: quantitative engineering metrics on pitch-black irrigation tunnels, abyss exposure tiers, and knee-joint impact on steep Caminho Real cobblestones.
0 m
Open air route
Tunnel-free routing with natural daylight throughout.
Tier 2+ · High Exposure
Exposed cliff edges and natural drop-offs along the trail margin.
Not recommended for hikers with severe acrophobia or vertigo sensitivity.
Level 2 · Moderate Steps
Manageable gradient with moderate joint impact.
Trekking poles strongly recommended to absorb eccentric downhill shock on rounded stones.
Atlantic Microclimate Intelligence
Live Island Clock & Microclimate Advisor
Simulate your planned departure hour to beat the cloud inversion ceiling, trade-wind fogs, and trailhead parking saturation.
Prime trail window: 08:00 - 10:30
Trailhead Parking
Ample · Laybys empty
Cloud Ceiling Risk
Clear skies · Above cloud sea
Trail Congestion
Very Light · Trail to yourself
Sun & Wind Load
Cool & Crisp · Light windbreaker
Field advisory: Coastal maritime microclimate; protect against morning sun and changing sea breezes.
2026 IFCN & SIMplifica Tariff Engine
Permit, Parking & Transfer Cost Estimator
Calculate your exact party outlay under the 2026 SIMplifica regulatory regime, including legal resident and child exemptions, parking caps, and return transit.
Rabaçal Valley Shuttle
Paul da Serra Paved Descent
Saves 2 km steep asphalt walk between ER 105 car park and Casa do Rabaçal. Minibus departs every 15–20 min (cash only).
Adult Hikers (> 12 years)
Standard permit €4.50
Children (≤ 12 years)
100% Legally Exempt (€0.00)
Madeira / PT Residents
100% Resident Exemption (€0.00)
Forest Police (Corpo de Polícia Florestal) inspect digital tickets at trailheads. Fines of €50–€500 apply for unregistered hikers.
Offline Survival Pocket Card: PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento
Essential route facts and offline navigation notes for remote terrain with zero cellular signal
Start Trailhead GPS
32.7465° N, 17.1325° W
Rabaçal · 1000 m elevation
GPS: 32.7465, -17.1325
Finish / Terminus GPS
32.7580° N, 17.1220° W
Lagoa do Vento, then back · 1050 m elevation
GPS: 32.758, -17.122
Distance
1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back)
Estimated Time
1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min
Elevation Profile
+150 m / -150 m (1,000 m – 1,050 m)
Difficulty Grade
Moderate
Emergency SOS & Civil Protection
112 — European Emergency SOS (Universal)
Civil Protection (Proteção Civil): +351 291 700 112
IFCN Forest Police (Polícia Florestal): +351 291 102 700
VHF Marine Ch. 16 / Mountain SAR
Rule:Cardinal Survival Rule: Stay strictly on the levada path. Never descend into stream gorges or waterfalls. If cloud ceiling descends, halt and wait in place.
Car park check
Pick the car park where the car stays. These lines are the table checked on 25 Oct 2026.
Both ways · 1.8 km each way
Rabaçal → Lagoa do Vento
You can walk this section and come back to Rabaçal.
Fee figure on the checked table: €4.50.
Other classified routes starting at Rabaçal
- PR 6 · PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes
Rabaçal → Lagoa das 25 Fontes (One-way · 4.3 km each way) — The outward line is one-way. The return to Rabaçal uses the bypass.
- PR 6.1 · PR 6.1 Levada do Risco
Rabaçal → Risco (Both ways · 3 km each way) — You can walk this section and come back to Rabaçal.
- PR 6.2 · PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim
Rabaçal → Levada spring (Both ways · 3.5 km each way) — You can walk this section and come back to Rabaçal.
PR 6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento 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 1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back). The places named there are Rabaçal and Lagoa do Vento. The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back) · 1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min · +150 m / -150 m (1,000 m – 1,050 m) · Moderate · Out-and-back returns to car. Part of the four-route Rabaçal cluster alongside PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes, PR 6.1 Levada do Risco, and PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim, PR 6.3 is a mountain footpath (vereda) leading into the rocky volcanic amphitheatre of Lagoa do Vento — the high rock basin whose outflow feeds the Cascata do Risco below.
How PR 6.3 links with the Rabaçal car park and PR 6.2
All walkers for PR 6.3 park at the Rabaçal parking area on the ER 105 plateau road:
- Out-and-back return to your car: Whether you approach the PR 6.3 junction from the upper Levada do Alecrim side or via the Rabaçal forestry road link, the route is an out-and-back walk to the Lagoa do Vento basin and back to the Rabaçal car park on the ER 105. No taxi transfer or second car is required.
- Combining with PR 6.2: Because the PR 6.3 trailhead branches off the upper slope between the Rabaçal forestry road and PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim, hikers often visit both the Dona Beja pool (at the end of PR 6.2) and the Lagoa do Vento basin (on PR 6.3) on the same upper-valley outing. Remember that on the IFCN classified table, PR 6.2 and PR 6.3 are listed as separate PR numbers.
Terrain, wet rock slabs, and safety at the lagoon rim
Do not let the short 1.8 km each-way table distance fool you into treating PR 6.3 like a flat levada walk:
- Steep earth and rock descent: Unlike PR 6.1 or PR 6.2, which follow gentle masonry water channels, PR 6.3 is an uneven mountain footpath descending and ascending pitched stone steps, exposed roots, and rocky gullies through dense tree heath.
- Slippery basalt at Lagoa do Vento: The trail ends in a wide, dramatic rock bowl beneath a towering waterfall feeding a deep dark lagoon. Near the outlet of the lagoon, the stream spills over the cliff lip to form the top of the Risco waterfall. Stay well back from the downstream cliff edge and wet, algae-coated basalt slabs.
- Footwear: Hiking boots or trail shoes with strong wet-rock traction are essential, along with a windproof rain jacket for the exposed Paul da Serra altitude. See What to carry on a levada.
Before you go
Because the descent from the ER 105 road to the Lagoa do Vento rock amphitheater crosses exposed basalt slabs that turn slick in plateau mist, verify wind and rain conditions on Paul da Serra before leaving the coast. 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.
Specifications & facts
- Type
- PR route
- Area
- Rabaçal
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Distance
- 1.8 km each way (3.6 km there and back)
- Time
- 1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min
- Elevation
- +150 m / -150 m (1,000 m – 1,050 m)
- Start
- Rabaçal
- Finish
- Lagoa do Vento, then back
- Return
- Returns to starting car park
- Fee
- €4.50
Post-Hike Refuel & Dining Radar
Authentic Post-Hike Hospitality
Trailhead & Village Refuel Radar
Nothing defines Madeiran hiking culture more authentically than gathering at a rustic mountain bar or fisherman's tasca right after the trek. Verified local venues within minutes of the finish:
Tasca da Serra
Field photographs along the channel
