How many hard hikes are there in Madeira?

Our directory currently lists 8 matching routes in Madeira, each with distance, elevation gain and a mapped route line drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

What is the average length of these trails?

The average is 29.0 km with roughly 639 m (2,096 ft) of climbing. The longest on this list is 40.3 km.

Which is the best one to start with?

Caminho Real 25 ranks highest here on our popularity score, which weighs route quality, scenery and how well documented it is.

Are these routes suitable for beginners?

Most routes on this list are rated moderate or harder. If you are just starting out, filter by easy difficulty or by distance under 5 km.

Hard Hiking Trails in Madeira

We track 8 routes that match this search in Madeira. They average 29.0 km and 639 m (2,096 ft) of ascent.

That is 10 percent of the 78 routes we map in Madeira. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 29.0 km against 8.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 639 m (2,096 ft) on average versus 175 m (574 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Expert

Caminho Real 25

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 38.6 km
Elevation gain: 849 m
Typical duration: 10 hr

Hard

Caminho Real 24

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 21.8 km
Elevation gain: 480 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 28 min

Expert

Caminho Real 27

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 34.3 km
Elevation gain: 755 m
Typical duration: 8 hr 52 min

Hard

Caminho Real 28

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 24.1 km
Elevation gain: 531 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 6 min

Expert

Levada Nova da Calheta

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 40.3 km
Elevation gain: 886 m
Typical duration: 10 hr

Hard

Levada Nova do Arco da Calheta

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 16.3 km
Elevation gain: 358 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 58 min

Hard

Levada do Norte (South)

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 29.3 km
Elevation gain: 644 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 30 min

Hard

Levada dos Tornos - Sul

Madeira · Portugal

Distance: 27.6 km
Elevation gain: 607 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 2 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
Route	Distance	Ascent	Time	Difficulty	Best season
Caminho Real 25Madeira	38.6 km	849 m	10 hr	Expert	October to May
Caminho Real 24Madeira	21.8 km	480 m	5 hr 28 min	Hard	October to May
Caminho Real 27Madeira	34.3 km	755 m	8 hr 52 min	Expert	October to May
Caminho Real 28Madeira	24.1 km	531 m	6 hr 6 min	Hard	October to May
Levada Nova da CalhetaMadeira	40.3 km	886 m	10 hr	Expert	October to May
Levada Nova do Arco da CalhetaMadeira	16.3 km	358 m	3 hr 58 min	Hard	October to May
Levada do Norte (South)Madeira	29.3 km	644 m	7 hr 30 min	Hard	October to May
Levada dos Tornos - SulMadeira	27.6 km	607 m	7 hr 2 min	Hard	October to May

If you only have time for one, start with Caminho Real 25, Caminho Real 24, Levada Nova do Arco da Calheta. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

Trails

The shortlist, side by side

Frequently asked questions

How many hard hikes are there in Madeira?

What is the average length of these trails?

Which is the best one to start with?

Are these routes suitable for beginners?

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