Levada do Rei (PR18) — São Jorge to the Ribeiro Bonito spring, through deep laurel forest. Levada do Rei (PR18) is OPEN on IFCN's official trail-warnings list. See all Madeira trails or PR1.
PR18 · Quick answers
Is it open today?
Official IFCN list: OPEN
Do I need a ticket?
Yes: €4.50 per person on SIMplifica, online only, for a timed slot. Under-12s and residents are free but must be on the booking.
How long and how hard?
5.3 km each way · ~3 hours · Easy–moderate
How do I get there and back?
No bus in our timetables reaches this trailhead. Taxi: Táxis Santana+351 291 572 540 (official rank); fares are metered at the official tariff. You return the same way to the start.
Tunnels / headlamp: Short tunnel · no torch needed · Exposure / vertigo: Moderate
Weather there now
Weather near the trail (IPMA Santana station, 09:10): 14 °C.
Status: IFCN's official warnings list · weather: IPMA
Book it. PR18 on SIMplifica
The Levada do Rei is one of Madeira's classic laurel-forest walks — quieter than the 25 Fontes, but still popular. In order of what matters:
Book your €4.50 slot on SIMplifica in advance. Under-12s and residents are free but must still be on the booking. Check the live status above before you pay.
Go early. The trailhead parking is small and the levada is a single narrow path — an early start means both a space and the forest to yourself.
Or go with an IFCN protocol operator — a lower trail fee (€3) plus transport from Funchal, which solves the long drive to the north coast.
PR18 is paid via SIMplifica on its own separate booking and not included in the multi-day passes. €4.50 per person; under-12s and residents free but counted on the reservation.
Getting there. São Jorge & the ETAR trailhead
The trail starts above São Jorge, on the island's green north coast — about an hour's drive from Funchal over the mountains.
Park at the ETAR (the small water-treatment station) at the end of the access road above São Jorge, where the levada path begins. There's no dedicated car park, just a small space where the road ends and roadside parking, and no shuttle, so come early or car-share.
It's out-and-back, so unlike the point-to-point trails you finish back at your car — no return transport to arrange.
The road up is narrow. Take it slowly, especially in the damp; the north coast catches more cloud and rain than the south.
There's no shop or café at the trailhead. Bring water, a layer and a rain shell — the north side is greener because it's wetter, and the forest can be cool and dripping even when the coast is bright.
Where to park for PR18?
There is no dedicated car park. The road above São Jorge ends at the ETAR water-treatment plant by the Quinta Levada do Rei, with a small space at the end and roadside parking along the road. No source mentions a fee.
This is a walk for the forest, not the views. The levada runs almost level through some of the best-preserved laurisilva — the UNESCO World Heritage laurel forest — heavy with moss, ferns and birdsong, ending at the Ribeiro Bonito, the pretty stream-source where the channel's water begins.
Green and shaded the whole way, with a few little waterfalls crossing the path.
Much quieter than Rabaçal or Caldeirão Verde — if you want a calm levada day, this is the one.
Level and family-friendly, though the levada edge is narrow in places and the ground can be muddy and slick after rain.
What's the weather at Levada do Rei (PR18) now?
The status card above shows the latest measured reading from the IPMA Santana station, the regional weather station nearest the trail: temperature, wind and whether it is likely in cloud. Expect the mountains cooler and cloudier than Funchal.
Weather near the trail (IPMA Santana station, 09:10): 14 °C.
Official weather warnings for the Madeira mountains: IPMA.
Closed or full? Your options
If IFCN closes PR18 on your date, email helpdesk.ifcn@madeira.gov.pt within 10 working days with your tickets and invoice, and ask for a new date within a year or a refund. Rain or a change of plans doesn't count, and the SIMplifica contact centre can't change bookings.
Parking is tiny. The ETAR trailhead holds only a handful of cars — a late arrival on a sunny weekend can mean nowhere to leave the car.
The north coast is the wet side. It's greener for a reason; pack a rain shell and grippy shoes, and expect a damp, sometimes muddy path even on a fine day.
It's out-and-back. You return along the same levada from Ribeiro Bonito, so turn around with enough time and daylight for the walk out.
Questions people ask
PR18: Is the Levada do Rei open today?
Levada do Rei (PR18) is OPEN on IFCN's official trail-warnings list. Access is €4.50 through the SIMplifica portal; children under 12 and residents are free but must still be on the booking.
Do you need to book the Levada do Rei?
Yes. PR18 requires an advance booking and €4.50 payment through SIMplifica. It is quieter than the 25 Fontes but still a popular laurel-forest walk, so book ahead in summer. Under-12s and residents are free but must be named on the booking.
Where do you park for the Levada do Rei?
The trail starts at the ETAR water-treatment station above São Jorge, on the north coast. There is no dedicated car park: there is a small space where the road ends, by the Quinta Levada do Rei, and roadside parking along the road. Arrive early or share a car; there is no shuttle.
How long is the Levada do Rei hike?
About 5.3 km each way (roughly 10.5 km round trip), around 3 hours, graded easy to moderate. It is out-and-back along a mostly level levada through dense laurel forest to the Ribeiro Bonito spring, so you return the same way.
Nearby trails
Closest trailheads — each has its own live status.