CALDEIRÃO VERDE: MADEIRA’S GREEN CAULDRON

A walk through the fabulous green of the Laurisilva forest to the 100m high waterfall Caldeirão Verde. A green cauldron is exactly what you’ll find at the end of this marvellous walk: the waterfall crashes down along intense green rocks. At this waterfall you can enjoy a picknick, sitting between enormous ferns and hydrangeas, before embarking on the way back to the start of this walk at Queimadas.

This walk starts at Quiemadas, in a lovely forest, from where the levada will lead you through the mountains to the end of this walk: the beautiful Caldeirão Verde. You’ll walk through a jungle of vegetation, enjoying great views on the village of São Jorge and the immense mountains that surround this area.

WATERFALL PARADISE

Along the walk, you’ll enjoy the silence you can only find in the middle of nature. The only sound you’ll hear is waterfalls crashing down. Relying on your ears, you’ll be able to locate them, hidden in the vegetation on the other side of the valley. The levada follows the swerves of the mountain, in a constantly changing scenery: green walls are interchanged with moist rock faces, constantly dripping with a trickle of water. Then, all of a sudden, you’ll be walking in mist, again changing the scenery completely. We have walked this trail several times by now, because we keep being impressed by this walk. It´s not a difficult walk: there´s no descending or ascending and you´re basically walking straight ahead, so no need for map reading either. I would definitely recommend this walk for anyone in the mood for a mild, beautiful walk. For those wanting more after arriving at Caldeirão Verde: you can continue the trail to another waterfall, Caldeirão Inferno. This will require some ascending though, and the trail is not always in a great state. So before continuing to Caldeirão Inferno, make sure the remainder of the trail is accessible.

USEFUL INFO

Walking from Quiemadas to Caldeirão Verde and back will take you around four hours. On the trail you will encounter some short tunnels, so bring a flashlight (or phone with flashlight function). This walk is very popular with tourists, and a lot of guided walks come here. If you want to avoid traffic on the trail, best start early in the morning.

ROUTES

Route #22 in Sunflower Guide.

Official trail information by Madeira’s tourist office: PR9.