Caldeirão Verde, the green cauldron
A levada walk from the Queimadas forest above Santana, through four rock tunnels to a waterfall dropping into a pool.
Caldeirão Verde at a glance
A levada walk from Queimadas through laurel forest and four rock tunnels to a waterfall dropping into a pool.
- Where
- Santana, in the forest above the north coast
- From Funchal by car
- about 60 min
- Time to allow
- a day: the official time is 6 h 30
- Trail
- PR9
- Trail booking
- a SIMplifica slot for each walker, €4.50 a person
- Distance, there and back
- 17.4 km
- Walking time, official
- 6 h 30
- Parking at Queimadas
- €2 an hour, the first 30 minutes free, at most €10 a day
Go there with us
- Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei Hiking transfer Your times drop-off and pickup €2151–4
- One-way drop at Queimadas Hiking transfer Your time drop-off €1201–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see
The walk starts in the Queimadas forest park, at a thatched shelter in the Santana style in the Queimadas forest park. From there the PR9 follows an 18th-century levada that carried water to the farmland of Faial, through the laurel forest and along the side of the valley, with 4 short tunnels cut in the rock.
At the end the valley closes into a round green hollow, the Caldeirão Verde, where water falls about 100 m, straight down into the pool. You walk back the same way.
The official trail goes on beyond the pool to Caldeirão do Inferno. That section was closed by landslides (reported May 2026), so plan on turning back at Caldeirão Verde unless IFCN shows it open.
Before you go
- Book a SIMplifica slot for each walker, €4.50 a person. Children 12 and under go free but still need a booking.
- Check the trail status the day before. The PR9 was closed for about two months in spring 2026 to clear rockfalls. Our trail status page shows IFCN's table in English.
- Allow most of a day. The official time is 6 h 30.
- Bring a torch for the four tunnels, a rain layer and water.
- Not up to the full walk? The PR9.1, 1.9 km from Queimadas, about 45 minutes, adapted for reduced mobility or sight, also starts at Queimadas.
Caldeirão Verde with us
With a hiking transfer your driver drops you at Queimadas at your slot time and collects you there when you message near the end, so you don't need a parking space. If you're staying in Santana, Porto da Cruz or Faial, the pickup there adds nothing.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Santana
A north-coast town known for its small triangular houses with thatched roofs and colourful fronts.
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Pico Ruivo
Madeira's highest peak, 1,862 m, reached only on foot: the shortest way is a 2.8 km path from the Achada do Teixeira car park.
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São Jorge
A north-coast parish with a large baroque church, the Calhau sea pools below and a lighthouse on the point.
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Porto da Cruz
A north-east coast village under the Penha d'Águia rock, with sea pools, surf beaches and a steam-driven rum mill.
Caldeirão Verde questions
How long is the Caldeirão Verde walk?
The PR9 is 17.4 km there and back on the official route, 6 h 30 by the official time. That route runs on to Caldeirão do Inferno; turning back at the Caldeirão Verde pool makes it shorter.
Do you need to book the Caldeirão Verde levada?
Yes. The PR9 is a classified trail, so each walker books a SIMplifica slot online, €4.50 a person, children 12 and under free.
Where do you park for Caldeirão Verde?
At the Queimadas forest park, where parking costs €2 an hour, the first 30 minutes free, at most €10 a day. With our drop-off and pickup you don't park at all.
A drop at Queimadas, a pickup at the end
Send us your slot time and where you're staying. We reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the drop time and the price for the car.
Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei €215 per car for 1 to 4 people, €235 for 5 or 6