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Cascada Ãgua D’alto Waterfall Hike On Madeira

Jackson Groves

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Categories MADEIRA, HIKING, PORTUGAL

Cascada Ãgua D’alto Waterfall Hike On Madeira

The Cascada Água D’alto waterfall hike on Madeira Island is a short walk following a levada to an impressive waterfall. This used to be a popular spot but the trail is now pretty wild and not maintained but easy to follow. The waterfall at the halfway point of the out-and-back route is one of the most impressive waterfalls on Madeira. It’s just a short hike with 3 kilometers in total for the return trip to the waterfall with less than 100 meters of incline.

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CASCADA ÁGUA D’ALTO WATERFALL HIKE DETAILS

  • Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike was 3 kilometers.
  • Hike Duration: The hike will take you about one hour including a quick pitstop at the waterfall to enjoy the views..
  • Hike Difficulty: The trail was pretty easy as it followed a levada for most of the route. However, it was very overgrown and slippery with some rocks in parts. It’s not an easy walk but fairly straightforward. It’s not an official trail but the hiking paths are clear on the free maps.me app.
  • My hiking guide: I did this hike with a local guide (also a great friend) called João. He’s lived in Madeira his whole life and knows all of the unique trails (not just the popular ones). This trail requires some local knowledge of the directions so I recommend a guide. Want to contact João to be your guide for this hike or any of the hikes I’ve done on Madeira? You can contact him on Instagram here: João Let’s Hike or by email: [email protected]
  • Hike Incline: Total incline for the hike was less than 100 meters.

HOW TO GET TO CASCADA ÁGUA D’ALTO WATERFALL HIKE

The Cascada Água D’alto waterfall is near the north-eastern coast of Madeira Island. I visited this on the day that I hiked Levada do Caldeirão Verde as it was good to combine the two spots on a trip from Funchal. It’s about a 40-minute drive from Funchal when you use the highway. The waterfall is marked below on the Google Map. However, use maps.me app to see the clear hiking trail to the waterfall. Park near CAM do Lombo Galego 1A bus stop to begin the hike. There is a small wooden sign at the entrance to the path.

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MY EXPERIENCE AT THE CASCADA ÁGUA D’ALTO WATERFALL HIKE

On the way to the Levada do Caldeirão Verde hike, we thought why not stop off at this short waterfall hike? With a quick look at the Maps.me app, we could see a short route from the road to hike in and find the waterfall. Once we parked, we could actually see the top of the waterfall from the road so we knew we were in the right spot. The trail has only one turn. You follow a path in between two houses and then when you reach the levada, take a left turn and follow the levada all the way through to the waterfall.

The trail was pretty wild with vines and grass flowing over the levada path. At times it was so thick it was hard to see where to step at all. Our shoes and socks were absolutely soaked because of the soggy grass so that’s something to keep in mind. We had to do the entire Caldeirão Verde hike with wet socks and shoes.

It’s just a short 1.5-kilometer journey into the waterfall and when you arrive, you will almost certainly be the only one at the waterfall. At the end of the canyon, completely surrounded by thick greenery stands a massive waterfall pouring down into a small pool.

We were quite lucky when we visited this waterfall. It had been rainy all morning with heavy cloud cover making it quite a gloomy day. However, for just a brief 5-minute window the sun shone through and created an incredible rainbow directly on the waterfall. This is definitely an off-beat adventure where you won’t find any crowds but you will find one of the most beautiful waterfalls on Madeira Island.

I hope you enjoyed this short guide to the Cascada Água D’alto waterfall hike on Madeira Island. Happy hiking and stay safe out there.

WONDERING ABOUT WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA?

Throughout my six months on Madeira Island, I stayed in multiple accommodations. My favorite regions to stay in were Funchal and Canico de Baixo. I’ve created several guides to help you find the right region for you and a great hotel or apartment.

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HAVE YOU READ MY OTHER MADEIRA BLOGS?

I spent six months exploring Madeira and the nearby island of Porto Santo. These are some of my most popular guides about the region that you may be interested in.

Margarida

Monday 5th of October 2020

Fantastic. Never been there. Great photos.