Levada do Moinho (PR 7): closed by the forest service, and what to walk instead
The forest service has this one closed. The status panel below is read from the IFCN table at every build and re-checked when you open the page, so you can see the current answer before you drive west.
- Status
- ClosedClosed. IFCN table dated 14 September 2026 · checked by islandmadeira.com 24 September 2026 at 21:19, Madeira time.Fetch the current trail status from the IFCN page; one live request per 30 minutes for the whole site, otherwise the last check is shown.
- Length
- 10.5 kmIFCN table, Ribeira da Cruz to Lamaceiros.The board at the start gives 10.3 km, Ribeira da Cruz (ER101) to Junqueira.
- Time on the board
- 3 h 30One way, as printed on the panel at the start.
- Highest and lowest point
- 940 m and 504 m
- Start and finish
- Ribeira da Cruz (ER101) to JunqueiraFrom the route board at the start.
- Fee
- €4.50 per person, booked onlineBooking on the SIMplifica portal, fees as of 2 June 2026. Free for children aged 12 or under, for Madeira residents with their resident card and citizen card, and for anyone with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion. All of them still need a booking.
- At the start
- information board, bus stop at Ribeira da Cruz
- Coordinates
- Start 32.82934, -17.20838
Finish 32.85532, -17.17756From the IFCN route board, decimal degrees - Weather now
- 24.9 °C at Porto Moniz, 6 m
18.8 °C at Pico do Areeiro, 1,818 mThe two IPMA stations we show for this route, the nearest one and the island’s mountain station, observed 24 September 2026 at 20:00, Madeira time
The IFCN table lists this route as closed. What follows describes the walk and the booking rules for when it opens again.
Warnings come from IPMA by zone, not by trail. A yellow warning for fog, wind or thunderstorms is a reason to check the route status and the sky before you set off, and the forest service closes paths on its own schedule. Station readings.
The status, before anything else
PR 7 sits in the IFCN table as closed. The panel at the top of this page carries that status and the date of the table. It re-checks when you open the page.
A closed route is closed until the forest service says otherwise. There is no small print that makes it walkable in the meantime, and the portal will not sell you a slot for it.
What the walk is when it opens
The board at the start gives 10.3 km from Ribeira da Cruz to Junqueira and allows 3 h 30. The IFCN table pairs a different figure with a different finish: 10.5 km to Lamaceiros. Both are the forest service, and the panel above shows the table's pair.
The path starts on the ER101 by the Ribeira da Cruz stream, the line between Porto Moniz and Calheta. Walk a short way against the flow and you reach one of the springs that feed the channel.
Further on, at Portas da Vila, the route reaches the regional road and carries on towards the Santa forest post, where it picks the levada up again. The channel splits into branches that feed irrigation tanks in the fields.
It ends at Caminho dos Moinhos in Junqueira. The name is the point: water mills once stood along this levada.
Two lengths, two finishes
The IFCN table and the IFCN board do not say the same thing. The table gives 10.5 km and ends the route at Lamaceiros. The board at the start gives 10.3 km and ends it at Junqueira.
We show the table's pair in the panel and the board's pair here. Plan on the longer figure.
What to walk instead
Three marked routes sit within a short drive of the same corner, and their status today is in the list below.
The Vereda da Ribeira da Janela is the short one, 2.7 km. The Levada dos Cedros runs 7.2 km from Fanal. The Vereda do Fanal crosses the plateau for 10.8 km. Each one's status today is in the list below.
Fee and booking
Most classified routes cost €4.50 per person, booked online on the SIMplifica portal. PR 1 is the exception at €10.50. A day covering two or more routes is €9.00, three days €22.50 and seven days €52.50, and none of those includes PR 1.
Children aged 12 or under walk free, and so do Madeira residents with their resident card and citizen card. Both still need a booking. A closed route cannot be booked at all.
What the route board asks
- Some parts of this footpath can be slippery, so wear non-slip footwear.
From the IFCN board at the start of the route. Taxis listed on the board: +351 291 852 243.
Routes next door
Vereda da Ribeira da Janela PR 15
open2.7 km, Curral Falso to Ribeira da Janela
Levada dos Cedros PR 14
open7.2 km, Fanal to Curral Falso
Vereda do Fanal PR 13
open10.8 km, Paul da Serra to Fanal
Status from the IFCN table, re-read at every build and again in your browser.
Questions before you go
Is the Levada do Moinho open?
No. PR 7 is closed in the forest service table, and the status panel at the top of this page shows the current reading with the date of the table it came from.
How long is PR 7 Levada do Moinho?
The board at the start gives 10.3 km from Ribeira da Cruz to Junqueira and allows 3 h 30. The IFCN table gives 10.5 km and ends the route at Lamaceiros.
Why do the distances differ?
The table and the board are both IFCN and they pair different numbers with different finishes: 10.5 km to Lamaceiros in the table, 10.3 km to Junqueira on the board. Plan on the longer figure.
What can I walk instead near Porto Moniz?
The Vereda da Ribeira da Janela, 2.7 km downhill to the village; the Levada dos Cedros, 7.2 km from Fanal through the laurel forest; and the Vereda do Fanal, 10.8 km across the plateau. Today's status for each is in the list on this page.
How much does a levada walk cost?
€4.50 per person for most routes, booked online on SIMplifica; PR 1 costs €10.50. Two or more routes in a day cost €9.00. Children aged 12 or under and Madeira residents with their cards go free, and still book.
Where does PR 7 start?
At Ribeira da Cruz on the ER101, on the boundary between Porto Moniz and Calheta. The board there lists a taxi number, which is what you have for the return from the far end.
Sources
- IFCN, table of classified routes: status and length. IFCN table dated · checked by islandmadeira.com ; re-read every few hours.
- IFCN, route board PR 7 at the start of the route: distance, time, heights, description and cautions, read 20 September 2026.
- IFCN, fees and bookings FAQ, updated 2 June 2026, read 14 September 2026.
Who checked this
Roman Antonov, editor. The status comes from the forest service table, the figures from the board at the start of the route and the fee rules from the IFCN FAQ, each with its date above. If something on the ground has changed, tell me.
Tour links go to Viator, where we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not change which walks are listed. How we earn.