PR 10 Levada do Furado closed: refunds, SIMplifica bookings and open alternatives

PR 10 Levada do Furado is closed after part of the path collapsed. What it means for your SIMplifica booking, refunds, and open trails nearby in Madeira.

If PR 10 was on your Madeira list this week, check your plans tonight. On Monday 2 November 2026, IFCN, Madeira's forest and nature agency (Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza), said PR 10 Levada do Furado is temporarily closed for safety after part of the path's surface collapsed. A levada is an irrigation channel with a walkable path beside it.

Key facts (checked 3 Nov 2026)
• Status: closed (ENCERRADO) on IFCN's official trail list.
• Closed stretch: Ribeiro Frio to Lamaceiros, per IFCN's trail notices.
• Reopening: no date. IFCN says it will announce it when the path is safe.
• Fee: €4.50 for visitors over 12, booked on SIMplifica; under-12s are exempt.
• Refund rule: IFCN's FAQ offers a refund or a new date when IFCN closes or restricts the trail. Bad weather alone does not count.

We used to treat Furado as one of the big north-east laurel-forest days: long shade, the Ribeiro Frio valley below you, and that first proper view of Penha d'Águia (Eagle Rock) when the cloud lifts. Losing it for a while stings, but nobody should be on a ledge with a broken surface.

What closed, and why

PR 10 follows one of the island's oldest public levadas, 11 km from Ribeiro Frio to Portela, about 5 hours, moderate, according to Visit Madeira, the regional tourism board. IFCN's notice gives the cause as the collapse of part of the path surface between Ribeiro Frio and Lamaceiros. It asks everyone to respect the closure signs and not walk the route while it is shut. DN Madeira, the island's daily paper, reported the same notice on 2 November.

On a narrow levada path, a missing stretch of surface is reason enough to close the whole route until it is repaired.

If you already booked on SIMplifica

Classified PR trails need a booking on SIMplifica, the regional government's online booking portal. IFCN's own FAQ (we checked an archived copy, as the live PDF would not open) says you can get a new date or a refund when IFCN itself closes or restricts the trail. An official closure like this one is exactly that case.

Madeira Journal's summary of the FAQ adds some practical steps that we have not checked against the official FAQ: ask within 10 working days of your booking date, email helpdesk.ifcn@madeira.gov.pt with your tickets and invoice, and for a refund include your bank details (IBAN/SWIFT) and the account holder's name and address. If in doubt, contact IFCN directly at ifcn@madeira.gov.pt or +351 291 145 590. Keep your tickets until it is sorted.

What to walk instead

You don't have to write off the day. These nearby trails were listed ABERTO (open) on IFCN's list on 3 November:

PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões: also starts at Ribeiro Frio. Easy, 1.5 km each way, about 1 hour 30 minutes, to the Balcões viewpoint over the laurel valleys. Same booking system and €4.50 fee. It won't replace an 11 km day, but it keeps you in the same forest.
PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde: another deep laurel-forest levada, from Queimadas. Book on SIMplifica, and take care after rain.
PR 5 Vereda das Funduras: Portela to Maroços, near where Furado ends. Handy if your plans were already aimed at Portela.

Check IFCN's status list the evening before and again in the morning. For the full trail, see our PR 10 page.

What we do while Furado is shut

We don't duck under the tape. A collapsed path is not a photo stop.
We move bookings properly through IFCN rather than turning up and hoping.
We pick a shorter open walk instead of forcing a long day.
After heavy rain, we expect more temporary closures and check before driving up.

Quick answers

Is PR 10 open? No. IFCN lists it as closed (checked 3 November 2026).

When does it reopen? Unknown. IFCN will announce it.

Do I get my fee back? IFCN's FAQ says you can get a refund or a new date when IFCN closes the trail. Contact IFCN with your booking details.

What can I walk from Ribeiro Frio instead? PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões, if it is still listed open when you go.

We'll miss Furado until it's repaired. Until then, leave the closed stretch alone, sort your booking, and enjoy a shorter green day. The forest will still be there.