Caldeirão Verde after the rain: how to walk PR 9 safely this autumn

PR 9 at a glance (IFCN list, updated 2 October 2026):

• Status: ABERTO (open)
• Route: Queimadas – Caldeirão Verde – Caldeirão do Inferno
• Distance: 8.7 km each way (17.4 km there and back)
• Booking: mandatory on SIMplifica
• Emergency: 112

If you have walked the Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR 9), you know why people love it. A narrow path follows the water channel through deep laurel forest, past tunnels and drops, to a tall waterfall falling into a green bowl of rock. Caldeirão Verde means "green cauldron", and it really is that green. Many of us here grew up walking it.

This October it has also been the trail where people keep getting hurt. Here is what happened, why autumn makes a difference, and what we do to come home in one piece.

What happened this month

On 11 October 2026, a 63-year-old German walker fell on the Levada do Caldeirão Verde, in the municipality of Santana, according to DN Madeira and SAPO. The Santana Volunteer Firefighters (Bombeiros Voluntários de Santana) sent eight firefighters and three vehicles to help her. She was suspected of having a sprained leg, and AgoraMadeira reported she was taken to Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça in Funchal.

The same day, the writer of the Madeira Island News blog noted that there had been "a lot of falls this week", and that with the recent rains the paths were "super slippery". One reader replied that he had once fallen off the edge on this levada after stepping aside to let a large group pass in the other direction.

Nine days later, on 20 October, a French walker of about 40 had what DN Madeira described as a small fall, from her own height, at around 4 pm on the same levada. Nine firefighters with three vehicles went in, and she was then lifted out by the Civil Protection (Proteção Civil) helicopter to its base at Pináculo, before an ambulance took her to hospital. Her condition was not thought to be serious.

Two things stand out to me. Neither was a dramatic accident: a slip, a twisted leg. And on a path like this, even a small slip means a big rescue, because nobody can drive to you.

Why autumn makes it harder

The facts first. IFCN, the regional forest and nature agency (Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza), reopened PR 9 on 29 May 2026 after a closure. In its reopening notice it warned that walking trails sit in areas under "strong climatic pressure" and natural erosion, and asked walkers to take special care and follow the safety rules strictly.

Now the local part. The north side of the island, where Queimadas and Caldeirão Verde are, is the wet side. After the first proper autumn rains, the levada wall and the path stay damp for days under the trees. Roots and stones that are easy in August turn slick, mud collects in the dips, and the moss on the rock gets greasy. Add water dripping in the tunnels and a path that is often only one person wide, and a moment of distraction is all it takes.

There is also the crowd. PR 9 is one of the most walked levadas on the island. When groups meet on a narrow ledge, someone has to step aside, often toward the edge. That is exactly the situation the reader described.

How to walk PR 9 more safely this autumn

These are the habits we keep, plus what the official sources ask of us.

Check before you leave, not at the car park. Look at the IFCN trail list and its notices page on the morning you go. The list currently shows PR 9 as open, 8.7 km each way from Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde and Caldeirão do Inferno, but the reopening notice only mentions the Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde section, so read the notice and the signs at the start. When IPMA, the Portuguese weather service, issues a warning, IFCN has closed all classified trails for as long as it lasts, as it did in March and May 2026. DN Madeira reported that ignoring such a closure can mean fines of up to €2,500 for an individual.

Book on SIMplifica, even if you don't pay. Booking on the regional SIMplifica portal is mandatory for classified trails. Residents of Madeira, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more are exempt from the fee but still need to register.

Wear real soles. Boots or trail shoes with grip. We see people on this path in flat trainers and sandals every week, and that is where most slips start.

Bring a headtorch. The tunnels are dark and wet underfoot. A phone torch in one hand leaves only one hand for the wall.

Go early, and leave time. Starting early means fewer people on the narrow parts and no rush on the way back as the light drops under the trees. Turning back at the waterfall with daylight to spare is the plan, not a failure.

Let people pass at a safe spot. If a group is coming, wait where the path is wider, or step to the inside, not the drop side. It is fine to say "one moment" and hold your place.

Tell someone your route. The new trail rules in Portaria 595/2026 ask walkers to check official information, weather and risk alerts, and to tell someone their planned route when possible. If a landslide or obstacle blocks the way, the advice is to turn around and go back the way you came. In an emergency, call 112.

Report what you see. IFCN asks walkers to report fallen rocks, branches or trees across a path. A quick report can save the next person a fall.

A gentler option on a wet day

If the forecast is grey or your knees aren't up for it, there is a short alternative from the same start. PR 9.1, "Um Caminho para todos" ("a path for everyone"), runs 1.9 km from Queimadas to Pico das Pedras and is listed as open. You still get the laurel forest, the moss and the birdsong, without the drops.

Being a good guest on PR 9

The firefighters of Santana are volunteers. Every rescue on this levada takes several of them off the road for hours, sometimes with a helicopter as well. Most of these falls can be avoided with good shoes, a bit of time and some patience on the narrow bits. Walk slowly, let the forest be the point, and the green cauldron will still be there for the next walker, and for us.

FAQ

Is PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde open? Yes. IFCN's list, updated 2 October 2026, shows it as ABERTO. Its May reopening notice names the Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde section, so check the notices page and the signs on the day.

How long is PR 9? 8.7 km each way, so 17.4 km there and back, according to IFCN.

Do I need to book? Yes, on SIMplifica. Residents, children aged 12 or under and people with a disability of 60% or more don't pay but still have to register.

Is there an easier walk from Queimadas? Yes. PR 9.1 "Um Caminho para todos" is 1.9 km to Pico das Pedras and is listed as open.