A delightful, virtually flat 1.5km levada walk through the trees brings you to the Balcões viewing platform with stupendous views of the laurel forests & the mountains beyond. Stay a while to watch the shadows & colours change. Served by buses 103 & 56 from Funchal, journey takes approx. 45 mins.

We went by bus to Ribeiro Frio for a short levada walk, Balcoes de Ribeiro Frio. I'm so old that I wanted an easy walk and this one was suitable for me. It was raining so the trail was a little muddy, but we managed. And at the end of the trail we had an amazing view from the Balcoes viewpoint.

If you are hiking for the first time or if you are looking for a short flat walk then this is for you! This is a short walk that takes you pass a cute cafe that sells snacks and some local produce such as jams, honey, and sugar cane syrup, a viewpoint where you can see some of the tallest peaks in Madeira, and back again. We completed the walk in 60 minutes. This route, also known as PR 11, gets very busy. We arrvived at around midday in mid-July and a few mini buses and a tour bus were already parked up. It's not impossible to park, there are spaces along the road that offer free parking. There are 3 eateries in the area; the first one is Abrigo do Poiso Restaurant which is about a 10 min drive from the staring point of the trail, Snack Bar Flor da Selva which is located on the trail itself and also sells local preserves. The third eatery is Ribeiro Frio Restaurant, is located at the bottom of the hill.

This is a perfect walk for families; 1.5km walk through beautiful scenery to a viewing platform with stunning views. This was our children’s favourite place as the birds were so tame and landed on their hands. What an experience to remember!

Great walk and pretty much flat. Unfortunately it was pouring down when we went but we persevered. The walk itself was lovely through the trees and really cool scenery. Couldn't see anything at the viewpoint apart from a sea of cloud. 1.5k each way. Think it took us about an hour but we weren't moving slow. Stopped for a loo break at the snack shack on the way back (50 cents) but not food or drink. Parked on the road side just down from the entrance. Lots of space although I imagine nicer days or summertime, it fills up. Glad we did it despite not seeing the views. Needed our walking boots, very muddy