Calheta
PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento, graded Easy and mostly uphill
The short answer
PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento is a short spur off the Rabaçal network descending to a waterfall and pool. IFCN grades it Easy and charges the standard trail fee with a booked timeslot. The descent is the pleasant half; the climb back out is the reason people underestimate it.
Trail fee, per person over twelve
€4.50
Booked as a dated timeslot on the SIMplifica portal. Free for ages twelve and under, who still have to be on the booking.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails in one day
€9.00
SIMplifica applies whichever rate is cheapest at checkout. PR1 is excluded.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Calheta |
|---|---|
| Type | Walks and levadas |
| How long | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | €4.50 |
| Best season | Spring, when the fall carries most water |
| Permit | Yes — book before you go |
The walk
The spur runs 1.8 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 each way from the Casa de Abrigo do Rabaçal down to the Lagoa do Vento, and the tourism board gives 1 hour 30 minutes, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 for the round trip. The destination is a waterfall dropping into a pool at the head of the valley.
It is graded Easy. The grading describes the terrain, not the shape of the day: everything gained on the way down has to be given back on the way up.
Pairing it with the other Rabaçal trails
PR6.3 leaves from the same shelter as PR6 and PR6.1, and it is short enough to add to either. Two or more trails in one day are charged at €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 rather than €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each, and SIMplifica applies the cheaper rate automatically.
Every trail still has to be reserved individually for a specific date and slot. The combined rate is a price, not a freedom pass.
What is not perfect about it
Graded Easy, but it is a there-and-back descent, which means the second half is a climb at the end of a day that usually already included PR6. People who read the grading and not the profile find that out at the bottom.
Questions people actually ask
Is Lagoa do Vento an easy walk?
IFCN grades it Easy. It is also a descent followed by a climb of the same height, taken at the end of a day that usually started with PR6.
Can it be combined with the 25 Fontes walk?
Yes, and the combined rate of €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 covers two or more trails in a day. Both still need their own timeslot booked on SIMplifica.
Where this came from
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Governo Regional da Madeira: SIMplifica — reserva de percursos pedestres classificados. simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259 Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR6.3 Vereda da Lagoa do Vento. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.