Trails
Levada Fajã do Rodrigues (PR16)
Tunnels and waterfalls from Ginjas into the Ribeira do Inferno
The place
Levada Fajã do Rodrigues is the official PR16, an out-and-back walk in the municipality of São Vicente. It is 3.9 km each way, and IFCN puts the round trip at about 3 hours 30 minutes. The path starts at Ginjas and follows the walkway of the levada, also known as the Levada Fajã da Ama, which runs at around 600 m; the whole route stays between 600 m and 630 m.
The channel takes its water from the bed of the Ribeira do Inferno, the stream that divides Seixal from São Vicente, and winds over ridges and small valleys to Rosário, to water the fields of São Vicente. The first stretch passes planted pines and eucalyptus before the laurissilva, the laurel forest UNESCO listed in 1999, closes in. Waterfalls, tunnels and views over the São Vicente valley follow one another, and the walk ends where the levada begins, in the Ribeira do Inferno.
Highlights
- Tunnels and waterfalls along a level levada at about 600 m.
- The change from pine and eucalyptus to laurissilva near the start.
- Views over the São Vicente valley.
- The source of the levada in the bed of the Ribeira do Inferno.
When to come
A dry spell, when the waterfalls still run but the path and the tunnels are not streaming.
Getting there
Start at Ginjas, in the hills above São Vicente on the north coast, and come back the same way. Taxis in São Vicente: +351 291 842 238.
Worth knowing
- Booking and fee: pay through SIMplifica; €4.50 in 2026 for visitors over 12, with children 12 and under exempt.
- Distance and time: 3.9 km each way, 7.8 km in all, about 3 hours 30 minutes there and back.
- Tunnels: IFCN's trailhead panel says to carry a torch.
- Caution: IFCN warns of a danger of vertigo on this route.
- Heights: between 600 m and 630 m, so the walking is level.
- Status: open on the IFCN list on 3 November 2026; check IFCN or SIMplifica before you go.
