We went with Madeira Explorers to the walk to Caldo Verde. Pick up on time, comfortable mini bus to go to the start of the walk. The guide was very kind, speaking English, German and French (at least), very competent, took great care of all the people walking, and provided many information and advices

We have walked many levadas and mountains in Madeira in the past and always without a guide. But this year we wanted to get to places where buses dont go and Taxi would be very expensive, so we used the services of Madeira Explorers.
Our first walk was to Rabacal / Risco / 25 Fontes we were picked up at 9.00 and first stop was the Jungle Cafe on the Plateau of Paul da Serra for coffee or toilet just 15minutes or so. We walked for two hours with regular stops for photos and information on birds, plants and history of the area from our fantastic guide we had lunch at the 25 Fontes just.. loved it . walked another two hours back to the mini bus, this included a walk through a very long but large tunnel which takes water to the south of the island. They do give you a torch but its not that good, we did have our own head torch which is very bright and able to see much better.

We enjoyed the experience so much we booked another walk in the same area. "The Lakes of Madeira" This walk is not one you will find in the guide books we had the same guide which was great and the oldest levada on the Plateau was an unforgettable experience.

Next time we come to Madeira we will use the company again. Overall the cost of the guided walks cost less that doing the same walks using a taxi.

Brilliant. The guide was excellent. If you are a regular walker this walk through the mountains above the clouds is a memorable experience with spectacular views. It is a little challenging in places and my legs ached for two days afterwards, but well worth it. The guide was informative, helpful and very knowledgable. I hope to do it again next year!

I would highly recommend Madeira Explorers for those who have not rented a car but wish to do levada walking. The tours are good value (about €25 pp for a half day and €36 pp for a full day) given that it includes the transport to and from the levada (which could be at the other side of the island) as well as the informative guided walk. We did two of these walks, Referta and The Lakes of Madeira, both of which were very enjoyable and not too challenging.