Canyoning in Madeira: Levels, Canyons and the IFCN Licence

How The Licence Works

The SIMplifica service is called Licença para a prática de Canyoning and is run by IFCN. It issues a licence to practise canyoning in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The request asks you to pick the route you will descend.

The cost section of the service reads Não se aplica, which means no fee is listed. If your route is not on SIMplifica, IFCN says to email [email protected]. The legal basis is DLR 35/2008/M on recreational and sporting activities in forest areas.

• Pick your canyon route on the SIMplifica licence service.
• No fee is listed for the service.
• Routes missing from SIMplifica go through [email protected].
• IFCN always recommends a guide who knows the area.

What The Official Pages Do Not Say

The official pages do not say whether a client on a guided trip needs a licence of their own. Nobody publishes that answer, so ask the operator directly whether the licence for the day's canyon is in place before you go. The official pages also publish no official difficulty scale, no official minimum age and no accident or rescue statistics.

If something goes wrong the emergency number is 112, the Proteção Civil line is +351 291 700 112 and IFCN answers on +351 291 145 590 on working days between 09:00 and 17:30. Treating those gaps as facts to check rather than things to guess is the honest way to plan a descent.

What Level 2 Means On The Trip We List

The listing for the Intermediate Canyoning Adventure (Level 2) by Fast Rope Madeira describes jumps, slides and rappels down a canyon near Curral das Freiras. That description is what level 2 means on this specific product, not a regional standard. Another operator's level 2 could be easier or harder.

• Ask the operator how many rappels and jumps the route has and what the biggest one is.
• Ask what happens if you want to skip a jump. Not stated in the listing, so it is a fair question.
• Ask whether the licence for the canyon is in place. See the licence section.

What The Officials Do Grade

IFCN says the canyons have different difficulty levels and that canyons exist for beginners and professionals, but the agency publishes no scale of its own on the pages we checked. Visit Madeira grades individual routes in words. Ribeira Bonito is moderate, Ribeira da Hortelã is considered difficult.

Those two words are the closest thing to an official grading we found.

Use the table to pick a canyon that matches your group. Beginners should ask operators which of these they guide at an easy grade, since Visit Madeira grades in words only.

Ribeiro Bonito In Figures

Ribeiro Bonito is the one canyon on the list with a full published data sheet on Visit Madeira. It sits in Santana municipality inside the Laurissilva forest, and the exit runs up to the Levada do Rei, which you can also walk on its own. The table gathers every number Visit Madeira publishes about the descent.

The rule of thumb from Visit Madeira is simple. In summer the north-side rivers carry more water and are the most appealing. In winter the south-side rivers are advisable because they are quieter.

Curral das Freiras sits in the island's interior, and the level 2 listing there says the trip runs rain or shine, so a guided descent is not a summer-only plan. If rain puts you off the river entirely, Madeira has indoor options too, see our rainy day in Madeira page.

Conditions In The Listing

The listing asks guests over 50 to contact the operator before booking. Good body mobility is required. The trip is not suitable for wheelchair users.

It runs rain or shine, so dress for a wet day in the mountains. A certified guide speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish, and insurance is included.

• Full high-quality canyoning equipment including shoes is included. You do not need to buy gear.
• Photos and videos are included, so you can leave your own camera behind.
• Transport from Funchal is included in the $66.00 listing price.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
• The listing does not state a group size.

The Two Figures Worth Comparing

The two adrenaline options on this page price out very differently, and the table says how. Our sums divide the listed price by the listed duration.

Five points, each ending with its source in brackets.

• The sport is younger than you think. Canyoning began on Madeira around the 1990s, brought by French enthusiasts, and by 2000 about 40 canyons were already equipped. [IFCN canyoning page]
• The official paperwork is free. The SIMplifica licence service lists no fee, though the request asks you to name your route. [SIMplifica licence service]
• The famous level 1 to 4 scale is not law. It is the operators' grading, and Visit Madeira grades routes only in words like moderate and difficult. [Visit Madeira canyoning and the IFCN canyoning page]
• Ribeiro Bonito, a moderate canyon, ends at the Levada do Rei trail, so a descent and a levada walk share the same exit path. [Visit Madeira, Ribeiro Bonito]
• The Laurissilva forest that many canyons cross has been UNESCO World Natural Heritage since December 1999. [IFCN trail board PR18]

Pick the row that matches your fitness and your appetite for ropes. Our pick for a first visit is the guided morning near Curral das Freiras, because transport from Funchal is included and the trip is half a day.

The level 2 trip near Curral das Freiras runs 4 hours per the listing with transport from Funchal included, so it fills a morning and still leaves an afternoon. Curral das Freiras village is minutes from the meeting point, and the drive back to Funchal sets you up for an evening in the city. Book about 2 days ahead, since the departure time is fixed at booking.