Canyon in Madeira
Ribeira da Água d’Alto
Advanced · v4a2 II
Rappels: 4 · Max waterfall: 89 m · Min rope: 50 m
A very short roadside canyon whose whole point is the 89 m waterfall dropping almost to the sea, with stunning views over the ocean on the way up and down and usually many spectators watching from below. A fantastic canyon, but the access path can be more dangerous than the canyon itself.
Current status
As of July 2025Normal flow, all anchors in good condition; the approach handrail is in bad condition. Bear in mind the unstable right-bank slope above R2 to R4 seen in December 2024: check conditions before committing.
Season and flow
Weak in September 2017, January and February 2019; normal in April 2019, August 2019, February 2021, November 2022 and July 2025.
Anchors and re-equipment
On 7 January 2019 a new rebelay was placed in the C89 (R4) so the canyon can be done with 50 m ropes. The anchors were in good order in September 2017, through 2019, in February 2021, in June and November 2022 and in July 2025. In October 2022 one hanger was loose at R4, and the old webbing/small cord linking the bolts is of doubtful quality.
Hazards
Landslide hazard (December 2024). On 4 December 2024 a descent had to be aborted after R1: a landslide had occurred on the right bank towards the anchors, and the slope was very unstable, with trees and rocks about to fall onto the R2, R3 and R4 anchors. The retreat was made by the trail.
Access and exit
Access path. The approach is the crux. The GPS-marked path is hard to follow in dense scrub; an alternative entry lies to the right of the ETAR (sewage plant): up some steps to a white stone wall, along a track to a water tank, then always upstream on the waterfall side until steel cables help across an exposed section: about 10 minutes. Another option is to climb from the black-stone stairs between the two car parks, on the left when facing the waterfall; leaf litter makes one stretch awkward but the cabled section has steps, and it takes 20 minutes or less. The trail was clean in February 2021 and mostly clear with some blackberry in June 2022; thorns were cut back again in November 2022, but they regrow quickly in the upper part. As of July 2025 the handrail on the approach is in bad condition.
Anchors, flow and access change with every storm and every winter. Treat the current status as a snapshot and check the latest conditions before any descent.
Technical data
Official technical sheet
Detailed data, history and technical notes are maintained by Clube Aventura da Madeira on the Canyons da Madeira website.
Nearby and similar canyons
Other sections of the same stream, canyons in the same area, and canyons of a similar grade.