Canyon in Madeira
Ribeira das Galinhas
Intermediate · v3a2 II
Rappels: 14 · Max waterfall: 20 m · Min rope: 20 m
A nice little canyon, quite interesting and worth doing for its setting and the beauty of its waterfalls. The start is slightly dirty and the water quickly turns brown, improving in the second half where the rappels are nicer and the canyon narrower. The constant blemish is rubbish from start to finish and poor water quality.
Current status
As of February 2026Do not go: the exit levada has collapsed and there is no way out. Before that, in April to May 2025, the canyon had very high flow, a huge rockfall after R12 with the R13 anchor destroyed, and rubbish everywhere.
Season and flow
Good levels in mid to late December, a good time to visit; very high flow in April 2025, when a single bolt was added on a downclimb (river left) to cope with the water.
Anchors and re-equipment
Re-equipped in 2021; anchors are doubled but not certified. In April 2025 an enormous rockfall after R12 left rocks and boulders up to 3 m high over a 30 m stretch, destroying the R13 anchor: the remains of a tree on river right serve for a 12 m descent.
Hazards
The massive rockfall zone after R12; thorn bushes in places: bring garden shears.
Access and exit
The new road to Jardim do Mar makes the drive much shorter, and the accesses were clean in December 2023. Critically, in February 2026 the exit levada collapsed and it is IMPOSSIBLE to exit: the canyon is now closed with no exit possible.
Official notes
The canyon is closed (interdito). There is no possible exit at the moment.
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.