Two weeks ago I was on Madeira island. It was my 2nd visit to the island and certainly not the last one. My 1st visit was in 2010 and since then I really wanted to return and do a levada walk. Levadas are small irrigation canals created from the 15th century onwards and aimed to carry and distribute water from the rainier areas on the north side of the south side of the island. Nowadays, they still carry water and are also hiking trails and one of the most propular activities on the island.
There are more than 200 levadas and I decided to do the Levada of the 25 Fontes (fountains). I ended up doing this and also Levada do Risco, whose rails start on the regional road (E.R.110). In fact it was not possible to complete the Levada das 25 Fontes due to the heavy rain .... we did not reach the 25 Fontes lagoon. Still, despite the heavy rain, it was a beautiful and great experience and one day I'll go back to see the 25 fountains.
With this walk I visited another Portuguese UNESCO site, the Laurissilva Forest.
Dima * Fotografia: Ángel Hernández
The Levada das 25 Fontes is one of the most famous on the entire island of Madeira. The origin of the name is due to the fact that 25 springs can be counted on the spot.
The trail of about 11 kilometers, lasts 3 hours, and it reveals amazing landscapes with an immense variety of local species of flora and fauna.
The 25 Fontes levada, which is also known as Levada Nova do Rabaçal, began to be built in 1835. On 16 September 1855 water ran through the levada for the first time, running from North to South and making it possible to make use of lots of land which had so far lain fallow in the Calheta municipal area.
This area includes the Madeiran laurisilva forest which has classified as a Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO, since December 1999 and is part of the European network of important community sites - Natura 2000. - in: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/explore/detalhe/pr6--pr6-1-levada-das-25-fontes-levada-do-risco
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