Serra D'Agua Valley Levada walk

This particular walk is approx 5.5km but only climbs 80m throughout the length due to the way the levadas wind around the hillside.Marina a gone off searching for whales and dolphins so I joined a guided tour, made up mostly of pensioners .

Our guide  was very knowledgeable of the flora and fauna and showed us a different side of life in Madeira.





Serra D'Agua is described as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, well they do have to sell the tours I suppose? A bold statement perhaps but from here you can see the South coast, Encumeada, Ribeira Brava and Campanario.
Today we are walking just 5km of the 65km route and naturally it is the most beautiful part.

Pinus pinaster and Eucalyptus globulus, are widespread in the surrounding woodland. When sugar cane was a major crop, timber was used to make the sugar mills. Soil  erosion has become a serious problem in the south of the island, where logging and overgrazing has intensively destroyed vegetation cover. The trees mentioned play an important part in holding everything together if that is not too technical an explanation?

Our weary traveller

I enjoyed the walk and would like to have gone further really . I'm not sure the others would have agreed as they were mostly pensioners and were blowing a bit by the end.

It's true the views were spectacular and it's amazing how they farm on the side of a mountain in very challenging circumstances. We stopped off on the way back at a small cafe for a cheeky ' Pastel de Nata' and I was severely tempted by the 'Bolo De Mel' too I can tell you !