We already had spent a bit of time walking along a levada in Funchal – this however now would be our first true levada hiking experience.

Levadas are irrigation channels diverting water from the wet Northern side of the island to the drier South. Madeira has a whole system or network of levadas – some going back centuries. They typical come with a very moderate slope, with just a few meters of elevation loss over distances of kilometers. Today the levadas – or rather the maintenance paths next to them – are popular with hikers, as they make perfect, near-even trails with often amazing views.

Today our bus got us from sea level up to about 430m – to start our hike along the Levada da Ribeira da Janela – featuring views of Ribeira da Janela. We walked a good 5km until we reached a tunnel, to then – after (for the brave ones) checking the other side of the tunnel – make the same way back.

We left Funchal after the wine tasting – and made our way to Porto Moniz – a trip literally to the other side of the island – straight to the North Coast on the island’s West side – a drive of a good 60km, done in less than 1,5 hours.

Most prominent feature of Porto Moniz are the Natural Swimming Pools, which are the remains of volcanic activity (plus a bit of human help, to transform the natural pools into a safe environment) – water is sea water – and with waves flowing over the pool walls there is constant flow of fresh (sea) water.