Some of the best walks on the island are detailed in this guide. These were accurate when the book went to press,but conditions change – landslides during the winter months can wipe out sections of path, as can road-building – so check that the walk is still manageable with the local tourist office or your hotel before you set off.
The best walking months are usually July, August and early September, when rain is unlikely and skies are generally clear – and high up, at least, it is not too hot. June is the month most likely to have cloud covering the coasts, while the rainier months can make levada paths slippery. At other times, clouds often form over the mountains in the afternoons, so an early start is the best option.
Levadas
The most famous walking trails on Madeira are the levadas – irrigation canals constructed to channel water from the mountains to lower-lying agricultural land. Some of the levadas have been hacked into the side of sheersided slopes, and they often run through tunnels. Initially the work was done by slaves imported from Portugal’s former colonies in Africa; nowadays high-tech machinery does the job. They have been constructed with an astonishing degree of engineering accuracy, along carefully plotted gradients so that the water flows gently down to where it is needed. Water flow is carefully regulated by a system of sluices operated by the levadeiros – men whose job it is to ensure that different farmers get an equal amount of water to their land and who keep the levadas clean and flowing.
As well as bringing water to farmers, the canals have proved to be ideal walkways, with a network of over 2000km winding across the island at gentle gradients.
Today levada walking has become big business, with several tour companies offering guided levada walks. Though this has had the inevitable effect of removing the solitude from some of the walks, it has had the advantage of encouraging the local government to improve signposting and to provide dangerous sections of levadas with new fencing.
