”Fall” for the Levada do Moinho, in Porto Moniz

Levada do Moinho, also known as Levada Grande, is one of the references of the parish of Achadas da Cruz. With the cable car, it is of the major attractions of the parish, both in terms of its history, its agriculture and its ethnography.

Recently rehabilitated by the council of Porto Moniz it was originally built by the area’s farmers, and was used to feed the various mills existing there. Today there’s only one left, in Achadas da Cruz, where one can see the signs of this past. This is a walk that mostly takes place within Madeira’s native laurisilva forest, and always accompanied by the stream.

Prepare for various sensations. These will occur on both sides of the path and multiply, with the relaxing sounds of the water, as your footsteps go along the way.

Continue on the path, following the water towards the next sign, where the levada goes down the valley and wooden steps give all the safety necessary for the walk. Even so, pay attention to the presence of water that can make the path slippery – so a good choice of shoes is important.

And this is where the scenery changes. Light increases as we leave the densely forested laurisilva, here replaced by lighter vegetation that allows us to enjoy a view over the parish of Achadas da Cruz.

Go down one more flight of steps, even though the levada just threads on.

This will get you to the Moinho das Achadas (Achadas’ mill), where you can enjoy the historical heritage of the place by watching the small channels there. Open the gate in front of you and go along the small cascades and lagoons that form in the river, in a dance perfectly matched with the laurisilva forest, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1999. Follow the marked path, and concentrate on the promenade along the tilled fields and earthen paths, eventually reaching a levada that follows the road.

The walk finished at the Caminho dos Moinhos, at Junqueira.

More informations click HERE.

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