Up in the Trees Madeira MadeiraAday Hikes September 28, 2024 Having been thwarted last week in my attempts to revisit a couple of trails I found in the hills above Funchal, I finally found one that was open and provided a considerable amount of “tree time.” Like most of the trails around here, this one follows an irrigation weir, known as a levada. This one is quite long. I followed it for about four miles, and at least one reference puts the total length at eight miles. Irrigation weir flowing through the forest
Levada Arch There's a levada (small canal or weir for water) way up the hill from where I'm staying. I explored part of it earlier in the week. I wasn't too impressed but decided to take another look. As is often the case with such things, the path became much more interesting just past the point where I turned back before.
Levada Bridge One of the top reasons I'm liking Madeira so much is that I can walk along the ocean one day and then hike up in the forests the next. All without a car or a long commute. I had planned on redoing this walk along the Levada dos Tournos today.
Spooky House The area where I'm staying west of central Funchal is very new, full of modern hotels and apartment blocks. But, as in almost any neighborhood around the world, there's always that one house. This place is probably close to 100 years old.
Sunrise with Cruise Ship Walked east instead of west this morning and caught the sun just above the horizon as a cruise ship was pulling into the harbor. When I was here in the spring, there was a cruise ship in town almost every day, but now that the season is winding down, it seems there's only one ship a week.
Camara de Lobos The “traditional fishing village” of Camara de Lobos is just a three kilometer walk along an ocean path from the apartment where I'm staying. Since it is so close to Funchal, the place is a bit more touristy that they would have you believe, but it still retains a lot of charm, and with it so close it makes a good morning walk before I get online for work.