We got picked up at the hotel |(eventually) at 8:45ish. We had hoped to go on the 25 waterfall hike recommended by Stuart and Elaine but unfortunately this was shut due to high winds so we soon had to turn back and we’re offered an alternative route by the tour company on the west of the island. This proved to be a great idea because we had a fantastic 12 km long walk on the Canical levada route with a small group and a very knowledgeable guide who pointed out a lot of interesting facts about the plants. (A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the Portuguese Atlantic region of Madeira.)
The greenery and vegetation was stunning. The highlight for me (Sue) was the beautiful mimosa trees with their fluffy yellow blooms. I had never seen so many before! There were also giant tree ferns and Japanese plum trees along the path.
Vegetables and herbs were plentiful and growing on every available bit of terracing. Amongst others, we saw sweet potato flowers, potatoes, prickly pears, small melons, avocados, pipinela (water pumpkin) so called in Portuguese as it is beneficial for your kidneys, banana, banana papaya and wild garlic.
There was also a lot of fennel – funcho in Portuguese. The city Funchal gained its name from the impressive amount of fennel (funcho in the Portuguese language) growing in this valley, and that led João Goncalves Zarco, who arrived here in 1420, to award it the name Funchal.
There were some fences with balls of cotton and tar attached to them and also some metal structures raised from the ground with some of the same. These were used traditionally so light the way for incoming ships and had in fact served for this purpose for Columbus on one of his voyages. It is now tradition for these to be lit annually on Columbus Day and provides an impressive spectacle.
Various small shrines also punctuated the route, one of these is pictured below. Many of them had makeshift roofs on them made from anything from plastic sheeting to used wine bags. The structure of the levadas was such that water trickled down the hill into the Levada channels, so these roofs were necessary to protect the little figurines from the rain. The structure also meant that there was fantastic lush vegetation on every surface.
We struck it lucky with the weather and most of the walk was spent in beautiful sunshine. It was very impressive to look across the valley and see all the ingenuity used in the extensive terracing of the very steep slopes. We did need our raincoats on a couple of occasions, but generally there was a very light drizzle combined with the sunshine which made it almost perfect conditions for walking in the heat.
The Levadas are quite inspired as the act as long as reservoirs around the hills at on level. They collect the water and stop it eroding the soil and it can then be used to water the terraced crops up and down the steep but fertile slopes of the hills. It also means the walks are flat!!!
When we got back, we had a nice shower and a little siesta. We had made a reservation in the à la carte restaurant of our hotel, so decided to get dressed for dinner. Given our disappointment with the hotel buffet, we did not have high expectations. We were pleasantly surprised, however, as the menu was absolutely brilliant and the food and atmosphere were both of a very high-quality. This was all included so we only had to pay for a glass of wine each. Result! We very quickly went to reception and booked in there for another night later in the week. It was so nice that we had to do that cringeworthy thing and take photos of all our food. 🙂
