8 July 2018 Circular walk via the Levada do Moinho da Serra, Cascata Madre de Agua, Levada dos Tornos and Levada Nova de Santa Cruz

Course

Start in Bemposta at the old watermill Moinho do Janeiro at the end of the Levada do Moinho da Serra. Follow the levada past the old watermill Moinho das Eiras, the old watermill Moinho Rua das Levadas and the imposing old watermill Moinho Estrada dos Moinhos to the Madre below Ponta de Roma. Continue in the bed of the Ribeira de Santa Cruz to the waterfall Cascata Madre de Agua, return to the bridge and climb to the Levada dos Tornos, as far as the waterfall at the end. Descend to the bed of the Ribeira de Santa Cruz and onto the Levada Nova de Santa Cruz. To the Madre and on in the stream bed to the waterfalls, then on the levada in the direction of the flow through the ravines of the Ribeira do Moreno and, after crossing the ER 207, through the ravines of the Ribeiro Seco and the Ribeira do Lugarinho to the end at the Capela das Cardais. Back on the levada to the ER 207 and on that road back to the start.

Distance: 21.6 km, 460 m of ascent, 460 m of descent

Start: 10.00 Bemposta

End

17.40 Bemposta

Condition

The Levada do Moinho da Serra is easy to walk until shortly before the Madre; before Ponte de Roma it becomes a little exposed. To reach the Madre you either go through the small tunnel under the bridge or scramble up the slippery trodden path onto the gravel track.

The path in the stream bed to the Cascata Madre de Agua is a little exposed and slippery in 2 places.

The climb to the Levada dos Tornos is on an unofficial path across private land.

The descent to the Levada Nova de Santa Cruz is, as always, slippery and in places steep.

The Levada Nova de Santa Cruz is wide at first, in places exposed with no protection, narrow and exposed in 2 places in the valley of the Ribeira do Morena, then straightforward to the end.

The path from the ER 207 to the end was officially closed because of work in the forest, but as it was Sunday we were able to pass without trouble.

Remarks

The area around the Madre of the Levada do Moinho da Serra and the Cascata Madre de Agua, and also the Madre of the Levada Nova de Santa Cruz, is very idyllic. We had already done the short circuit in 2014 (Walk 2014).