4 May 2019 Opening loop on the Caniço Trail around Garajau

Course

From the Estrada do Cristo Rei, first west and then to the Cristo Rei statue. Climb on the Estrada da Garajau into the centre of Garajau and, on the Rua do Figueiral and the Impasse do Figueiral, to the geodetic marker. From the geocache description we learned a lot about the various classes of geodetic marker. Here, and later in Livramento as well, we kept coming across terminal branches of the Levada do Blandy or, possibly, terminal branches from the large reservoirs of the Levada dos Tornos.

From here, descend to the Estrada da Garajau and follow it to Livramento, then the Rua Joao Batista de Sa into the western centre of Canico. There we met the Levada da Azenha. Along it, against the flow, to the Relogio de Agua, which is quite ruined, and to the well-preserved feeder channel of the Moinho da Vargem.

On the Levada da Azenha, in the direction of the flow, over the bridge of the Ribeira da Ponte da Oliveira to the water reservoir and on to the end above the motorway.

Here I had a brief look at the stream underpass of the Ribeira do Livramento, which one of the walking groups we have watched once used as a way through.

Descend on a field path and, a little further down, over the motorway bridge of the Estrada da Garajau. From here, on field paths and levadas to the next cross street, and a little further down again on a field path over the bridge across the Ribeirinho da Abegoaria to the Caminho da Boca da Cal. Straight on, on a path to the Estrada Nova da Garajau, and back to the start.

Distance: 8.2 km, 300 m of ascent, 300 m of descent

Start: 15.25 Garajau

End

18.15 Garajau

Condition

Mostly very good field paths or roads. The stream crossing of the Ribeirinho da Abegoaria is a little slippery.

Remarks

The Canico Trail, which we followed in part, is a geocache power trail with about 20 geocaches. The field paths are also part of a trail run (waymarks).