17 May 2019 To finish: 5 levadas in Ponta do Sol

Course

I met Issi and Piet at the banana washing station, or rather the uninspired roundabout at the end of the road in the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol, for the farewell walk of my 2019 stay. From here, on the stepped path and the trodden path, straight up to the Levada do Coronel, briefly in the direction of flow to the first road crossing, and back again. Quite a lot of work has been done since our 2013 walk. I have not yet seen the railings at the first exposed spot, nor the access track from the valley floor. The levada bed has also been completely renewed as far as the second Madre.

As far as the second Madre the path is well maintained, though in places quite exposed. After the second Madre comes a short stretch that is heavily overgrown and a little awkward to walk. It is only about 30 metres, though; after that it gets distinctly better again. We did of course ask ourselves what the point of it might be. My theory is that walkers who get as far as the second Madre are deliberately not to be encouraged to continue on the levada, because further on it becomes distinctly more demanding.

You have the impression that they have cleared the further levada path of weeds chemically. That suited us: the path is still not entirely safe to walk, so you are glad when you can see where you are putting your feet. After an exposed stretch it gets easier again. Here you walk above old, unworked fields, then once more quite exposed above the ribeira and the gravel track, and you do have to concentrate.

Then comes the short, beautiful gallery tunnel. Here you have the feeling that the levada has been concreted quite freshly. Everything is in perfect condition, although no water has flowed here for a long time. My theory is that the levada was not in operation for very long at its original length, because it was simpler to take the water at the second Madre from the Levada Nova, and the original Madre was destroyed again and again (see below).

After we had enjoyed at length the views from the gallery windows onto the Levada do Moinho, we continued through easier ground. The levada bed runs here first in the classic way beside the path, then together with the path over a wall, and finally, almost to the end, in a wall beside the path. All quite overgrown, but in surprisingly good condition. Eventually you come to a small stream and a damp section, which on my first visit I had interpreted as Madre 1. Quite possible, but not much water comes down off the mountain there. After a few metres the original reed descent also goes down to the gravel track. Here too, after the flood of 2014, everything looks different from 6 years ago. At any rate there is now a real path, relatively steep but easy to walk. I, though, followed the levada traces on further north at the same height, until after about 30 metres they ended abruptly at a steep break down to the gravel track. If you now imagine a continuation here, about 200 metres further north you come onto the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol. For me it is actually clear that the Levada do Coronel originally had its real Madre ('Madre 0') in the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol. The Madre and the first 200 metres were then destroyed again and again by repeated floods (as we also experienced impressively in 2014), so that another way of obtaining water had to be found, whether really at Madre 1 or directly at Madre 2.

On the gravel track we then continued to the Madre of the Levada do Moinho and on to the Madre of the Levada Nova da Ponta do Sol. Here we looked at the new situation of the water inflow. The old concrete bar is, contrary to my information, still intact. Only the inflow from the weir to the start of the levada has been completely dug up and is bridged with a pipe. The new pipes that span the stream bed have nothing to do with the inflow to the levada, for they disappear into the concrete edging and almost certainly serve the drinking-water supply!

On the Levada Nova in the direction of flow, past the truly beautiful waterfall and through the tunnel, then past stretches of woodland that had partly burnt, where it was still smoking. And unpleasant ash dust was coming down from above. We did not feel entirely easy; you never know whether more will come down. Even so, we enjoyed once more the view of our way up and of the gallery tunnel.

After the levada makes a large bend to the east, we left it upwards on the stepped path. Because a trail run takes place here from time to time, the steps are in perfect condition. You come first to the yellow palheiro, where a way on to the road to Jangao would be possible. We climbed further, though, again past burnt fields, to the intermediate reservoir of the Levada do Teixo. Continuing in the direction of flow would be possible. Some work has been done there too, but at the moment everything is black and eroded, and therefore not entirely safe. Another time....

On along the levada against the direction of flow, here too with biting smoke in our eyes, as far as the access track from Jangao. From here the wood is untouched. We continued along the Levada do Teixo to the Madre. At the start the path is relatively easy to walk. At some point you then have to walk on a levada wall 4 metres above the path, then through the wood. One spot is quite exposed; you have to take a little care. Shortly before the Madre there is a rather tight spot where, on the way there, you can cool your right arm in wonderfully wet grass; on the way back it is the left arm.... Back to the track, and on it to Jangao.

Here we descended on the Caminho along the eastern terminal branch of the Levada da Serra as far as the Levada Nova da Ponta do Sol, on this westwards, and the crossing with the western terminal branch of the Levada da Serra. From here to Lombada, descent to the Levada do Moinho. On this we also walked round the old mill (Moinho da Lombada da Ponta do Sol) with the impressive aqueduct, the waterfall, and the old mill with the paddle wheels.

Because we wanted to walk a new descent to the starting point that Issi had lined up, we then wandered about a bit in search of that elusive yellow house, which we had picked out from the opposite side as a reference point. As we then found out, we should really only have followed the Levada do Moinho after the mill. The start is a little confusing. The path first climbs a little again, but then at a steady gradient along walls, over small levadas, through meadows, and at the end on a concrete track to the bridge over the Ribeira da Ponta do Sol, beside which we had parked the car.

Distance: 16.8 Km, 720 Hm ascent, 720 Hm descent

Start: 10.20 Ponta do Sol

End

18.10 Ponta do Sol

Condition

The Levada do Coronel should only be walked if you are sure-footed and have a head for heights. The Levada do Teixo is perhaps not a classic walking levada, but it is beautifully sited and varied; sure footing is needed here too.

Otherwise actually straightforward, if in this form a little long, and tiring on the descent.

Remarks

These walks can also be split, with the way there or back on the Levada do Moinho or the Levada Nova da Ponta do Sol.

Thanks: Thank you to Issi and Piet for coming along!