21 June 2024 Gorse and sun on the Levada do Paul

Course

With little hope we went looking for sun today. The view from Calheta up to the serra was not very promising, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And in fact there is a strip in the lee of the wind that was sunny, and so we stayed dry all day. We drove to the Posto Florestal da Cova Grande and started right at the car park, on the Levada do Paul II, downstream. I really had never been here, and could thus complete my personal levada puzzle.

The section as far as the huge Loiral solar plant is apparently little walked. Everything is fairly dense in the gorse, but easy enough to walk. There could be problems here with cows on the levada; there is little room to step aside, and there are cows, as the cowpats show. But the section makes up for it with vegetation, colour, a few interesting inflows and fine stretches of levada.

The way on is then more open, and again and again there are fine views to the south. Again and again you see rock hollows here that were once used as shelters for the farmers. Here we were showered again and again with wisps of fog, but that was actually very pleasant!

Eventually we reached the confluence with the Levada do Alecrim ou Paul I at the chapel by the Rabaçal car park, where we stayed only briefly, so as not to spoil the day with the streams of tourists.

Back by the same path, again without any unpleasant meetings with cows on the levada.

At the end we paused at the Monumento das Bem-Aventuranças, a fine place, if a little run down.

Distance: 11.4 km, 60 m of ascent, 60 m of descent

Start: 10.30 Posto Florestal da Cova Grande

End

14.30 Posto Florestal da Cova Grande

Condition

A little sure-footedness is needed for the whole walk.

You may meet cows on the narrow section!

Remarks

A fine alternative in typical Madeira weather (the north closed in, the south fine)!