Levada da Azenha da Calheta

Madrei

Ribeira do Alecrim N 32°45.216 W 17°07.607 ca. 1300 m a.s.l.

Course

This is a very old levada. It stayed in operation until the reorganisation of 1953, with the building of the power station in Calheta and of the two Levada Nova channels (Levada Nova West and Levada Nova East) (see also Historical development of the levadas around Rabaçal). In 1953 the levada was taken out of service.

Section 1: From the Madre in the Ribeira do Alecrim it runs below today's Levada do Paul 1 and above the ruined Levada dos Moinhos. It crossed the Rabaçal track and crossed the ridge between the Ponto and today's Rabaçal car park. The road has since been blasted into the old ridge; the Levada da Azenha crossed the old ridge here.

Section 2: From the ridge the levada was led steeply down the valley over a stream bed, crossed the Levada Vinte e Cinco Fontes and flowed on down the valley in the stream into the Ribeira da Calheta.

Section 3: At about 550 m a.s.l. the water was dammed in the Ribeira da Calheta and led into 2 branches, to the south-east (Ramal do Lombo do Doutor) and to the south-west (Ramal do Lombo do Brasil).

• Ramal do Lombo do Doutor: The branch was led along the Lombo and ran on the Lombo do Doutor down to about 200 m a.s.l.

• Ramal do Lombo do Brasil e Salao: This branch too is led onto the Lombo. On the Lombo do Brasil part of the water was led south along the Lombo do Brasil. This branch ended at about 350 metres.

  The other part was taken across the Ribeiro do Lombinho onto the Lombo do Salao and ran along this Lombo down to a height of about 220 m a.s.l.

  The old levada works of the Levada da Azenha below the Levada Nova are still in use today.

End

• Lombo do Doutor ca. 200 m a.s.l.

• Lombo do Brasil ca. 350 m a.s.l.

• Lombo do Salao ca. 220 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Irrigation of the fields on the Lombo do Doutor, Brasil and Salao in Calheta.

Access

The levada is largely ruined, and long stretches ran in the Ribeira da Calheta, so it is almost no longer possible to walk it. Around the Ribeira da Alecrim, remains of the levada can be found near the Madre (below where the Levada do Paul 1 crosses the Ribeira da Alecrim). Traces can also be found before the crossing with the ER110.

The Ramal do Lombo do Brasil e Salao is largely walkable between these two Lombos; there is a fine levada bridge over the Ribeiro do Lombinho.

Condition

Mostly ruined. The end branches on the Lombos are today fed by water from the Levada Nova.

Remarks

An interesting course, with a ridge crossing and a split onto the 3 Lombos.