Levada da Serra da Ponta do Pargo

Madrei

• Old (lower) Madre: Ribeira dos Moinhos N 32°48.125 W 17°12.080 south-west of the ER-105 at ca. 985 m a.s.l.

• New (upper) Madre: Ribeira dos Moinhos N 32°48.110 W 17°11.950 south-west of the ER-105 at ca. 998 m a.s.l.

Course

An old, lower branch with less water, overgrown in places, and a new, higher branch with more gradient and more water; the two branches join at point N 32°48.1160 W 17°12.245. After that, about 500 m through fern and gorse. At point N 32°48.220 W 17°12.625 the water is led into an otherwise empty stream bed and, after about 35 metres downhill, taken in again in a kind of Madre shortly before a sandy track, then passed under the track in a pipe. In this area the levada path runs separately, fairly steep and narrow, up to the track. After that it runs first through fern and gorse, then through woodland, until it reaches a forest track. Apart from a short intermediate stretch, the levada is led directly beside the track, sometimes about 2 metres higher. On the intermediate stretch about 2/3 of the water is branched off. This is led to the track, then piped along a track branching off to the south-west, to the fields at Corujeira de Fora and Senhora do Amparo. The remaining water flows on in the levada and meets the forest track again further west. Along this track to above the levada house on the Levada Nova, then along a trodden path to where it is let into the Levada Nova

End

West of Corujeira de Fora ca. 643 m a.s.l., and the inflow into the Levada Nova ca. 643 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Inflow to the Levada Nova and irrigation of the areas around Corujeira de Fora and Senhora do Amparo

Access

• Various gravel tracks from the ER-110 and from the area of the Madre of the Levada do Moinho

• Road from the ER-101 to the Levada Nova

• Road from the ER-101 to the Levada Nova and to the Reservatorio da Ponta do Pargo

• Via the Levada Nova

Condition

A primitive, lonely levada with practically no engineered structures and no concrete! The old Madre can only be reached across a very narrow, exposed spot. The old Madre itself is also somewhat exposed and unprotected!

Otherwise the levada is easy to walk. The bypass path is a bit steep and rough, but no problem.

If you try to follow the levada itself where it runs beside the forest track, though, it is fairly unpleasant, because it is overgrown, narrow and somewhat exposed (2 metres above the forest track). In my opinion this is hardly worth it!

Remarks

The levada lies in quite uncultivated and uninhabited country, a lot of nature!

See also Historical development of the levadas around Rabacal and on the south side between Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Pargo