Levada da Serra do Faial

The name Levada da Serra do Faial is often used wrongly and is a source of all sorts of misinformation. To make this relatively complicated subject a little clearer, I have set out what I could take from the Elucidario Madeirense of 1921 (first edition) and of 1940 (second edition) on a page of its own: Historical development of the Levada da Serra do Faial and the surrounding levadas

There is therefore only one Levada da Serra do Faial, namely the historic Levada da Serra do Faial.

This 'historic Levada da Serra do Faial' ran from 1905 to 1971 from the Ribeira Seca above the Faja da Nogueira to the Pico do Infante above Sao Goncalo, shortly before Funchal.

What makes the whole thing a little confusing is that the historic Levada da Serra do Faial reused the beds of 3 older levadas that were already there. They are the

Levada das Accionistas

Levada do Juncal

Levada do Furado

In 1971 the 'historic Levada da Serra do Faial' was cut off before the Pico da Nogueira and connected to the Faja da Nogueira power station. The section from Lamaceiros, or rather from Lombo da Raiz, to the end kept the name Levada da Serra do Faial. The sections in between, though, are called by their old names after the water was put to a new use in 1971: Levada das Accionistas, Levada do Juncal and Levada do Furado.

Every name used from 1971 onwards therefore refers only to sections of the historic Levada da Serra do Faial. It also follows that several levadas are called 'Levada da Serra do Faial', and that sections of the 'Levada da Serra do Faial' are sometimes called by other names. The sections of the Levada da Serra do Faial that matter in this context are listed below:

The historic Levada da Serra do Faial

The Levada da Serra do Faial between Lamaceiros (strictly speaking only from Lombo da Raiz) and the Pico do Infante (see also Historical development of the Levada da Serra do Faial and the surrounding levadas)

The Levada da Serra do Faial above Faja da Nogueira, between the Ribeira Seca and the Pico da Nogueira tunnel. Sections of this levada are occasionally also called Levada da Faja da Nogueira and Levada do Pico Ruivo.