Levada do Canical

Madrei

Ribeira do Machico (Fonte Vermelha) N 32°44.100 W 16°48.400 ca. 270 m a.s.l.

Course

From the Madre, well hidden behind the railing of the expressway in Marocos, first piped under the expressway, between the houses and under the Estrada dos Marocos to a slab path, which after a few metres turns north. For the first few hundred metres the levada runs covered under concrete slabs. In Marocos various paths branch up onto the terraces and the Levada do Marocos 2, and also down to the Levada do Marocos 3 below and on to the Estrada dos Marocos on the valley floor. Underground, too, is the outflow of the Levada do Marocos 3. When the levada bends into the valley of the Ribeira das Cales, it flows in the open. At the head of the Ribeira das Cales valley, 3 ascent paths branch off to the Levada do Marocos 4.

On the next lombo the levada crosses the PR-5 to the Casa das Funduras, to the Portela pass, and with access to the network of gravel tracks between the Casa das Funduras and the Portela pass.

The levada now leaves the settled areas and turns well to the north into the valley of the Ribeira Grande, which is crossed on a small bridge. On towards the south-east, a descent path branches off (access possible in 3 places), then east again, and here comes the only real levada tunnel (about 25 metres). It can be walked through without a torch. After that, a fine view of the Castanho, Machico and the Desertas. Somewhere here a path should also come down from the gravel track from the Casa das Funduras to the Boca do Risco; I have not walked that path yet.

On along richly cultivated gardens and terraces, with changing views of the Machico valley. A descent path to a cul-de-sac. After 2 deep re-entrants with stream crossings you come to a small bar, where there is also a road that branches off the western access road to Ribeira Seca. The levada bends around the next lombo and, after a stream crossing, runs far north to the head of the Ribeira Seca valley: a green idyll with terraces. The levada now turns south again, with a view of Machico. It crosses the path from Ribeira Seca to the Boca do Risco. After another stream crossing, the new road to the fields below the Castanho is crossed.

The levada turns east, with access from the ER-109, later a crossing with a path from the ER-109 to Malhada, and shortly afterwards passes the water house to the south-western entrance of the Canical tunnel. The levada now runs in the road tunnel of the ER-109 (750 metres), on the north-western side, as far as the end in a pipe. This tunnel was originally built as a levada tunnel and was later widened into a road tunnel for the ER-109.

From the north-eastern tunnel exit, a little away from the road, to the crossing with the old gravel track to Malhada, then somewhat exposed to the crossing with the new gravel track to Malhada and the access to the gravel pit. Soon afterwards a lower side branch (Levada do Canical inf.) separates from the main branch.

The Levada do Canical inf. first goes steeply south, then on a poorly maintained levada path under a pipe that leads from a water intake on the main branch to a reservoir built about 2009 (not yet visible on Google Maps). On across meadows to a further junction. The southern terminal branch goes into the settlements below; the eastern branch goes around another lombo to the fields above the ER-109.

The main branch continues, with a view of Canical and the Sao Lourenco peninsula, past the water intake mentioned earlier, to a further branch to the east; this ends in the fields below, above the motorway tunnel portal.

The levada enters a wide re-entrant and meets a gravel track that climbs from the ER-109 to terraces and plantations below the Castanho. First a side branch splits off, and splits again, to the fields below; then, in denser woodland, to the crossing of the Ribeira do Seirado on a levada bridge. On through the woodland to the crossing of the Ribeira da Palmeira. Here a gravel track meets the levada; to the west it climbs very steeply to a house in the middle of the terraces, and from here the way continues to the plantations. In the other direction the gravel track leads north-east and ends on a large sandy clearing in the middle of the woodland.

The levada continues to a place where, on the left, a gravel track leads to the sandy clearing mentioned, and splits into the two terminal branches:

• The north branch goes in a wide curve to the east and meets a gravel track that comes from the large sandy clearing. From here a path goes to the Pico das Rocadas. On along the track, and another path to the Pico das Rocadas. The levada runs along the track until it branches east into a large reservoir.

• The south branch runs south-east, splits again into 2 branches, one of which goes south into the area of the first houses of Canical, while the other ends to the south-west in the newly developed industrial areas around the motorway tunnel exit in Canical.

On our walk in 2016 the north branch was blocked and inactive; the residual water ran off along the south branches.

According to Bernd Hofer's report (photos 30-43), at the end of 2017 the north branch was in use and was filling a large reservoir near the track to the Pico das Roçadas. The two branches are apparently in use alternately!

End

Canical ca. 90 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Irrigation of the northern valley side of Marocos, Machico (Ribeira Seca) and Canical

Access

• The Madre can be reached by a ladder on the expressway in Marocos. Alternatively you can follow the path along the expressway from the ER-236 under the expressway bridge and then, pathless, in the stream bed of the Ribeira de Machico, downstream to the Madre.

• To the start of the section covered with slabs, from the Estrada dos Marocos

• Various ascents and descents from the 3 Marocos levadas

• From the Estrada dos Marocos over the bridge and on the new road to the crossing with the levada

• From the end of the road that branches off the Caminho da Escola Nova in Marocos

• Via the PR-5, which begins here, or a descent from the Casa das Funduras and the gravel-track network

• From the end of the road that branches off the Caminho da Escola Nova in Marocos

• Path from the road that branches off the Estrada dos Marocos

• Possible descent path from the gravel track from the Casa das Funduras to the Boca do Risco

• Ascent path from the cul-de-sac that branches off the western access road to Ribeira Seca, which in turn branches off the Estrada dos Maroços

• Road that branches off the western access road to Ribeira Seca, which in turn branches off the Estrada dos Maroços

• Ascent path from the road in Ribeira Seca

• 2 possible paths from Ribeira Seca, which later join, to the classic path to the Boca do Risco; this crosses the levada

• Crossing with the new road to the fields below the Castanho, which branches off the eastern access road to Ribeira Seca, which leaves the ER-109 northwards

• Path from the ER-109

• Path from the ER-109 to Malhada

• From the south-western entrance of the Canical tunnel

• From the north-eastern tunnel exit, directly onto the levada

• Crossing with the two roads to Malhada that branch off the ER-109

• Ascent from the crossing of the terminal branch with the ER-109

• Road and gravel track that branch off the ER-109; on this also a descent from the plantations below the Castanho

• From the large sandy clearing via 3 gravel tracks

• Path from the Pico das Rocadas

• End on the ER-109

Condition

Easy

Remarks

An unspectacular levada whose main appeal is its constantly changing views. Also interesting are the lonely stretches at the stream crossings, alternating with the sections through the cultivated terraces.