Levada do Furado Velho

Preliminary note

The Levada do Furado Velho is not a levada in its own right, but the disused continuation of the Levada do Risco, which once ran as far as Ponta do Pargo. Because the connection is not entirely easy to see on the ground, it is listed separately here!

Madrei

Continuation of the Levada do Risco, ca. 1050 m a.s.l.

Course

From the junction sign below the Rabacal houses to the Ribeira do Alecrim, where the levada bridge is in surprisingly good condition; after a few metres the path from the ER-110 (Caminho Salão), then everything along the south side of the Ribeira Da Janela, a gallery tunnel, a short tunnel, Furado Velho (Tunel das Estrebarias, also called the wagon tunnel because of its enormous height). On the south side, immediately after the tunnel and over the first 300 metres, remains of the old levada and of the small walls can be seen; after that you follow a broad gravel track on the line where the levada and its accompanying path lay.

End

South side of the Tunel das Estrebarias ca. 1000 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Formerly irrigation of the area north-west of Estreito do Calheta, and access to the Rabacal area

Access

• Rabacal houses: between the rest place and the rider tunnel (descent by the toilets) the path branches off to the east (the way in)

• Caminho Salao (walked in 2015 by the Amigos da Natureza); the way in is from the ER-110

• Descent from the ER-105 at the first cattle grid after the Rabacal car park, heading west; at the lower fence keep left and always follow the path. The path meets the levada shortly before the Furado Velho (on the east).

• Pathless from the ER-105 to the southern exit of the tunnel

Condition

Disused, easy to moderately difficult

Historical notes

The Tunel das Estrebarias and the Levada do Furado Velho were gladly used by the tourists of the time to reach the picturesque area of Rabaçal and watch the sunrise over the Risco waterfall.

People then presumably spent the night in the houses at Rabaçal. A João de Nóbrega Soares did at least do so in 1859. On Madeira Quase Esquecida there is a beautiful picture from 1908 showing tourists in front of the Furado Velho!

Further information

Remarks

The Levada do Furado Velho is not really a levada in its own right, but corresponds to the former continuation of the Levada do Risco =Velho do Rabacal from the water steps to the rider tunnel. In 1877 the rider tunnel (Furado Nova do Rabacal) was brought into service. By 1953 at the latest, with the opening of the Calheta I power station and with the Levada Nova West and the Levada Nova East led through this tunnel, the part as far as the Furado Velho and on the south side was completely abandoned.

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