Levada do Lombo de Sao Joao

Madrei

Ribeira de Santiago N 32°42.753 W 17°06.375 ca. 590 m a.s.l.

Course

East side of the Ribeira de Santiago; on the other side of the valley the Levada da Faja do Lombo da Piedade and the Levada dos Castanheiros. At first quite overgrown as far as the first distribution hut. Here a trodden path leads to the Madre of the Levada dos Castanheiros, and a small levada to a waterfall in the Ribeira de Santiago. The Levada do Lombo de Sao Joao continues through farmed country, then in places somewhat exposed above the access track to the fields, on a sort of terrace, before dropping relatively steeply to the next distribution hut.

After that the levada continues south below the track; a little further down the valley a side levada flows to the fields there.

The houses are bypassed on the downhill side. Another side levada leads downhill to the fields, while the main branch passes under the Caminho do Lombo de Sao Joao onto the east side of the road.

Here a levada that starts from the Levada Nova, along the roadside of the Caminho do Lombo de Sao Joao, comes in from the north-east and supplies the Levada do Lombo de Sao Joao with extra water.

After a few metres the levada flows into a large reservoir.

From here the water is distributed to the fields on the Lombo de Sao Joao.

End

Lombo de Sao Joao ca. 450 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Irrigation of the Lombo de Sao Joao

Access

• Caminho do Lombo de Sao Joao from the Levada Nova

• Caminho do Lombo de Sao Joao from below

• Connecting path from the Levada dos Castanheiros to the first distribution hut

• Connecting path from the Levada da Faja do Lombo da Piedade to the second distribution hut

Condition

Straightforward; there are a few somewhat exposed spots, but they are quite manageable.

The stretch from the first distribution hut to the Madre was quite overgrown when we were there, and the ground a little treacherous