Levada do(s) Moinho(s)

Madrei

Ribeira da Cruz N 32°49.050 W 17°12.100 ca. 950 m a.s.l.

Course

The Madre is really a double Madre: 2 streams meet here, and the western one is diverted into the eastern one by a mini-levada. It can be reached only by a somewhat overgrown trodden path, or by the levada itself. The levada first follows the Ribeira do Cruz. From the south-east an inflow from a side stream of the Ribeira da Cruz arrives as a beautiful waterfall.

Later an access path from the ER101 meets the levada from the left. After a few metres the levada leaves the PR-7. The levada cannot be followed here and is led into a side stream of the Ribeira da Cruz. A little later an intermediate Madre picks it up again. Here the PR-7 also meets the levada again.

The ground becomes more and more open. From the north-east a gravel track meets the levada and leads to the Caminho do Covao and on to the ER-110. On over a stream crossing to a gravel track that leads east into the gravel-track network with access to the Caminho do Covao, and west to the ER-101. The levada first runs a little rough, another small stream crossing, and then parallel to a gravel track. This then crosses a track that, by way of the tracks already mentioned, goes to the ER-110 and west to the ER-101. From this junction north-west, and here it meets the ER-101.

Over open ground to a house; here it drops steeply down a levada stair. The levada leaves the path to the east and is impassable, and the walking route goes north. Here another path branches off to the ER-101. After a bend you stand in front of the ruins of one of the watermills that gave the levada its name. You can find many old parts of the mill (Moinho das Achadas da Cruz).

On through the wood to a path that crosses the levada and leads south-east into the gravel-track network and north-west to the ER-101. A stream crossing, and another path to the south-east. The levada draws closer and closer to the ER-101. From the road there are several old access paths, which are probably only partly still walkable. On the other hand you can also find a way through off-path at these spots; the levada is in places very close to the road (see the map, "old access paths"). Then come two beautiful stream crossings of the western branch of the Ribeira do Tristao, first in a narrow gorge, then with a waterfall and a levada bridge. Shortly after, the passage of the eastern branch of the Ribeira do Tristao, with a levada feeding in that can be followed up a stair that is usually slippery. A path once led up from here towards the Levada do Brasileiro and the Lagoa do Bardo. You also come onto a path that runs from Porta da Vila, more or less parallel to the levada, to the Lagoa do Bardo as well.

The levada now runs in places almost vertically above the ER-101, with a fine stream crossing and a levada stair in between. You come to Porta da Vila, the classic starting point for the levada, with signposts

The levada crosses the ER-110 about 50 metres to the north-east and then runs for a stretch as a stream, which meets the track coming from Porta da Vila. From here, along the track.

End

Levada Grande ca. 470 m a.s.l. and Lamaceiros ca. 420 m a.s.l.

Function and use

Irrigation of the area east of Achada da Cruz and around Levada Grande; in the past several watermills were worked along the levada

Access

• Faint path to the Madre; to reach it, either by gravel track from the

  • ER-101

  • ER-110

• Alternative official access, with an information board, from the ER-101

• Gravel track to the ER-110

• Via the Caminho do Covao from the ER-110, with various approaches from the east

• From the ER-101, with 2 approaches from the west

• From the ER-101, with 2 approaches from the west

• From the ER-101, path to the levada

• Various old access paths from the ER-101

• Descent from the Levada do Brasileiro to the eastern stream crossing of the Ribeira do Tristao

• The classic start at Porto da Vila

• Various approaches onto the terminal branches

Condition

Easy, sometimes a little slippery in the rain

Remarks

• Badly affected by the forest fires of 2012!

• The levada has several changes of level. At these places the levada is led partly in streams or in remote channels. The bypass paths are sometimes quite far from the levada, and in places steep and slippery when wet, but not dangerous.

• A fine mix of open country and narrow, rugged passages.

• A circuit with the Levada do Brasileiro is possible