Ribeira Santa Cruz

Length: 7,5km Elevation: 230m Difficulty: 2/5 Technicality: 3/5 This is a very nice, relatively short trail deep in the forest. You start with a short but very steep climb across the road, after which you quickly reach Levada Nova. From there, you follow the course of the Ribeira de Santa Cruz river via the levada. After crossing the river via the suspension bridge, there is a short climb towards Levada Dos Tornos, which you only need to follow for a short distance before starting the descent again. In general, the trail is not too difficult, but because you walk through densely wooded areas where the sun does not always reach, there is a chance of slippery, muddy slopes if it has recently rained. On the descent, there are a few sections where the path is slightly overgrown, and there might be a fallen tree on the path here and there (but in my opinion, the route remains perfectly passable).