The notebook of Levadas et côte nord de Madère
Breathe wider facing the sea.
Lauriferous forest, levadas, waterfalls, wet cliffs, natural pools and villages facing the Atlantic.
At your own pace
Identity summary
4 to 8 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
Island · Mountain · Forest · Coast
Variable accessibility
Rhythm supported
General presentation
Levadas et côte nord de Madère
Lauriferous forest, levadas, waterfalls, wet cliffs, natural pools and villages facing the Atlantic.
To understand what Levadas is and the northern coast of Madeira, you should look at Pico do Arieiro, Pico Ruivo and Levada do Caldeirão Verde. These places give us a view of a territory marked by island landscapes, mountain reliefs, forests and the coastline and allow us to move from emblematic sites to more intimate stages.
See all
For a stay of 4 to 8 days, it is necessary to plan a fairly sustained day. Also to be anticipated: dizzying trails and changing weather. A car is usually the easiest way to connect different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be checked step by step.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Pico do Arieiro
- Pico Ruivo
- Levada do Caldeirão Verde
- Porto Moniz
- Santana
Before you choose
- Dizzying trails
- Changing weather
- Very useful car
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Place
Levada do Caldeirão Verde
The Levada do Caldeirão Verde highlights the relationship between engineering and nature: water drain, walls, dense vegetation and suspension points of the course. The place is read following the continuity of the levada and the stopping spaces. The detail comes from the contrasts of sound between runoff and silence.
World Heritage
Forêt Laurifère de Madère
Madeira's lauriferous forest plunges the northern slopes of the island into moist vegetation of laurels, ferns, mosses and misty ravines. The levadas that cross it offer narrow steps along the water, with a fresh and changing atmosphere where clouds are part of the landscape.
Remarkable location
Île de Madère
Madeira condenses ocean cliffs, steep mountains, terraced crops and humid forests on a very vertical island. Travels quickly pass from the seafront to the altitude viewpoints; it is particularly suitable for travellers who like to walk, observe the Atlantic lights and deal with a very contrasting local weather.
Nature
Pico do Arieiro
The Pico do Arieiro is a clear cut in the atmosphere: dry wind, multiple views and a chain of reliefs between the edges. The trails direct attention to variations in light and changes in scale. A conservative progression allows us to understand the alternation between exposure and shelter.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Similar destinations
Same landscapes and the same pace of travel, elsewhere in the world.
