Boca da Encumeada e Levada do Norte — circular route PR17 on Madeira Island

Started in the clouds. After the 2nd tunnel the sun was shining 🌞. Nice tour

For the two tunnels you definitely need a flashlight

A very beautiful hike, including a tunnel. As mentioned several times, everyone should carry a good flashlight/headlamp. Trekking poles and shoes with good traction (especially on the downhill) will make the hike more pleasant.

Another fantastic hike. This time from the Encumeada pass. First we hike along the Levada do Norte. There are two long tunnels we have to go through. The first tunnel is about 500 m long, the second about 800 m. Both tunnels are easily accessible, provided you have a flashlight (a cell phone flashlight is sufficient). Nevertheless, caution is advised. The tunnels are very narrow and low in some places. Sometimes I have to walk crouched down. Gabi has it better 🙂. The levada is full to the brim. The path is partly slippery and it is dripping from above. If there is oncoming traffic, you should stop at an appropriate place. There are some alternative options in the tunnel. Otherwise, the only thing that can happen to you is that the blanket falls on your head or your feet get wet. There are better ways to kill yourself elsewhere on the island 😀. After the two tunnels, the path branches off to the right and leads steeply into the Sao valley. The path consists mainly of small-grain lava rock that offers about as much grip as soft soap - so be careful. Once we arrive in the valley, we first cross the main road to Ribeira Brava and turn left just before the car tunnel. From now on the path climbs again. First on a wide forest road, later on a beautiful hiking trail. It is well laid out and leads steeply up in steps to the top of the pass. There is also a small cafe in the kiosk. We end our tour here with a cafe com leite and an almond tart 😋. Note: The “time in motion” given by Komoot may not be correct. Maybe the routes in the tunnels were not taken into account - for whatever reason. In any case, the average speed is also obsolete. We may be fast, but not fast runners 😀.

The beginning leads past a levada with three tunnels and two waterfalls. Then you turn into dense forest and follow a mountain bike trail into the valley. The descent is sometimes challenging, you can use the trees or a stick to help you. In the village you then cross the road to the north/south side and turn just before the tunnel to climb back to the car park. The path runs along the road for a short time, then a gravel path and then back into the forest. Stairs made of wooden posts have been built here, so you should be sure-footed. Some of the climbs are tough. At the car park it was around 10°C for the end of December, and it quickly gets warmer down below. Functional clothing is therefore also recommended.

Turn left onto the forest path on the road from Sao Vicente. After about 1 km, you'll reach a stream bed. Turn right there and climb steeply. Unfortunately, we didn't find the start of the trail right away and wandered around for half an hour.

I forgot to record the first section. Tour is a circular tour