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Madeira - hike to Caldeirão Verde

Added: October 05, 2014

Tags: Madeira Portugal cave cliffs flowers mountains photos waterfall
This was our longest hike and I would say also the most interesting. It was along levada again, but this time there were new attractions - houses with thatched roof and tunnels you need to pass through. So if you want to go there, don't forget headlamp or flashlight.

We had hard time to find parking lot at Rancho Madeirense. We believed we should be there, but there was no signpost about the restaurant. It was marked as something else. I don't remember anymore, but it was probably Pico das Pedras, that seemed further away, according to map. So when you will get there, parking lot is on the right. If you see following house, you are at correct place.

house with thatched roof at Rancho Madeirense, Madeira

house with thatched roof at Rancho Madeirense, Madeira

house with thatched roof at Rancho Madeirense, Madeira

I don't have any photos from the beginning of hike. It was nice easy walk in forest, but nothing new to us. And there were many kilometers ahead of us.

Queimadas

After couple of kilometers we arrived to Queimadas. Houses with thatched roofs again. Small pool with ducks. Bored cats were going around. There were tables, so we ate something and could continue along Levada do Caldeirão Verde.

Queimadas, Madeira

Queimadas, Madeira

Queimadas, Madeira

Interesting tree just 200-300 meters from settlement.
Queimadas, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde

Flowing water, dripping water, bridges, dark and wet tunnels, stunning green mountains, waterfall. This is really nice place.

We are meeting even more people than on previous hikes. Foot path is wide in the beginning, so we can pass each other easily, but it gets narrower with time. Tunnels are real tests of bypassing each other. That skill will come in useful also later when walking on levada's wall will be needed. One person will lean to rocky wall across the levada, other will pass on the other side, near abyss' side. It needs to be said, there are fences, but quite flimsy at some places.

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

view from Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Entrance to tunnel. Headlamps on!
Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

"A window" from tunnel. It does not seem to be fire exit.
tunnel at Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada is very well masked by all that vegetation. Only bare rock hints its presence (and only because I know it is there).
Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Levada do Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Looking at previous photos, it must be clear to everybody, that I was always behind. Not being able keep up with people not taking photos...

Caldeirão Verde

Finally we arrived to our destination. Em, I mean to the middle of our hike. Because after spending short time at waterfall and eating what we brought with us we got up and started to retreat through whole magical levada back to our car.

I have learned important thing on our way back. iPhone 5 can survive short submersion in water (about 5sec, 5-10cm deep) :-) I have turned it off quickly, it eventually turned on by itself once, but after 2nd turn off it patiently waited for 2 days until I decided "now or never".

It is not visible well at this size, but can you see small red and green "ants" at the bottom of falls? Those are people - just to give waterfall a scale.
Caldeirão Verde, Madeira      Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Caldeirão Verde, Madeira

Well, that was all we have seen in Madeira (not counting shopping in Funchal, couple of bottles of Madeira, one bottle of Licor de Ginja and one mistake with chestnut liquor).

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