Penha de Águia from south

Eagle Rock is prominent feature near Faial. According the book we need to turn right from motorway and continue up the hill to Portela. Navigator has hard time to show us correct way again, but it looks like we are going in correct way. We are getting higher and, indeed, view of Penha de Águia gets better.

Watch out! We missed promising viewing platform on the left. We need to turn around and get back, but how to do that on this narrow and curvy mountain road?

Penha de Águia from Porto da Cruz

Next stop will be at beach of Porto da Cruz. We were told it is the best beach in Madeira. But the road is closed and this time car navigator cannot be blamed. Actually it offers us alternative road through small village at the top of narrow mountain. It is steep road up and then steep down. I would not like to go there by bike.

It was not as windy here as at São Lourenço, but still waves were huge and we decided to skip swimming again. But there were some geocaches nearby, so went to find them.

Looking to the south in Porto da Cruz.

Penha de Águia from Faial

Our final stop on our moto-hike around Penha de Águia is at Faial. The most important thing is to find the point where all published photos of Penha de Águia are taken from. We have several stops to see if we are getting there or not. Following one is definitely not correct one, so I take at least photos of local architecture

OK, now we see there is a small fort up the hill. That seems as the most promising place. Just to find out a way there, before a tunnel gets us to other side of mountain...

There it is! A sign for the fort. One turn right, short drive up to hill and we are there. Small fort, with a few old cannons and the most beautiful view of Penha de Águia.

Balcões near Ribeiro Frio

We are going home through the interior of the island. We want to stop at Ribeiro Frio and make short hike, along our first levada, to Balcões.

Levada is fantastic hiking trick in Madeira :-) It is irrigation channel and as such it is going along level line, allowing for simple hikes. There are many levadas in Madeira, but that does not mean there are no hard hikes there.

Ribeiro Frio is small village in mountains. There are 2 possible routes to levada. One starts directly in the village near reataurant, other one is about 500m to the south. This one is "official start" of hike with parking lot, the one in village is just a shortcut.

Balcões, our destination is quite close. If I remember correctly, it is about 20m of walk. We arrive there quite late afternoon so the view of mountains is flattened by sun behind them. I believe that visiting in the morning would be better, but also these sight are not bad.

Builders of levadas had to pass through many obstacles, like this.

Views from viewing platform at Balcões

The last glimpse of Penha de Águia

Ribeiro Frio shortly before our return to car. I can see it at the photo! No, it isn't the red one :-)