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Madeira - big fail at Bom Successo

Added: October 04, 2014

Tags: Madeira Portugal city nature photos waterfall
Bom Successo means Big Success. But our walk from Monte through Levada do Bom Successo was quite a big fail. We were "promissed" (and expected) nice walk along the levada, with water and waterfall, but it was just boring hike down the hill in dry environment.

Cable car to Monte

Something fishy is going on at bottom terminal of cable car (near botanical garden).

I bought 3 single tickets. Lady asked again if we really want single tickets. Yes. I passed through turnstile, but other 2 tickets were not working. Cashier lady hurried to help us and also guy responsible for watching people to boarding a car. There were no people to watch, so he went to help us. She took those 2 tickets, guy let pass Zuzka and Peter and lady went away with our tickets. Only when we were sitting in the car I have realized what has just happened. Cashier lady and the other guy just earned 16€. If I asked tickets back, I would probably find out their time is different than time on my ticket!

Following (bad) photos are from cable car.

from Botanical Garden Cable Car, Madeira

from Botanical Garden Cable Car, Madeira

from Botanical Garden Cable Car, Madeira

Following photo is the only one from Monte I am going to show. I have only couple of them, they are not very good, because of cloudy weather. But this one is different - it shows local attraction. Guys operating Monte Sledges, waiting for their customers. If we only knew how boring our trip is going to be, we could have pay them to get unique experience :-)

Monte Sledges, Madeira

Levada do Bom Successo

Maybe it is nice trip in winter. Or until 1966. That's when levada dried out, because water started to flow through other levada. An maybe it was not so bad after all. Maybe we just expected more.

Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

Information about dry levada has been written in our baedeker, I have just missed it. But it clearly states that there is nice 30m tall waterfall. It even offers beautiful picture with mighty falls and a lot of greens in trees and moss. Reality of June 2014? Here it is.

dry waterfall in Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

Hey, there is some water there. It is not 30m, it is less than 30cm, but it is water! :-)
dry waterfall in Levada do Bom Successo, Madeira

It was only short walk from disappointing waterfall to the city. Hike ends not so far from Jardim Orquídea where we've been before, so we knew how hard it will be to walk uphill to our accommodation.

We did not get too far when we decided to check timetable of local buses. We did not need to wait long for the bus. Well, it was rather expensive and we needed to go just 2 stops distance. We could probably do better if we took took a taxi - there were plenty of them at the bottom gate to Jardim Botânico.

PB0008924

PB0008926

This post will be finished by panorama of city across the valley. At least something I am satisfied with from this trip :-) It is taken from end point of hike, but I don't remember if it was still on path, or after civilization happened. It shows the other cable car to Monte. This one starts at city center.

Funchal

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