A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the Portuguese Atlantic region of Madeira. Madeira island is wet in the northwest, but dry in the southeast. In the 16th century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions in the south.

2024年1月24日 · Madeira's vast levada network spans an impressive 3,100km on an island that measures just 55km long and 22km wide. It's thought the first levadas, which date back almost 600 years, were...

6 天之前 · For nature lovers, walking alongside a levada is one of the most unique experiences to have while staying in Madeira. “But what are levadas?”, you may ask. These are man-made channels created to carry water for irrigation of agricultural fields around the island.

The “levadas” are channels of water with a gentle slope originally created to transport the water of the north of the Island, with a humid climate and more precipitation, to the south where the climate is drier, with more population and plantations.

2025年1月4日 · The Madeira Levada walks are suitable for every age because they are flat and well-maintained. But some of them are longer or with more incline than the others. That’s why I will rank the 20 best Levada Walks in Madeira by difficulty based on the length and incline.

About 3,000km of levadas (irrigation channels) to explore, discovering breathtaking landscapes: a unique encounter with nature. Alongside its natural beauty, Madeira has another no less surprising beauty to offer: its great network of irrigation channels - the Levadas.

Almost all the Levadas start in the north and central part of the island, rainier and consequently richer water view. There are about 200 Levadas in total, the majority state owned, such as Levada Rabaçal and the Levada da Serra do Faial, which are the largest.

One of Madeira's most iconic features is its intricate network of mini-canals known as the levadas. These humble irrigation channels etch through rugged terrain, serving as lifelines for the land while offering adventurous trails for the intrepid traveler.

Levadas: one of Madeira’s best-known features. Anyone who has ever visited the Portuguese Island Madeira knows that one of the best-known features of the island is the network of levadas.