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Walk 1

Levada dos Tornos: Monte to Camacha
 

Start                Monte, above Funchal – 219167
Finish              Camacha – 273170
Distance          16km (10 miles)
Total Ascent    330m (1080ft)
Total Descent  130m (425ft)
Time                5hrs
Map                 Carta Militar 9
Terrain            Apart from short ascents and descents at the start and finish, mostly level walking on wooded or cultivated slopes, with one avoidable tunnel.
Refreshments  Snack bars and/or cafés at Monte and Babosas, around Lombo da Quinta and Nogueira. Plenty of choice at Camacha.
Transport        Urban bus 20, 21 & 48 serve Monte. Teleférico from Funchal to Monte. Urban bus 22 serves Babosas. Teleférico from Jardim Botânico to 
                       Babosas. Urban bus 29 serves Curral Romeiros. Urban bus 47 serves Hortensia Gardens and Jasmin Tea House. Interurban bus 110 serves
                       Nogueira. Interurban bus 29, 77, 85 & 110 serve Camacha. Taxis at Monte and Camacha.

The popular Levada dos Tornos carries water from north to south through Madeira. The northern parts are largely confined to tunnels, but the southern part runs in the open and the general altitude is 600m (1970ft). The levada path is about 27km (163⁄4 miles). Strong walkers could cover it in a day, but most take two days, detouring into the basket-making centre of Camacha.

Start at the bus stop at Monte’ where a cobbled square at 550m (1805ft) is shaded by tall plane trees. Snack bar, café, souvenir stalls and toilets.
Head for a candle-lit shrine and a drinking fountain dating from the 16th century. Walk up steep and cobbly steps to an imposing church. Enjoy views over Funchal then walk down steps to the Belomonte Restaurante Snack Bar. Wicker ‘toboggans’ are stacked ready to whisk people down to Funchal. Follow a level, cobbled road signposted Largo das Babosas. Pass the Jardim Tropical Monte Palace (www.montepalace.com) and follow the road past a teleférico station. Café do Monte, Restaurante Casa de Chá and toilets.
 

Walk gently downhill to a little chapel at Babosas. Café and tickets for teleférico to Jardim Botânico da Madeira. This shady spot has tall plane trees and views over a steep, wooded valley. Follow a cobbled track, the Caminho Rev Padre Eugénio Borgonovo, signposted downhill for the Levada dos Tornos and Curral dos Romeiros. Stop at a path junction. Either turn left up a path for the Levada dos Tornos, or turn right down a track instead. Both routes join at Curral dos Romeiros.
The rugged path on the left, signposted for the Levada dos Tornos, is broad and clear, climbing beside a rocky cutting. Eucalyptus and mimosa are followed by pines, then the Levada dos Tornos emerges from a tunnel. Follow the water downstream to pass a stone arch. The levada has a narrow parapet and some exposed fenced stretches.

Views stretch across the valley to Babosas and down to the harbour at Funchal. Houses are reached at Curral dos Romeiros’ clinging to a steep slope.
The easy track on the right zigzags down past tall eucalyptus, accompanied by street lights crossing a bridge over a bouldery river. The track climbs a slope of laurel and mimosa to reach another junction. Zigzag up to the left past tall eucalyptus to reach Curral dos Romeiros. Take an obvious track through the village, concrete or cobbled, avoiding turnings to right and left until almost on a road near a bus stop. Urban bus 2. Watch for a sign on the left and climb up steps for the Levada dos Tornos.

The levada is covered and flows beneath a house. Walk down steps and turn left to walk along a cobbled track. Watch for a sign and steps leading up to the levada. After leaving the village, the next valley has dense laurel cover. Mimosa and eucalyptus appear later, while agapanthus and brambles flank the path.

After looping round small valleys, the levada runs under a road and enters the Choupana Hills resort. Stay on the path as the facilities are private. A fence runs beside the levada and a few houses are passed. Cross a steep road near Quinta do Pomar, then pass a couple of houses and a water intake. Infrequent
Urban bus 94

Cross another steep road later, pass eucalyptus and a small farm, then make tight turns to cross a couple of streams. After a wooded stretch, the path runs beneath a road, Urban bus 47 then a battered road is reached near the delightful Hortensia Gardens tea house. Follow the levada further with views of Funchal and the Ilhas Desertas. Walk through woods and cross the ER-201 road on a bend at Lombo da Quinta. Eucalyptus and pines flank the path and there is a break in the trees near the Jasmin tea house. Walk into a quiet wooded valley, passing a pink house with apples alongside. The levada reaches a bend on the busy ER-102 road, so cross carefully. Urban bus 36A

Pass a water intake and keep left of the ‘Tecnialia’ building. Cross a road and turn left to continue along the levada (Bar 1 Maio is uphill). Apple trees give way to dense eucalyptus and mimosa.

Reach a tunnel entrance and either walk through it or over it. To go through, use a torch, noting that the path is narrow and the roof is low. The latter half drips and is wet before the tunnel exit. To go over, climb up earth steps and cross a wooded slope. Follow a concrete road to a tarmac road at Pinheirinho Urban bus 37 and Bar Levada dos Tornos. Turn left up the road, then right down the Estrada do Pinheirinho. Turn left along a narrow concrete access road to reach a house set back from the road. Walk down concrete steps and turn left down a steep path on a wooded slope to reach the levada near the tunnel exit.

Continue through woods to a road called the Rua do Pomar (Restaurante Casa de Chá) and turn right. The levada drifts away to the left and is less wooded. Chestnut and oak are seen while traversing the valley, and there is a knot of canes at the valley head. Cross the Vereda da Nogueira, then as the levada passes houses at Nogueira, the channel is covered in slabs. Don’t follow it beyond the village, as there is a tunnel too low for comfort. Follow a dirt road and tarmac road uphill instead, passing the Pastelaria Candeeiro snack bar.

Walk straight up through a housing estate, avoiding turnings to right and left.Interurnab bus 110 There are bus stops, if an early finish is needed; otherwise walk to a road junction facing the large ‘Biofábrica Maderia’ building. Turn left up the ER-205 road, then right along the Travessa João Claudio Nobrega. Walk straight downhill from a crossroads along the Caminho Fonte Concelos. The road winds down through Ribeirinha, passing a number of houses, pines and eucalyptus trees. Follow the road uphill, and note a sign on the right marking the continuation of the Levada dos Tornos. Take this turn if continuing directly with Walk 2, otherwise stay on the road.

The road climbs over a wooded rise. Turn left to along the Caminho Fonte Concelos, which later swings left and climbs steeply among tall trees. Cross a busy road and climb straight past a modern church to reach a fine square in the centre of Camacha.
 

Camacha

A monument on the square declares that the first game of football played on Portuguese territory took place here in 1875. Just off the square is a fine basket factory well worth a visit. There is accommodation, as well as shops, bars, restaurants and a bank with ATM. Interurban bus 29, 85 & 110 link Camacha with Funchal while bus 77 links with Funchal and Santo da Serra.