La Levada do Norte and Folhadal forest

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Madeira Island is filled with irrigation canals, the Levadas. This short hike takes you along the Levada do Norte, one of the most significant of the island, located in an elevated part of the island. You'll find stunning viewpoints along the way and go through a beautiful forest with various species.
N.B. The altitude displayed is most probably over estimated as the trail is relatively flat along the Levada following the contour line.

Details

n°118061
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.32 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 374 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 374 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,077 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 975 m
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Photos

Levada do Norte
Panorama
Flower path
The tunnel

Description of the walk

Start: Start from Bocca da Encumeada, accessed by a road that crosses the island through its breadth between Sao Vicente to the north and Ribeira Brava to the south.

The entire hike goes along the Levada do Norte, leaving no room for itinerary mistakes.

(S) Follow the road leading to Ribeira over a few metres then climb the stairs to the right reaching the Levada (sign indicating "Folhadal"). Follow the Levada heading west then steer due south-west. After approximately 1 km you'll reach the entrance to a tunnel on the right-hand side.

(1)Go through the tunnel, over roughly 500 m and get to the other side.

(2) Out of the tunnel, shrub vegetation surrounds the area and the path along the Levada is narrower. Keep going along the Levada until you get to another tunnel.

(3) Follow the same trail for the way back. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,001 m - Bocca d'Encumeada
  2. 1 : km 1.15 - alt. 1,032 m - First tunnel - Entrance/Exit East
  3. 2 : km 1.69 - alt. 1,041 m - First tunnel - Entrance/Exit West
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 1,077 m - Second tunnel
  5. S/E : km 5.32 - alt. 1,001 m - Bocca d'Encumeada

Notes

Start: Start from Bocca da Encumeada, accessed by a road that crosses the island through its breadth between Sao Vicente to the north and Ribeira Brava to the south.

Gears: Good sports shoes are sufficient for this hike. A headlamp or a flashlight is a must to go through the tunnel. Bring a water supply.

⚠️Although the route seems straightforward, a map is always useful.

Worth a visit

During the first part of the trail, between (S) and (1), the area is surrounded by flowers (depending on season) and to the left there are beatiful views of Pico Grande and the south coast of the island.

After the first tunnel, between (2) and (3), you'll find yourself in a rich and diverse shrubby area, and more of a primitive vibe.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 17 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Papycal84
Papycal84

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant levada, to be completed with the usual equipment (fleece, rain jacket, headlamp).
Go through the third tunnel (900 m) to continue on the same route. Return via the same path.
Madeira is surprising, with its abundant vegetation!

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Fred 50
Fred 50

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a hike that's accessible to all, and we came across families with little ones, but you have to watch where you're walking.
These are levadas and even if there is no difference in level it is still dangerous for small children.
A tunnel, a waterfall, no gradients, an excellent walk.

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LucilleVlt
LucilleVlt

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a magnificent hike, after passing through the tunnel (which actually indicates a risk of falling rocks and does not inspire confidence, so go for it!). It's after passing through the tunnel (about 500m in complete darkness) that the scenery is really very beautiful, the vegetation is exceptional. We did it in the rain and mist, which made the walk even more beautiful.
We didn't come across anyone apart from 2 chickens at the entrance to the tunnel.

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paten33
paten33

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
We did this walk on 03/06/2024 in the early afternoon and only saw about twenty people. A very beautiful levada with a rather impressive tunnel. We also walked to the left before the tunnel, where the panorama is totally different, with light and flowers everywhere.

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faustinebrun
faustinebrun

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The tunnels are long, so don't forget the lights.

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pierrebzh
pierrebzh

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Superb, but this crowd is impossible. It's sick.

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momone
momone

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We didn't dare take the tunnel on the right which indicated danger of rockfalls, but further on there was another tunnel which we went through, and the path continued along the levada, we turned around a little further on after estimating the return time.

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Thierry07260
Thierry07260

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you, some great walks on Madeira this year.

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davideric
davideric

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello everyone,
A short walk on the island of Madrée with no great difficulty and some lovely restful spots on the banks of these atypical levadas. Really to discover.
No more mobile phone and no more connection!! that it remains pleasant from time to time just listen to nature and the trickle of water

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PSANantes
PSANantes

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An easy, short walk along the levada. Also very pleasant in this beautiful forest sheltered from the northerly winds. The first tunnel requires a headlamp or torch. It's quite fun to go 500 metres underground, on very secure ground. At the end of the first tunnel is a small, but not very impressive, waterfall. We continued on through the second tunnel, which was not included in the description of the hike. This tunnel is longer, around 1 km (estimate), and the ground is wetter and rather slippery. You'll need a headlamp or torch here too. At the exit, there is nothing very exciting, but there is a small waterfall to see.
The description doesn't mention the rest of this hike. It's a shame, as we would have liked to extend this short walk a little. It seems that there is a viewpoint a little further on, but we stopped at the exit of the second tunnel and took the same route back.
A hike to play the adventurer without risk!

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amarou
amarou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It's an easy walk with an impeccable route description, and we even continued as far as the exit of the 2nd tunnel.

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Netra
Netra ★

Hello chech,

To give you a precise answer to your question, it would be interesting if you could tell me what altitude difference estimates you obtained.

I'm the author of the hike, I checked the route and updated the altitudes. No major change: the estimated difference in altitude is around 360 metres.

This value is obviously an estimate, as the route follows a levada (an irrigation channel in the mountainside) from start to finish. In the introduction to the walk, I wrote a warning on this subject: I've just bolded it.

The height differences displayed on Visorando are generally very close to reality but, as the altitude of each point is an interpolation of the values of nearby points at the known altitude (in a database), certain terrain configurations can lead to significant estimation errors. This is typically the case for routes on mountainsides where the terrain is very steep, a situation encountered on the island of Madeira in general, and on this route in particular.

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grandin
grandin ★

It's true that the elevation diagram for this hike is a bit "choppy", which suggests a problem in calculating the elevation. Perhaps the author can give you a better answer.

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chech
chech

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

These hikes will take place in October 2019.
A comment about the height differences, which don't correspond to my reality
I have two software programmes, twonav and compegps, which give me aberrant positive and negative totals with the map backgrounds proposed.
If I go back to each point manually, I divide the height differences by 2 or even 3.
Why should I do this?

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chech
chech

These hikes are scheduled for October 2019 with a group of 50 people departing daily from Funchal.
Information on our return at the end of October 2019

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