Trails
Levada da Serra do Faial
A long, level levada from Camacha to Choupana above Funchal
The place
The Levada da Serra do Faial is one of the long irrigation channels of the east of the island. This stretch follows it for about 8.8 km between Rochão, at the edge of Camacha, and Choupana, high above Funchal, past the hamlets of Casais de Além, Vale Paraíso and Devónia.
The channel holds a gentle line at about 620 to 790 m, so the walking is easy on the legs: about 170 m of climbing in all and roughly two and a half hours one way. Most of the way is an earth path about a metre wide beside the water, with short stretches on quiet lanes and cobbles where the levada passes through the villages, and one stream crossed on stepping stones. Guided walks use part of it as an easy half-day outing, and buses stop at both ends, so there is no need to come back the same way.
Highlights
- About 8.8 km of channel between Camacha and Choupana, at 620 to 790 m.
- The hamlets of Casais de Além, Vale Paraíso and Devónia along the way.
- Easy walking on a metre-wide path beside the water, with short lanes through the villages.
- Bus stops at both ends, so it works as a one-way walk.
When to come
Any dry day; the earth path is muddy after rain.
Getting there
Start at Rochão in Camacha, by the junction for the Ribeiro Serrão, where several bus lines stop, and finish at Choupana on the Caminho do Meio, which also has bus stops; or walk it the other way.
Worth knowing
- Distance and time: about 8.8 km one way, about two and a half hours.
- Climb: about 170 m in all, on gentle slopes.
- Difficulty: moderate only for the length; the path itself is easy.
- Surface: earth path, lanes and cobbles, muddy after rain.
- Transport: buses stop at both ends.
- Fee: none; this is not an official PR trail.