Today I take the bus at 10 to Ribeiro Frio in western Madeira. After a slow 40 minute ride in the completely full bus, I arrive at Ribeiro Frio. At 885 meters elevation, the air is cool and I quickly start off along the Levada do Furado.
A winding 8km later, I switch to the Levada da Portela and begin a long descent towards the sea. In between I have nice views on Porto da Cruz.
The trail down is narrow and very steep and I’m glad when I can turn east and continue along the high cliffs. The path goes on more than 300 meters above the sea, which often enough is only half the cliff’s height. The view is spectacular.
At the end near Caniçal I pass though a lava field of dark red and brown before catching the bus back to Funchal at 17.00 h.
