Madeira walking guide

70 escursioni lungo i tipici canali d'irrigazione e sulle montagne di Madeira, isola situata nell'oceano Atlantico settentrionale che costituisce una regione autonoma del Portogallo. Con descrizione dei percorsi, mappe dettagliate e grafici altimetrici. IN INGLESE.

70 finest levada and mountain walks in Madeira. The first Portuguese word which hikers learn on Madeira is bound to be 'levada'. Levada hiking is surely unique on the whole world. A sophisticated network of narrow irrigation canals runs across the entire island. The maintenance paths installed next to canal trenches allow the convenient discovery of Madeira without great altitude all the way to the most remote corners. Around half of the tours introduced in this guide are Levada excursions. They lead through fertile land cultivating sugar cane, bananas, vine and exotic fruit, past artistic terraces modelled into the island's rugged topography, which awaken associations of Bali or the Philippines. Rushing cascades and impressive ravines are found equally by the wayside as are rough, declining cliffs and marshy high-moor bogs. The still natural valley to the north of the island offers a sumptuous evergreen subtropical vegetation comprising fern meadows, lauraceae forests and heather shrubs that convey the feeling of walking through an emerald green tunnel. With all the fascination for the Levada paths it should not be forgotten that the volcano island also is a fabulous territory for mountaineers. The nearly 1900 m high central massive holds routes for all demands. Very alpine is the triple summit tour from the Arieiro over the Torres to the Pico Ruivo. The stretch, which has been spectacularly chiselled into the rock, can justifiably be considered the tour of kings. Next to various shepherd paths and adventurous coastal ascents there are so-called 'veredas', i.e. old paths linking villages, which used to be the sole access to remote locations until a few decades ago only, crossing valleys deep and mountains high. A typical feature are the rounded steps of the paved paths lovingly called 'ox hoof plaster' by local Madeirans.