Levada das 25 Fontes, Hiking trail in Rabaçal, Portugal
The Levada das 25 Fontes is a hiking trail through a valley in Madeira that leads to a spring system with multiple waterfalls. The path follows an old irrigation canal and shows how water flows through the landscape in this region.
The irrigation channel was built in the 19th century to move water from the wetter northern slopes to the drier southern regions. This system allowed people to farm in areas that would otherwise have been too dry for crops.
The levada channels are irrigation canals that locals built and used for centuries, shaping life on the island. They show how people learned to manage water to make dry land productive, and they remain important pathways through the landscape today.
Start early in the day, as the trail gets crowded and can feel narrow in places. The walk itself is not difficult, but some sections become slippery, especially after rain.
At the end point, dozens of water streams emerge from the mountainside and meet together, forming dramatic cascades. The water comes from many separate springs scattered across the slope rather than a single source.
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