Exploring its mountains on foot, along “levadas” and footpaths “veredas”, is one of the most amazing experiences offered by Madeira’s exuberant countryside. “Levadas” are man-made irrigation channels only found on the island of Madeira. In Porto Santo Island there are only footpaths - “Veredas”.

They originate in the need to bring large amounts of water from the island’s north side, where there is a high abundance of water, to its south side. They are about 3,000 km long and you can cover them by foot, accessing the heart of the island, where you will encounter breath-taking landscapes.

Usually open in the soil, some “levadas” have torn the rocks over pits, hundreds of metres deep, while others cross the mountains, from north to south, by means of tunnels, hundreds of metres long.

Most of the footpaths either “veredas” (footpaths) or “levadas” (along irrigation channels) are appropriate for all walkers. Footpaths of varied levels of difficulty offer interesting alternatives, from mountain walks to walks along the coast, as well as walks that combine the two settings. The recommended footpaths in the Autonomous Region of Madeira are classified as Short Routes (PR – routes with less than 30 Km long).