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Tell me about the Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima levada walk in Madeira
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The user is asking about a specific levada walk - "Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima" in Madeira. Let me search for this trail in our hikes database. This sounds like it could be a community/unofficial trail rather than an official PR trail, but let me check.The user asked about the "Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima levada walk". Looking at the results, this specific trail name doesn't appear as an official IFCN PR trail. However, I can see several community trails near Arco da Calheta, and one that's particularly relevant: "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" which mentions "The Levada do Alecrim starts near the Chapel of Fátima." There's also the official PR 6.2 "Levada do Alecrim" which starts at Rabaçal. Let me also look at the community trail "Arco da Calheta - Sítio do Pinheiro via Levada Nova" which is in Arco da Calheta. The trail the user is asking about seems to be the "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" community trail, which mentions the Chapel of Fátima specifically. Let me provide information about this trail, being clear it's a community/unofficial route, and also mention the official PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim which is nearby. Actually, looking more carefully, the user's query mentions "Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima" - this seems like it could be a specific community trail name or a combination. The "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" community trail says: "The Levada do Alecrim starts near the Chapel of Fátima and leads to the lagoon of Dona Beja." But the user specifically mentions "Arco da Calheta" as the starting point, not Estrela. And the Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima (Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima) is in Arco da Calheta. This might be referring to a specific community trail that wasn't returned, or it could be referring to a combination of community trails in the area. The closest match from my results would be the "Arco da Calheta - Sítio do Pinheiro via Levada Nova" which starts in Arco da Calheta. But actually, I think the user may be referring to a specific AllTrails trail that combines Arco da Calheta, the Chapel of Fátima, and a levada walk. This doesn't match any of the official PR trails. It could be the "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" community trail since that specifically mentions the Chapel of Fátima. Let me search more specifically for this trail name.The user is asking about the "Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima levada walk" in Madeira. Looking at the search results, I don't see an official IFCN PR trail with that exact name. However, in the community trails (AllTrails), there are two relevant entries: 1. **"Arco da Calheta - Sítio do Pinheiro via Levada Nova"** - This is a community route that starts in Arco da Calheta and follows the Levada Nova. 2. **"Estrela - Levada do Alecrim"** - This one mentions: "The Levada do Alecrim starts near the Chapel of Fátima and leads to the lagoon of Dona Beja." The user's query mentions "Arco da Calheta - Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima" which seems to combine elements of both. There's also the official PR 6.2 "Levada do Alecrim" which starts at Rabaçal and goes to the water spring of Levada do Alecrim (Lagoa 'Dona Beja'). Let me look more carefully. The "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" community trail description says: "The Levada do Alecrim starts near the Chapel of Fátima and leads to the lagoon of Dona Beja." This community trail starts from the village of Estrela, which is near Arco da Calheta. So the walk the user is asking about is most likely the community trail "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" which starts from Estrela (near Arco da Calheta) near the Chapel of Fátima (Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima) and follows Levada do Alecrim. There's no official IFCN PR trail with that exact name. Let me present both the community trail they're likely asking about, and the official PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim which covers part of the same levada from Rabaçal. The community trail "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim": - **Length:** 11.4 km - **Difficulty:** hard - **Route type:** point to point - **Estimated time:** 4.5–5 hr - **Rating:** 4.6★ from 92 reviews - **Description:** This linear route climbs from the village of Estrela to Levada do Alecrim, passing through rural and forest landscapes. The Levada do Alecrim starts near the Chapel of Fátima and leads to the lagoon of Dona Beja. It's a pleasant route with some waterfalls surrounded by dense vegetation. And the official PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim: - **Distance:** 3.5 km (+ 3.5 km return) - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Duration:** 2:30 hours - **Start:** Rabaçal (E.R. 105) - **End:** Water spring of Levada do Alecrim (Lagoa 'Dona Beja') - **Max altitude:** 1,339 m / Min: 1,256 m - **Rating:** 4.6★ from 1,719 reviews - **Access fee:** €4.50 (over 12 years), free under 12 I should also mention the "Arco da Calheta - Sítio do Pinheiro via Levada Nova" community trail since it starts in Arco da Calheta. Let me focus on what the user actually asked about: the walk from Arco da Calheta / Chapel of Fátima. The most relevant match is the "Estrela - Levada do Alecrim" community trail, since it explicitly mentions the Chapel of Fátima as its starting point. I need to be clear that this is a community/unofficial trail, not an official IFCN PR trail, and that there's also the official PR 6.2 which covers a portion of the same levada from Rabaçal.
How this was derived · 1 step
Trails near Arco da CalhetaMap & photos
Levada do Alecrim6 photos
Levada do AlecrimLevada do AlecrimLevada do AlecrimLevada do AlecrimLevada do AlecrimLevada do Alecrim
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)

The walk you're asking about — Arco da Calheta / Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima to Levada do Alecrim — is a community-mapped trail on AllTrails, not one of Madeira's official IFCN PR trails. Here's what I found:


Estrela – Levada do Alecrim

Community route (mapped on AllTrails) — not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, the regional government's forests and nature-conservation authority. It has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee; check access and conditions locally before going.

DifficultyHard
Distance11.4 km
Route typePoint to point
Estimated time4.5–5 hr
AllTrails rating★4.6 from 92 reviews
LocationMadeira Natural Park area

This linear route climbs from the village of Estrela (near Arco da Calheta) to Levada do Alecrim. The levada starts near the Chapel of Fátima (Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima) and leads to the Lagoa Dona Beja lagoon. Along the way you'll pass through rural and forest landscapes, with waterfalls surrounded by dense vegetation.

Directions to trailhead ↗ · AllTrails page ↗


The official alternative: PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim

The same levada has an official IFCN trail — PR 6.2 Levada do Alecrim — which starts higher up at Rabaçal (E.R. 105) and follows the channel to the Lagoa Dona Beja spring. It's shorter and easier:

DifficultyEasy
Distance3.5 km (+ 3.5 km return)
Duration~2 h 30 min
Start → EndRabaçal → Lagoa Dona Beja
Altitude1,256 m – 1,339 m
Access fee€4.50 (over 12 years), free under 12 (via SIMplifica portal)
AllTrails rating★4.6 from 1,719 reviews
Official infoVisitMadeira ↗

Because it starts at Rabaçal (~1,260 m altitude), PR 6.2 avoids the long climb from the Chapel of Fátima below — making it a much gentler walk while still following the same beautiful levada channel to the lagoon and waterfalls. It's also one of the most popular and highest-rated trails on the island.

Directions to PR 6.2 trailhead (Rabaçal) ↗


Other nearby walks from Arco da Calheta

There's also a shorter community route that starts right in Arco da CalhetaArco da Calheta – Sítio do Pinheiro via Levada Nova (5.6 km loop, moderate, ~2–2.5 h, ★4.3 from 163 reviews) — a circular walk that follows Levada Nova with panoramic views of the valley and ocean. Directions ↗ · AllTrails ↗


Be sure to check the current trail status before heading out, as conditions can change. Would you like me to check the mountain weather forecast and any IPMA warnings for the day you're planning to go?

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