Tell me about the Levada da Silveira levada walk in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about the Levada da Silveira levada walk in Madeira. Let me search for this trail using the find_hikes tool.The search for "Levada da Silveira" returned no results from the official PR trail database. Let me search more broadly - it might be known by a different name, or it might be a community/unofficial trail. Let me try a different search approach.The user is asking about "Levada da Silveira" in Madeira. This trail doesn't appear in the official IFCN PR trail list (find_hikes returned empty). From the web search results, I can see that Levada da Silveira is a known levada walk in the Santana area, but it's NOT one of the official IFCN PR trails. It appears to be an unofficial/community route.
Let me summarize what I found from the web results:
- Located in Santana, below Levada do Caldeirão Verde
- One of the oldest levadas in the region
- One of the least traveled/crowded
- About 10 km round trip
- Has diverse vegetation - introduced species early on, then endemic laurel forest (Laurel, Heather, Uveira)
- Has a tunnel (approximately 300 meters long according to one video, or described as a small tunnel in another source) - flashlight needed
- Ends at Ribeira dos Arcos where there are small lagoons
- Out-and-back route (return the same way)
- Elevation: max 676m, min 666m, only about 10m cumulative climb
- Views of Santana, São Jorge, and Ilha
- Also called "Levada de Santana" in some sources
Since this is NOT in the official IFCN PR trail system, I need to be clear about that. It's an unofficial/community route. I should note that it has no official open/closed status and recommend checking conditions.
Let me also check for a video to show.The user asked about the Levada da Silveira levada walk in Madeira. This trail is not one of the official PR (Percurso Recomendado) trails listed by IFCN, so our find_hikes tool returned no results. However, from the web search, I found useful information from walkmeguide.com and other sources. Let me compile what I know.
Key facts from the search:
- Located in Santana, below Levada do Caldeirão Verde
- One of the oldest levadas in the Santana municipality
- Also known as Levada de Santana
- Approximately 10 km round trip (out and back)
- Elevation max ~676 m, min ~666 m (very flat, only ~10m cumulative gain)
- Features a tunnel (~300m long) - flashlight/head torch recommended
- Ends at Ribeira dos Arcos, where there are small lagoons
- Vegetation transitions from introduced species to endemic laurel forest (Laurisilva) - Laurel, Heather, Uveira
- Views of Santana, São Jorge, and Ilha
- Described as "one of the least traveled" levadas - not crowded
- Moderate difficulty
- Has gates (for chickens) along the way
- Eucalyptus trees along the route
Since this is not an official PR trail, I should be clear about that. Let me present the information I have from web sources.
I should note that:
1. This is NOT an official IFCN PR trail - it's not in the official trail register
2. It doesn't have an official open/closed status
3. The information comes from hiking community sources
Let me compose a helpful answer based on what I found.
How this was derived · 5 steps
Levada da Silveira
The Levada da Silveira (also known as Levada de Santana) is a lesser-known, uncrowded levada walk in the municipality of Santana, on Madeira's north coast — located below the more famous Levada do Caldeirão Verde.
Note: This is not one of Madeira's official IFCN-recommended PR trails, so it has no official open/closed status from the regional trails authority. The information below comes from hiking community sources — always verify locally before setting out.
Key details
| Location | Santana, north coast |
| Type | Levada walk (out-and-back) |
| Distance | ~10 km round trip |
| Duration | ~3–4 hours |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Elevation | Max ~676 m / Min ~666 m (very flat along the levada — only ~10 m cumulative gain) |
| End point | Ribeira dos Arcos (waterfall & small lagoons) |
What to expect
- One of the oldest levadas in the Santana area, and one of the least travelled — you'll likely have the path almost to yourself, a real contrast with the popular PR trails.
- Vegetation transitions along the route: introduced species (eucalyptus) near the start give way to endemic Laurisilva forest further along — laurel, heather, and uveira-da-serra.
- A tunnel of roughly 300 m — bring a head torch / flashlight and a cap to protect your head from dripping water.
- A few gates along the way (to keep chickens and goats in — just pass through and close them behind you).
- The walk ends at Ribeira dos Arcos, where a small waterfall and natural lagoons offer a lovely resting spot before retracing your steps.
- Open viewpoints along the levada reveal fantastic panoramas over Santana, São Jorge, and Ilha.
Practical tips
- Getting there: The trailhead is accessed from the road between Santana and Teixeira. There's a small roadside parking area near the start.
- Torch essential for the tunnel.
- Not crowded — a great choice if you want a peaceful walk away from the tourist hotspots.
- The route is relatively flat (it follows the levada), but the path can be narrow in places and may be muddy after rain.
Sources
- WalkMe Guide – Levada da Silveira (detailed description, elevation profile, and comments)
- Visorando – Levada da Silveira (route description)
Would you like me to check the weather and IPMA warnings for the Santana area for when you're planning to go, or find the closest official PR trails near Santana as alternatives?
OpenMadeira can make mistakes — check the sources.