The walk you're describing is almost certainly the famous circuit at Lombada da Ponta do Sol — usually listed as "Levada Nova – Levada do Moinho". It's a hugely popular route up the sun-drenched Ponta do Sol valley: you follow one levada uphill and return on the other (the older Moinho channel, built in the 16th century to power an old grain mill), walking sections of both back down through terraced farmland.

⚠️ One important note first: this is a community route mapped on AllTrails — NOT part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN (the regional government's forests & nature-conservation authority). It therefore has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee — check local conditions before going.

The essentials:

• Rating: 4.7★ from 6,972 hiker reviews on AllTrails — one of the island's most-reviewed walks
• Route type: circular loop
• Length: ~9.3 km
• Difficulty: moderate
• Terrain: gentle with an almost imperceptible elevation gain… but not recommended if you suffer from vertigo — about half the trail runs along narrow, highly exposed ledges, sharp turns without guardrails and partially eroded sections.
• Highlights: spectacular valley views over Ponta do Sol and its village below, impressive waterfalls (one cascades directly onto/out of a tunnel section on some variants), banana plantations and well-tended agricultural terraces, endemic flora along peaceful stretches.
• Beware occasional short stretches where water drips or streams cross the path once received little refurbishment.

Hiking it near sunset gives gloriously golden light over the valley.

For orientation from where you are now: Directions ↗

You can also check current recreation paths status/updates for nearby hikes via OpenMadeira (Games Guard Office Informations).

Want me to show a video of this levadas-and-waterfalls walk so you know what exposure to expect?