Levada Curral das Freiras (CF20)

CF20 follows an irrigation channel cut into the mountainside above Curral das Freiras. It is a full mountain day, not a stroll beside water. The channel has been found dry, so what you walk is a narrow ledge on the slope rather than a path beside running water. Landslides have damaged the route, and one attempt ended three kilometres in, at a point where the path could not be passed. The reward is the terrain: steep valley walls, the village in the bowl below, and long flights of steps that climb and drop across the slope.

• Gear: walking poles and hiking shoes with proper grip. The path is stepped and steep, and footing matters more than speed.
• Water: the levada channel has been found dry. Carry everything you plan to drink.
• Landslides: sections of the route have been damaged and blocked. Walkers have been stopped three kilometres in and sent back the way they came.
• Knees: long flights of steps run downhill as well as up. Anyone with weak knees should skip this one.

Curral das Freiras is the starting point, and the walking begins in the village itself. From there the route follows the levada for about 10 km along the slope, with long flights of steps and steep gradients. There is no guarantee of getting through: landslide damage has stopped walkers partway, so plan the day on the assumption that you may have to return the way you came.

Better: an early start, with the whole day clear.

Avoid: setting out late, and walking the route in wet weather.

The full route takes seven to eight hours, so a late start means finishing in the dark on steep, stepped ground. Rain makes the footing worse on a path that landslides have already damaged.