A levada is an irrigation channel, and the maintenance paths beside them carry most of Madeira's walking. Levada do Castelejo runs in the Porto da Cruz area, in the municipality of Machico, and is listed as cultural heritage. The walking is flat and easy for its whole length, about 9 to 10 km there and back, past smallholdings and flower gardens and through stretches of dense green, with a suspension bridge where most walkers turn round. It stays quieter than the island's better-known levadas.
Levada do Castelejo
Flat, easy levada walk through gardens and green woodland, with a suspension bridge partway along.
- Entrance
- No ticket — the path is open access.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible: neither the entrance nor the parking is step-free.
- Parking
- No car park mapped at the start. The two nearest are about 1.4 km away in a straight line; one is free but signed for permit holders.
- Difficulty
- Easy. Flat levada path, about 9 to 10 km there and back, with one large rock the path skirts and a suspension bridge partway along.
- Transport
- Bus stops within about 60 m of the path.
- Advance booking
- Not needed.
- Hours
- Open at any time, every day.
What makes it special
Birdsong and the water in the channel do most of the talking here. The path is quiet and off the standard levada circuit, and the walking is flat the whole way, easy enough for almost anybody.
Partway along, a large rock cuts the channel; the path goes round it and carries on to a suspension bridge, with a small table on the far side that makes an obvious place to stop and eat before turning back. In between you pass houses with flowers over the walls, and a table where fruit is sold. The last stretch goes through the village, where there is a drink to be had at the end of it.
Worth being honest about: much of the route is farmland and houses, and there are walks in the area with more to look at.
Good to know
- There and back is about 9 to 10 km on the level. It is an out-and-back route, so you can turn round at any point.
- No toilets, drinking water or information point within 800 m — carry what you need.
- A large rock cuts the levada partway along; the path skirts it and continues to the suspension bridge.
- Fruit is sold from a table beside the path, and the last stretch runs through the village, where you can get a drink.
- The walk is easy and flat, but there is no step-free access to the path itself.
Getting there
The levada lies in the Porto da Cruz area of Machico, and public transport genuinely works for it: bus stops sit within about 60 m of the path.
By car it is less neat. Nothing for parking is mapped at the start of the route, and the nearest mapped car parks are about 1.4 km off in a straight line. The entrance to the levada itself is easy to find once you are in the right place.
From there the route is out and back along the channel, level all the way, with the final stretch through the village.
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Frequently asked questions
How long is the walk?
About 9 to 10 km there and back, flat and easy the whole way. It is an out-and-back route along the channel, so you can turn round whenever you have had enough.Is it hard going?
No. The levada is flat and the walking is easy, suitable for almost anybody. The one obstacle is a large rock that cuts the channel, and the path goes around it.Can you get there by bus?
Yes. Bus stops sit within about 60 m of the path, which is unusually close for a levada walk.Is there anywhere to buy food or water?
Not at the start — there is no drinking water, toilet or information point within 800 m. Fruit is sold from a table beside the path, and the village on the last stretch has somewhere for a drink.What is the suspension bridge?
A footbridge partway along the levada. Cross it and there is a small table on the other side, which most walkers use as their turning point before heading back.