Levada dos Cedros (PR 14)

Laurel trees 30 to 40 metres high stand over a channel dug straight into the soil of the hillside in the 17th century, one of the oldest levadas in the region. The walk is shaded, birdsong carries through the forest, and waterfalls show along the way.

The other reason is at Fanal, where some of the til trees were already standing when the island was discovered. Mist moves through them, and they look older for it. Fanal draws people who drive up just to see those trees. The levada itself is one of Madeira's lesser-known, and the traffic on it ranges from few walkers to busy but manageable.

At Fanal, on regional road ER 209, the walk starts among the old til trees of the Rest and Quiet Reserve. Expect steep steps where the levada begins and ends.

On the levada, the path follows the channel through shaded laurel forest. The ground stays muddy even in dry weather, so put a foot on each concrete runner if you want to keep your shoes clean.

Further on, the route passes the steep slope on the right bank of the Ribeira da Janela.

At Curral Falso the levada ends back on the ER 209, at a guidepost and an information board. This is a different point on the road from where you started, so settle the return before you set out. PR 13 Vereda do Fanal closes the gap as a circuit, with a frog pond on the way: clockwise, the climb is gradual; anticlockwise, it finishes on very steep steps.

• Mud: the ground along the levada stays muddy in dry weather and can flood. Wear good shoes you do not mind ruining.
• Getting back: the walk ends at a different point on the ER 209 from where it started. Sort out how you return to the car first.
• Refunds: there are none for rain, a wrong date or a change of plan. Money comes back only when the trail is officially closed or restricted.
• Layers: Fanal and the PR 13 side take wind and cloud, cooler and wetter than the shaded levada. Bring a jacket.
• Facilities: Curral Falso has free toilets and a water point about 440 m away in a straight line.

Both ends sit on regional road ER 209, and the car is the way most of this day gets organised. Curral Falso has a free car park beside the guidepost, with a second free one about 330 m away. The road also reaches Fanal, where enough people drive up to see the trees that the forest park gets crowded.

The nearest stop is about 3.6 km away in a straight line, and the walk by road is longer than that.

The route finishes elsewhere on the ER 209, so you need a second car, a pick-up or the PR 13 circuit to get back to where you parked.

Best: early in the day, ahead of the peak hours. The forest is quietest then, and mist at Fanal only helps the old trees.

Avoid: heavy rain and the day after it. The path can flood and the mud deepens, and a booking dropped because of rain is not refunded.

PR 14 is a classified trail managed by IFCN, and part of it lies in a Rest and Quiet Reserve within the Madeira Natural Park. Every walker must book an entry slot online through the SIMplifica Portal, including those who pay nothing; IFCN premises take no bookings or payments. Slots close automatically when full, and the tolerance around your slot is about 15 minutes.

Residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira with a resident card and citizen card, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more plus one accompanying legal guardian, with documentary proof, walk free.

Walking more than one classified trail takes a booking for each; the portal applies the cheapest combined rate on its own. IFCN's official trails page shows whether each route is open or closed, so check it before you go.