Levada dos Cedros

Descending from the misty Fanal plateau, the Levada dos Cedros follows a 17th-century channel fed by the springs of Lombo do Cedro at around 1,000 m, threading some of the oldest and most intact laurel forest on Madeira. The walk's glory is its trees: centuries-old Til (Ocotea foetens) standing 30–40 m high, a few of them already ancient when the island was discovered in the 15th century. The path skirts the steep right bank of the Ribeira da Janela before ending at Curral Falso on the E.R. 209. Visit Madeira gives 7.2 km, 3 h, Moderate, altitude 1,090/840 m. It is a one-way (linear) route, so plan a pick-up or onward transport.