Madeira Hikes: Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova

The most popular picture from Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova is a picture of a characteristic waterfall carved in the rock. This part of the hike is definitely unique and beautiful. What will we be able to see on the route besides this waterfall, how did I like the hike and … how to get to it without a car?

Levada do Moinho or “Mill Levada”?

Let’s start with something that might be obvious to some, but will spare a lot of trouble to others: “moinho” means in Portuguese “a mill”. So while Google Maps tagged this hike as a “Mill Levada” the signs still say “Levada do Moinho”. Please know that this is the same levada.

But then again, there are actually two levadas on the island carrying the same name. Do not confuse this hike with Levada do Moinho #PR7 (10,5 km) from Ribeira da Cruz to Junqueira (Tornadouro) in the north-west of the island. Make sure you and your friends are on the same page when planning a Levada do Moinho walk, to not end up in Ponta do Sol while they are waiting an hour away in the Achadas da Cruz area 🙂

Levada do Moinho/Nova: GoPro video

Here is our GoPro video of the hike:

[OPEN ON YOUTUBE]

Levada do Moinho/Nova: Introduction

This route is quite unique. It actually consists of two parallel levadas that are very different from each other. The one below is the old Levada do Moinho, and as the name Nova indicates, a newer levada runs above it. After about 4 kilometers north, into the valley, we arrive at a place where we need to switch one for the other, and then go back south again. It is, of course, a beautifully circular route.

View from Nova on Levada do Moinho
It seems like the right moment to switch levadas 🙂
The place where we switched from Levada Nova to Levada do Moinho

The difficulty level of this levada is medium, and it is definitely not demanding. There are no significant altitude differences – the lowest point is 310 m, and the highest 410. The distance is 8.5 km and it should take you about 3-4 hours.

I also did not notice any particularly dangerous parts, although I must point out that for some, the place where you switch levadas might be a bit problematic.

Officially, you should first follow the Moino (Mill) Levada and then switch to Nova, but we went the other way. Therefore, do not be surprised that our video looks a bit different.

Levada do Moinho/Nova: Pictures

SEE ALSO: WEATHER IN MADEIRA IN SEPTEMBER

Levada do Moinho/Nova: The Waterfall

Levada do Moinho/Nova: How to get there?

The official address of the levada is Casa Carreira 24, Ponta do Sol. It starts next to this white church (“Igreja da Lombada da Ponta do Sol”):

Ponta do Sol is a place I am very fond of. I love driving those narrow roads between banana gardens and seeing the banana terraces located on the cliffs. This is also where one of the most wanted wedding hotels with a beautiful garden and sea/cliff view is located. Certainly, even its name is beautiful – Ponta do Sol means nothing but “Cape of the Sun”.

We can not reach levada do Moinho – Nova directly with the public transport, but we can get by bus to the centre of Ponta do Sol town, with company Rodoeste. The closest stop seems to be the “PONTA DO SOL – Rotunda”, from which it should take you another 0.5-1 hour to reach the levada.

Here is a handy map of all stops, created by Rodoeste:

The bus lines passing by Ponta do Sol are:

RODOESTE 8, 80, 142, 146

[HERE] you can download the Funchal – Ponta do Sol bus schedule. Of course, please always check the (not too modern, unfortunately) OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF RODOESTE to make sure you have the latest version.

SEE ALSO: PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN MADEIRA

Levada do Moinho/Nova: My review

We walked the Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova route on a gorgeous, sunny September afternoon:

Pogoda na Maderze jesienią. Madera we wrześniu i październiku,

So, how did I like this hike? Was it worth it?

Levada do Moinho – Nova did not knock me down and did not surprise me with its beauty like other levadas, eg Levada Fajã do Rodrigues (PR 16) or the Vereda do Larano.

The most beautiful part of the levada is definitely the waterfall, which surprises us directly after leaving a tunnel. What was also nice was the view of the banana fields and a rather secluded barbecue area with a view of the waterfall about halfway through the route. I didn’t really like the part where you have to get from one levada to the other. It is poorly marked, and if it wasn’t for the phone app, I wouldn’t know where to go.

This is definitely a different, unique, and interesting levada, but that’s all I can say about it. I was a bit surprised by such high traveler ratings. It is pretty, but compared to other levadas in Madeira, it lacks the “wow” effect. My favorite levadas are “jungle-type” levadas, lush and green. Levada do Moinho- Nova is not one of such levadas. It is not very green, and the dominating color is brown and gray. It can be compared with the Levada in Machico, from which we will have very similar views of the valley.

I hope that my honest opinion will help people make the most of the limited holiday time when choosing levada routes. Levada do Moinho-Nova is somewhere at the end of the list of favorite hikes in Madeira. It is nice to see, and I am very glad I discovered it, but please do not make it the only levada you will walk. I encourage you to try out at least one lush and green levada in the north of the island.

SEE: ALL HIKE REVIEWS ON OUR BLOG

ALL MADEIRA LEVADA HIKES ON TRIPADVISOR

Weddings or photo shoots on Madeira? Contact

Do not miss our new posts – follow us:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *