4K Driving Route along the South Coast of Madeira 🇵🇹 | Câmara de Lobos to Funchal

 4K Driving Route along the South Coast of Madeira 🇵🇹 | Câmara de Lobos to Funchal

Levada Nova de Câmara de Lobos (Câmara de Lobos)
Levada Nova de Câmara de Lobos or Levada da Fajã
Madre, Ribeira dos Socorridos (160 mts) – Fim, Sítio do Pico da Torre, Câmara de Lobos (130 mts) – 4.5 km

The Levada Nova (de Câmara de Lobos) or Levada da Fajã replaced an older levada that also originated in Ribeira dos Socorridos, heading towards Câmara de Lobos. One hypothesis for this primitive aqueduct is the Levada (da) Velha, whose origin dates back to the first century of colonization, the 15th century. The Levada Nova was built by the State. Although there are no records of the construction date, it would have been built shortly after the Levada dos Piornais, and therefore already existed, possibly in the 16th century. XVI/XVII and retaining the freshness of its name for several hundred years.

The initial origin of this levada would be located a few meters downstream from its current origin and from the Levada dos Piornais. After a large alluvial event on October 9, 1803, which profoundly altered the bed of the Ribeira dos Socorridos, the water available in the Madre decreased considerably, resulting in significant losses for the farmers of Câmara de Lobos and causing a dispute between the two levadas. The dispute over the water would only be resolved in 1898, in a contract between the representatives of the two levadas, which would define the construction of a single Madre through a weir and a dividing box with 7 openings, which would separate 1/7 for the Levada Nova and 6/7 for the Levada dos Piornais of the water flow of the Ribeira dos Socorridos.

The Levada Nova esplanade is properly protected with fences in the most dangerous areas between the Lourencinha site (intersection with the expressway) and the junction with the Fajã path (just after the intersection with the penstock of the Socorridos Power Plant), providing beautiful views over the Ribeira dos Socorridos valley. Between the aforementioned junction and the source of the Levada Nova, the path has a reduced esplanade, without protections and with large abysses. This section of the Levada is extremely dangerous, and it is therefore recommended to replace this section with the ascent of the Ribeira dos Socorridos riverbed to its source.