Serra de Água offers several perspectives on a trip to Madeira: Levada hikes with two clearly distinct options, mountain panoramas and the traditional local produce culture celebrated at the Mostra do Mel e da Poncha. For choosing a route, distance, duration and endpoint provide concrete points of comparison. The viewpoints, by contrast, showcase different landscapes.

Two options on the Levada da Serra de Água

The longer option on the Levada da Serra de Água to Curral das Freiras is 14 kilometres long and takes five to six hours. It starts on the regional road near the entrance to the church of Serra de Água and ends at the church of Curral das Freiras.

The second option covers 8 kilometres and takes three to four hours. It has the same starting point: the regional road near the entrance to the church of Serra de Água. It ends at the Miradouro da Encumeada.

Starting at the same place makes the differences between the options clear: not only does the route length vary, but so does the stated duration, and they have different endpoints. When planning, therefore, it is not just the time commitment that matters, but also the destination. The shorter option ends at the viewpoint, while the longer one ends at the church of Curral das Freiras.

Another named hiking trail is the Caminho Real da Encumeada PR2. It runs at the foot of Madeira’s highest peaks and crosses part of the island’s Central Mountain Massif. This trail focuses on the mountainous area; the two Levada options can be compared mainly by their route details and destinations.

Mountain Views and Coastal Panorama

The Miradouro da Pousada dos Vinháticos is located in Serra de Água and offers wide-ranging views of the mountain peaks in the municipality of Ribeira Brava. Its panorama therefore focuses on the peaks in this municipality.

The Miradouro da Encumeada is at an altitude of 1,007 metres and offers unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. From there, the views extend to Madeira’s north and south coasts. The panorama brings into view the deep valleys of Ribeira Brava on the south coast and São Vicente on the north coast.

The viewpoints offer different perspectives: at Pousada dos Vinháticos, the focus is on the mountain peaks in the municipality of Ribeira Brava, while the panorama from Encumeada encompasses both coasts and both deep valleys. When choosing viewpoints, you can consider whether mountain peaks, coastlines or valleys appeal to you most.

Traditional Products of Madeira

The Mostra do Mel e da Poncha is held at the Casa do Povo da Serra de Água. It promotes traditional Madeiran products, especially agricultural rum.

For those interested in Madeira’s traditional products as well as its hikes and landscapes, this offers a fitting theme to explore.

Discover more destinations: Fajã Da Ovelha, Campanário, Estreito Da Calheta, Porto Moniz, Boaventura, Caniçal, Lombada Velha, Camacha

For the broader travel overview: Madeira.