Landscapes of Madeira 26 Circuit around Santana 04-08-2022
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 5.61 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,411 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,411 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,765 ft
- TrailRank
- 58
- Min elevation
- 1,267 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 46 minutes
- Coordinates
- 655
- Uploaded
- August 25, 2022
- Recorded
- August 2022
near Eiras, Madeira (Portugal)
Viewed 433 times, downloaded 16 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
https://sunflowerbooks.co.uk/product/walking-in-madeira/
GPS coordinates are also available from this web site.
The highlights of this walk, in the area around the village of Santana on the North Coast of Madeira, are some spectacular viewpoints which are not overcrowded by dozens of tourists.
Apart from that, you get a good impression of current rural life in Madeira, and how it changed over the years, for instance with the arrival of the expressway and its tunnels. The tour also passes by many versions of the typical Santana-style houses, where most tourists only see the ones they are supposed to see in the center of Santana. While some of them are actually used as residential houses, they are very prominent in the gardens, fields, and pastures as tool sheds and animal shelters, and you should be able to spot dozens of them on this walk.
You will pass by many plots where still small animals are held and vegetables, orchard trees or vines are grown. But times are changing and many of the plots have already been abandoned and are overgrown by thorns.
The track presents no particular difficulties and is mostly on roads and levada paths. There is no protective fencing along the first levada (do Cortado) but the path stays well away from steep drops.
Waypoints
Photo
Panorama
0 ft
Panoramic view over Peninsula de Guindaste and Ponta de São Lourenço
Right at the start of the walk you have this panoramic view next to the road that climbs up from the village of Faial
Tunnel
Panorama
0 ft
Panoramic view over Peninsula de Guindaste and Penha d´Águia
From here you have a great panoramic view over the village of Faial, Peninsula de Guindaste, Penha d´Águia ("Eagle Rock") and further on to Ponta de São Lourenço.
Summit
0 ft
Pico da Boneca
Pico da Boneca. Vegetation covers the area around the top of Pico da Boneca, and Superbock bottles its geodetic marker, which means the scenic views here are somewhat restricted.
Panorama
1,115 ft
Cableway Panoramic View of Fajã da Rocha do Navio
From the top of this abandoned goods cableway you have one of the most spectacular views over a fajã in Madeira. Hidden from direct view by dense vegetation, you have to walk to where the cable descends, where a tiny and fragile fence protects you from falling into the abyss of the Fajã da Rocha do Navio. Though, the famous "ship's rock" (actually named after a ship wreck) itself is not visible from here.
Waypoint
0 ft
View on Cova
The area in front of you is called "Cova" (pit). The Levada do Cantinho runs right above the entrance to the Via Expresso tunnel. You will leave it there and climb the tar road right next to it.
Religious site
0 ft
Church of Santana
During the August festivities, the area around the church in Santana buzzes with life in the weekends and some evenings during the week. There are food stalls with traditional regional food, e.g. buy "espetadas" (beef on a skewer made from laurel wood) with raw meat, which you then grill by yourself in a communal oven, or eat "Bolo de Caco" sandwich filled with "Carne de Vinha d'Alhos".
Intersection
0 ft
Diversion Santana houses
Walk up 300 m this road to the right if you want to detour to meet more tourists at the famous Santana houses
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