Santo da Serra To Levada da Serra do Faial Hike On Madeira

Santo da Serra to Levada da Serra do Faial is a circular forest walk, which will take you away from busy hiking trails and provide you with a peaceful walk immersed in lush, green surroundings. This hike is far from the most epic or difficult trail on Madeira Island but it’s a fantastic stroll for a cloudy or gloomy day when the fog fills the forest to create a moody atmosphere.

HOW TO GET TO THE SANTO DA SERRA TO LEVADA DA SERRA DO FAIAL HIKE

The hiking trailhead is in a bit of an interesting spot. Basically, to make this a circular route (to avoid the dreaded out-and-back), you start at a roundabout. There’s a nearby cafe to park at and have a coffee before and/or after. You walk the first 2 kilometers on the road and then the last 1 kilometer on the road. You can do it in reverse but there’s not much difference either way. You can park at the coffee shop and I’ve added the pin location of the trailhead below. I used the official Madeira hiking app for this route and despite the road sections, it was quite a nice trail.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE SANTO DA SERRA TO LEVADA DA SERRA DO FAIAL HIKE

The weather can be a little bit temperamental and unpredictable on Madeira Island. In addition to the unpredictability of the conditions, it can often be sunny on one side of the island while a storm is hammering the opposite shore. With this in mind, I have a handful of hikes that I always save for a rainy, gloomy day and this trail is firmly on that list.

The Santo da Serra to Levada da Serra do Faial is a circular route of 10 kilometers with only a couple hundred meters of elevation. It’s used by trail runners, mountain bikers, and hikers all simultaneously. It’s not the most epic hike on the island but it’s one of the lesser-known routes and you won’t find many if any, tourists on this track.

The hike begins at the O Barreto Cafe or at least it did for us. We grabbed a coffee and a cake here while waiting for the rain to subside. Because it’s a circular route, you can choose to hike this one in either direction and it wouldn’t matter too much. We decided to take the road route first, which meant the initial 2.5 kilometers were on the road. However, it meant we basically finished straight out of the forest after a little walk on the gravel road. I prefer to get the road out of the way early.

I didn’t have high expectations in terms of viewpoints, waterfalls, or scenery on this walk. I just wanted to be out in nature and enjoy a 10-kilometer walk. However, the forest scenery surprised me with some beautiful sections of the trail featuring tall trees, vines, and, tropical ferns draped on either side of the trail. On the day we visited, the low cloud and fog were creating a moody atmosphere within the forest.

Some hikes are great on sunny days or perfect with a good sunrise but this one is great when it’s cloudy. The fog inside the forest creates an incredible atmosphere, which I tried to capture in this short video.

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A post shared by Jackson Groves (@jackson.groves) on Oct 10, 2020 at 11:05am PDT

With seven kilometers of Fanal forest to enjoy, take your time looking for wildflowers, ferns, beautiful trees and even just watching the water drip from the plants. This is a trail best done slowly as there is a lot to see when there is rain creating movement and moisture throughout the lush foliage.

Just before the end of the forest, you will reach the ‘Casinha da Ãgua’, which is the Water House. Here, there is an old building next to a truly incredible tree. It rises from the ground like a giant hand, leaves sprouting from its fingertips. It’s slightly off the path by a few meters so make sure you don’t miss this!

ADVENTURE BAG FROM THE SANTO DA SERRA TO LEVADA DA SERRA DO FAIAL HIKE

This is an adventure bag. It is full of trash. Every time I go on an adventure I collect one adventure bag full of trash. It’s my small way of saying thanks to mother nature for allowing me to enjoy her beautiful creations. If we have time to go on an adventure we have time to collect an adventure bag on the way back out of the trail once we have enjoyed the waterfall, the hike, or the beach. Adventure hard!

Tag your Adventure Bag on Instagram and mention @adventurebagcrew in your Instagram stories and we will repost your Adventure Bag photo to help inspire your friends, family, and followers to join the movement!

I hope you enjoyed this guide about the Santo da Serra to Levada da Serra do Faial hike on Madeira Island. Happy hiking and stay safe!

WONDERING ABOUT WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA?

Throughout my six months on Madeira Island, I stayed in multiple accommodations. My favorite regions to stay in were Funchal and Canico de Baixo. I’ve created several guides to help you find the right region for you and a great hotel or apartment.

• The ultimate guide: WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA: WHICH REGION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
• If you want luxury: BEST 5-STAR LUXURY HOTELS ON MADEIRA ISLAND
• To feel at home: TOP 10 BOUTIQUE HOTELS ON MADEIRA ISLAND
• If you want to base in Funchal: WHERE TO STAY IN FUNCHAL: 15 TOP-RATED HOTELS

HAVE YOU READ MY OTHER MADEIRA BLOGS?

I spent six months exploring Madeira and the nearby island of Porto Santo. These are some of my most popular guides about the region that you may be interested in.

• My favorite hikes: 65 AWESOME HIKES ON MADEIRA
• My favorite levada walks: 25 BEAUTIFUL LEVADA WALKS ON MADEIRA
• The best waterfalls on the island: 25 EPIC WATERFALLS ON MADEIRA
• Guide to the best Accommodation: WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA
• Hardest hike: THE MADEIRA ISLAND ULTRA TRAIL IN 4 DAYS (115KM)
• Longest hike: CAMINHO REAL 23: MADEIRA’S ROYAL PATH (180KM)