The Levada do Alecrim – Wind Lagoon walk starts in Paúl da Serra where the area is covered with the luxuriant vegetation of the Laurissilva Forest (Laurel Forest), classified as Natural World Heritage by UNESCO.
The very first section of the walk is through a narrow dirt path hidden in the vegetation. Soon after, we start following Levada do Alecrim where the track is wide and the vegetation is abundant on both sides of the Levada.
Levada do Alecrim was built to receive and transport water from the Lajeado and Alecrim creeks with the purpose of supplying the Calheta Hydroelectric Station.
After walking a few meters, the Levada joins a large water reservoir and some small ponds where we can see trouts swimming around in the clear water. Further, ahead we go up a stairway and keep following the Levada upstream.
Along the way, we can enjoy the outstanding views over the Rabaçal valley and Ribeira da Janela.
When we reach the source of Levada do Alecrim, at Ribeira do Lajeado, we take a break to appreciate the landscape surrounding the small lagoon known as “Dona Beja”. There is also a small waterfall that drops down from the rocks into the lagoon. This water will feed the waterfall of Lagoa do Vento (Wind Lagoon), which is located further down.
With recharged energies, we start returning through the same track and then take a different path to the Wind Lagoon. This section of the walk is a bit more difficult, the terrain is irregular and can be slippery, especially on rainy days.
When we reach the base of the lagoon we will be mesmerized by the beauty of the waterfall that drops down from the top of the cliff. Here the silence is only interrupted by the sounds of nature.
Regarding the flora we find during this hike, the landscape is dominated by altitude heaths, which include the tree heather, the besom heath, the whortleberry, the Madeiran orchid, and the milk thistle.
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