Total Time 1.30 H
Total Distance 1.5 Km
Highest Altitude 630 m
Lowest Altitude 630 m
DIFFICULTY easy
Car or taxi: ER103 to Ribeiro Frio.
This trail begins at regional highway E.R.103 at Ribeiro Frio and follows the Levada of Serra do Faial, providing access to the Balcões belvedere, which offers beautiful panoramas of the deep valley of Ribeira da Metade and the parish of Faial.
Plants: Laurel trees (Laurus novocanariensis), Madeira mahogany (Persea indica), Madeira blueberry (Vaccinium padifolium), and Madeira orchids (Dactylorhiza foliosa), as well as exotic deciduous trees like English oaks (Quercus robur) and London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia).
The Balcões belvedere, gives a splendid view of the verdant valleys that characterise the Laurissilva forest. The Hydroelectric Plant of Fajã da Nogueira is visible from this location. The plant produces electricity with water from reservoirs and supplies the entire municipality of Santana. On days when the visibility is good, you will be able to see the Central Mountain Chain of the island, with the highest peaks of the island being prominent, Pico do Areeiro (1817m), Pico do Gato, Pico das Torres, Pico Ruivo (1861m) and the majestic geological display of the Penha d’Águia rock formation.
Birds: Firecrest (Regulus maderensis), chaffinches (Frigilla coelebs maderensis), grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea schmitzi), blackbirds (Turdus merula cabreae), robins (Erithacus rubecula), buzzards (Buteo buteo harteti), Madeira long-toed pigeon (Columba trocaz).
Retrace your steps back to Ribeiro Frio you can visit the Ribeiro Frio Fish Hatchery, the main purpose of which is the production of rainbow trout to replenish the water courses of Madeira Island.