LEVADA RUNS
TOUR INFORMATION
Duration: 1/2 hr - 3 hrs
Distance: 5 - 20 Km
Running gear: Comfortable running clothes and shoes
Altitude gain: < 50 m
How about running a Levada?
We challenge you to choose a Levada, letting us take you for a comfortable and unforgetable running experience. Madeira has more than 1500 km of accessible levadas so there’s plenty to choose from.
Levadas are small irrigation canals that can be found on Madeira Island. This term is also applied to canals, usually smaller ones that direct the water to watermills.
On Madeira Island, the use of levadas resulted from the need to bring large amounts of water from the north-facing springs where it is abundant, to the south side of the island.
The levadas began to be built in the sixteenth century and the most recent ones date back to the 1940s, supplying water to hydroelectric power plants and also used for irrigation purposes. You can stroll through them on foot; allowing you to reach the heart of the island where you will encounter breathtaking landscapes. From 0 to 1,862 meters the excitement is guaranteed!
The Madeira “Levadas" are among a number of protected areas including, most importantly, the Madeira Natural Park and the Funchal Ecological Park.