If you want a walk with astonishing scenery from multiple viewpoints and spectacular Waterfalls, then this is the one for you.
We walked it in December, during an unexpectedly warm and sunny week. Rising from Rosario on the twisty steep Ribiera Brava old road, we took the right fork at Encumaeda, passing through a couple of old road tunnels before arriving at a viewpoint on the left. Here, we were high above the Serra de Água valley with views across to the high peaks and down to Ribiera Brava and the sea, although today, the coast was blanketed in cloud, a surprising sight as we had left the Saô Vicente valley bathed in sunshine.
We backtracked along the road for about 100 metres before joining the P17 on the left and walking alongside the levada. The path was flat and wide, passing beneath several small waterfalls, and we stopped often to admire the increasingly spectacular views.
As the path started to rise, we passed under two more, larger, waterfalls, getting an impromptu shower from the spray as they forged down the mountainside with force.
Zig-zagging up the mountainside following a rocky stepped path, the view got better and better; a good excuse to keep stopping to take a breath and rest our legs.
The steps continued, criss-crossing the waterfall several times, before depositing us on a path running beside the levada. We walked beneath evergreen trees belonging to the Lauraceae family, such as the Loureiro, often accompanied by Madre-de-louro, Til, and Vinhático as well as many other smaller plants and ferns.
Breaks in the trees allowed us fabulous views over the Saô Vicente valley and down to the sea whilst the levada babbled alongside us and mini waterfalls trickled down the rocks above us.
At one point, the levada rushed downhill towards us as we climbed a gentle staircase, arriving at the base of the Pináculo where we stopped for a moment to admire its spectacle.
We continued, on a looping path, towards Bica da Cana, following the levada around the contours of the mountain. Here the views open out. The path is quite narrow, more like a ledge, and at several points, waterfalls rain down on the path. You cannot avoid getting wet here, and the path is quite slippery, but there is a railing and it makes sense to take your time even though the freezing water drenches you as you pass. It is an unforgettable and exhilarating experience.
Once past the falls, the path widens out again, and here you can choose to continue on the PR17 or rise to Bica da Cana to another viewpoint.
We chose to return along the same route in reverse, enjoying the waterfalls and views all over again.
Passing back along the levada, the mountain walls cushioned with velvety moss and the breeze whispering through the trees, was quite a magical experience.
But it was not the finale, for as we approached the steep rocky descent, we were met with an astonishing view; the cloud from the south coast had filled the Serra de Água valley, leaving peaks, like island's in a sea of snow - quite otherworldly.
Across the valley, the high peaks of Ruiva and Arreiro could clearly be seen as though floating in the sky, and not only that, but the view of the Saô Vicente valley on the other side of the Encumaeda pass was flooded with sunlight with a backdrop of blue sky, a complete contrast.
We dropped back down into the valley, mesmerised by all that was in front of us, our eyes taking it all in greedily and trying to capture the spectacular sight with our cameras...
... and the photographs, whilst beautiful, could not capture what our eyes could see, possibly the most beautiful sight I may ever see.
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