Wednesday was never a popular day at work, we used to call it hump day and we were always glad when it was over and felt closer to the next weekend. The good thing about retirement is that there are no hump days. Neither are there alarm clocks, deadlines or agendas other than those you set yourself. Today is such a day, we have set ourselves an agenda. We will travel to Santana, about an hour by car, and complete the Caldeira Verde and Caldeira Inferno levada walk which should take us between five and six hours. We set off from Queimadas at around 1pm on the PR9, exiting the car park past the traditional house and visitor centre which lead straight onto the trail, a wide level path running alongside the levada underneath a dense canopy of oak, cedar, beech and laurel, and as it is October there is a pleasing contrast between the shades of green overhead and the autumnal shades on the ground in front of us. We have to be careful, even on this wide flat stretch as tree roots protrude from the ground, cris-crossing like ancient skeletons from the clay earth, and amongst them are rocky outcrops which are slippery underneath the fallen foliage. The path soon narrows and we are walking on a narrow path beside the levada which was built in the 18th century to harness the Sao Jorge Brook in order to irrigate the farmlands of Faial. It penetrates deep into the Sao Jorge ravine passing through cliffs and mountains and offering a spectacular view of the mountainous terrain of the interior of the island. For the first hour of the walk we pass by craggy rocks, weeping walls of moss and huge ferns forming a tunnel of vibrant green overhanging the levada; pink belladonna lilies and blue hydrangea line the paths and we catch sight of chaffinches, wagtails and a Madeiran long toed pigeon. Then we pass through four tunnels in quick succession, carved by hand out of rock; the tunnels are wet and the ceilings sometimes low but they are not too long and are easily passable as long as you have a torch.
The dense jungle feeling intensifies and the path narrows further so that we are often walking on the levada wall high above the treetops and catch sight of brown trout swimming downstream. Gaps in the foliage provide frequent spectacular views along the valley behind us as far as the sea, and in front of us further into the mountains. With only railings giving protection from some huge drops you should feel vulnerable, but the views are exhilarating rather than frightening and you really do feel high above the world here, close to, and part of nature.
After the fourth tunnel we arrive at Caldeira Verde, which is off the trail and reached by ascending some steps to the left and following a short trail. The waterfall appears suddenly, descending from 100metres above us into a tranquil green lagoon, a beautiful sight that we were fortunate enough to witness alone.
Photographs taken, and back on the trail, we continue to Caldeira Inferno, accessible only via the levada path and by passing through further tunnels. The path now ascends quite steeply and there is a short hike up four hundred and twenty five steps and passing another spectacular waterfall. The final part of the walk follows a level gallery high around the valley and eventually into a final corridor of deep ravines and narrow canyons which are traversed by bridges and tunnels and pass yet more waterfalls to the final spectacle, The Caldeira Inferno, which roughly translates as 'hell's cauldron', an appropriate description.
Unfortunately, the waterfall was not falling today, probably because October has been so dry, but it was easy to imagine the huge basin of glistening walls with water pouring over the top and it was still a lovely isolated place to picnic before making our return journey.
This was a beautiful and popular walk, evident by the number of people we passed on the trail, and one I would highly recommend. By starting in the early afternoon, we passed most of the other visitors on the outward journey and hardly saw a soul on the way back. We were also lucky to have lovely weather - I have read that it can be a wet walk - and the early evening sun on the return journey provided us with some lovely photo opportunities of the valley.
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