Paul da Serra – unexpected plateau in the middle of the mountains of Madeira | Portugal
If you are on Madeira (Portugal’s island) and wish to transfer to Scotland, or Brittany, for a while, just come to the plateau of Paul da Serra. It has an area of 6×17 km and is completely unexpected element in the middle of the mountains of Madeira.
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jean & Nathalie
Those who visit Madeira and hike through the island, soon discover that everything on the island is either downhill or uphill. Plane landscape can not be find here. However, Paul da Serra will surprise you. It is a huge plane. Another World.
If the weather is nice, you can see both a northern and southern coast of the island. But it is very occasionally and rather do not expect to be so lucky.
Do not underestimate the clothes, as here on the plateau may be a lot colder than at the sea. Also fogs can be formed very quickly and remain long enough. Therefore, be prepared for those natural changes. It is also recommended to go on guided tours.
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jörg Schmalenberger at wikipedia.com
Paul da Serra attracts tourists by its unusual landscape and beautiful scenery. At the road to Porto Moniz you can get into a nice valley of Rabacal. Here you can choose from two popular hiking trails leading along the irrigation canals Levadas. The first route is easy, it’s more comfortable for walking. After fifteen minutes you get to the Risco waterfall. The second route is more challenging. The steep climb takes you to 25 Fontes (which means to 25 springs). The whole tour takes about three hours. Both routes are very attractive and should be included in all the maps of Madeira.
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