Madeira is made for walking, and we took a levada walk on our first full day on the island, joining a group of Scandinavians who gather every Saturday to stroll the paths alongside the irrigation canals (levadas) for which Madeira is known. 

The levadas were built to pipe water from one end of the island to another, but the trails that run beside them have become an attraction in and of themselves. Saturday’s hike took us to the village of Camacha, approximately 2,300 feet above sea level. Luckily, most of the altitude gain was accomplished by a swashbuckling bus driver switch-backing up a narrow highway into the hills. We only walked the last few hundred feet. 

Once on the levada trail, we pretty much had the level path to ourselves. We ambled and chatted, took a break to swig some water, then walked some more. 

We ended the hike at a Camacha watering hole that serves the local specialty, poncha, a tangy-sweet drink made of sugar-cane rum, honey, and fruit juice. The leader of our merry band suggested that we sing Swedish drinking songs before every skål! We sang many songs. It was that kind of day.