Revisiting old hiking trails

Doing hiking trails is one of my favourite ways to spend free time, and with my vacations around the corner, decided to revisit hiking trails explored long ago. Not as long as to predate colour photos, but these are so amazing that, although filled with colour in their raw form, they look great in monochromes too, suitable for a #monomad challenge.

And where can we find them? Well, in a beautiful island off the coast of Portugal, called Madeira. A myriad of hiking trails are spread throughout the island; most are them are "levadas", ancient irrigation channels used to transport water, now turned into beautiful trails.

Some are very short, only a few hundred meters, often finishing in a belvedere; given the altitude and the climate, it's not uncommon to see misty landscapes.

Most of them, fortunately, spread for a few kms, some even big enough to last you the whole day (or more!). One thing warranted: big or small, the views will be ashtonishing.

From the little details of the local flora bordering the hiking trails, to the big waterfall in the horizon, and everything in between.

If my memory doesn't fail me, almost all of these photos were captured in a trail called Levada do Alecrim; a medium sized trail, going through the middle of the Laurissilva forest, the typical forest you'll find here. The path is narrow and filled with vegetation on both sides, but every now and then you can get a glimpse of our broader surroundings, and see the beautifull waterfall that awaits you in the end of the trail.

The waterfall and the small lagoon it forms are just the cherry on top, because although you won't be able to admire the far landscapes in this trail, the crooked trees and the thick vegetation are what makes this trail so fun.

And I'm pretty sure the local fauna at the beginning of the trail agrees with me as well! 😁

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