The early settlers realised that the hills and valleys along the southern coast would be suitable for viable agricultural development. The mild climate, the fertility of the soil and the protection from the wind were important factors that led them to believe that agriculture had to be the base of the economy of the society that they were going to develop. They set about setting fire to the forests and building terraces or poios of land by dry-walling. However, nearly all the fountains and sources of water were located at high altitudes in the mountains, rushing down to the sea. The settlers soon realised that the water had to be intercepted at these high altitudes, where this precious resource was abundant throughout the year. They set about building a vast network of irrigation channels known as levadas, (from the Portuguese verb levar - to carry) that would carry water from the abundant sources in the North to the South in order to cultivate the first fields of sugar cane and vines.

Generations of men frequently risked and lost their lives as they chiselled the levadas out of the mountainsides, traversing steep cliffs and ravines, deep valleys, and tunnelling through mountains inch by inch. Tied with ropes or suspended from above in wicker baskets, they tackled their gargantuan task with rudimentary picks and shovels, using every fibre of their being. The first levadas built in the 15th century were made from wood, but as the population increased and agriculture developed, building techniques were improved. Reinforced concrete is now used to build and maintain levadas. (See also 'History' page)

The levadas were originally privately owned and water was allotted as the owners' saw fit. It was only in the 19th century that levadas began to be constructed with state funds. Alongside each levada a maintenance path has been built. One of the oldest professions on the island is that of the levadeiro, the man responsible for the maintenance of the irrigation channel and the distribution of water. The payment for water is made by flow-hour, called a pena. The gigantic task of constructing levadas has lasted centuries.

The maintenance paths built alongside the levadas now provide visitors and locals an easy access to Madeira's unique scenic beauty of contrasting landscapes, flowers, trees, birds and waterfalls. Stand in awe as you witness the monument to the labour of the early settlers and encounter a staggering array of flora and majestic views concealed from the view of those who prefer to travel by coach or car.