The most western place in Madeira Island is characterized by its agriculture landscapes. Carrots, sweet-potatoes, beans, potatoes and wheat grow side by side in small terrains, carefully cultivated by old men and women.

On this part of the island the land is much less steep and, maybe because of this, the cars pushed by cattle where used as a mean of transportation through many years.

Ponta do Pargo is known as the parish of apples, as these fruit trees find nice growing conditions on the terrains with altitudes between 400 and 600 meters. Local people are proud to have a small orchard.

Do not leave this parish without visiting its lighthouse, where you will be astonished with the view of high cliffs falling into the sea.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Between thousands of Heath bushes, one can notice the red roof of a house that once sheltered the men who were constructing the levadas (Madeira name to describe the irrigation canals) of that local and the shepherds who took care of the cattle on those mountains. Nowadays that house is like a shelter house that belongs to the regional government.

Rabaçal is situated exactly where the rivers of Alecrim and Janela meet each other and where one can discover, through the Laurel forest that involves it, the water springs and waterfalls which feed these rivers and the levadas that draw a line through the green of the bushes.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Porto Moniz is the furthest parish from Funchal but one of the most touristic places in Madeira Island. Like a small terrace lying over the sea, Porto Moniz is known by its natural swimming pools, naturally made by lava and complemented with a little of too much help from men.

Contrary to most of Fajãs (Madeira word to describe the lower terraces near the sea), Porto Moniz and Seixal were originated by volcanic lava that has felt down from the high plateau Paul da Serra and not by the falling slopes.

Going up from Porto Moniz to Santa one can see the agriculture differences, with vineyards at first and then vegetables and fruit trees on a higher elevation.

Arriving to Santa of Porto Moniz, a small population of this parish, soon one find the Santa Madalena Church and further the land where the most important agriculture and cattle fair of Madeira takes place.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Very well conserved, near the central square of Santo António da Serra, usually known in its short version, Santo da Serra, Quinta do Santo has a very rich collection of exotic and indigenous plants, as well as some animals.

Photo by Tânia Pestana

Following down the main path one will get to a view point where the eastern part of the island may be seen. The valley of Machico, Ponta de São Lourenço and, when the weather conditions allow, Porto Santo Island are part of the landscape of this view point.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes

The longest plateau, as well as the highest one in Madeira Island, with 20 square kilometres of area is Paul da Serra. Due to the 3 thousand mm/year of rain, combined with the topography and permeability of soil and rocks this is like a big reservoir of water for the whole island.

The largest part of Paul da Serra is on the west side, after Rabaçal, with altitudes that vary between 14 thousand and 15 thousand meters. On this vast area one can notice small peaks that are remains from the volcanic cones.

The highest peak of the only Madeira Island plateau is Pico Ruivo of Paul with 1640 meters high, from where one can admire the extension of all the plateau.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes