Balcões Levada in Madeira

The Balcões Viewpoint is located in Ribeiro Frio, 10 km from Pico do Areeiro. On days of blue sky, it is possible to see the central mountain range of the island, the Pico do Arieiro the Pico Ruivo, and the Penha D'águia rock. This walk is very easy to do and it takes about 40 minutes to go and back. Along the route are found indigenous and endemic species of Madeira belonging to the ecosystem - Laurissilva do Til and Vinhático Forest. Arriving at the Balcões Viewpoint, you will find splendid mountainous and green scenery, and also some bird species, especially the chaffinch. By the way, these birds are so used to people that if you take with you some food and put it in your hands they stop there to eat.

How to get here?

This trail starts and ends on the E.R.103 regional road in Ribeiro Frio, you can go by car or even by bus, number 56, 103, or 138, where you can catch from the cable car bus station. The other options are Madeira tours, where you can visit several places on the east side of the island and do this beautiful Levada walk.

Indigenous and endemic species of Madeira:

• Trees- Laurel(Laurus novocanariensis), Til (Ocotea foetens), Vinhático (Persea indica), Folhado (Clethra arborea) and other species such as Uveira da Serra (Vaccinium padifolium), Heather of brooms (Erica platycodon ssp. Maderincola) and Heather Molar (Erica arborea), Serra's Orchid (Dactylorhiza foliosa).
• Birds-The chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs maderensis), The Laundress bird (Motacilla cinerea schmitzi), the Blackbird (Turdus merula cabreae), the Papinho (Erithacus rubecula), the Manta (Buteo buteo harteti) and less frequently the Bisbis (Regulus ignicapillus maderensis) and the Trocaz Pigeon (Columba trocaz).

To know more about these endemic species try our Madeira Fauna and Flora tours, and Birdwatching.

Beautiful places to visit near Balcões viewpoint:

• Ribeiro Frio Forest Park
• Chão das Feiteiras
• Pico do Arieiro
• Where to eat?
• Snack-Bar Faísca- Ribeiro Frio