Cascata Agua d’Alto – Faial
Cascata Agua d’Alto is truly a hidden gem located south of Faial on the north side of Madeira Portugal. There are many waterfalls named Cascata Agua d’Alto but this in my opinion the most beautiful and the tallest waterfall with this name.
The waterfall is easy reach from Faial. From the main road (VE1) take the exit to “Lombo do Galego”. After 5 minutes (2 km) you will reach the trailhead of the walk to one of the nicer (short) trail you can take. Parking is maybe a problem but we parked our car along the road near the busstop (gps 32.775653, -16.870643). There is a small sign for “cascata” and the path start going up getting stepper and steeper. It isn’t a difficult walk and you can enjoy the many fruits and vegetables along the road. When the road ends (and when two dog are barking loud) at a house, you have to go right, up on a stone path. A lovely old lady was pointing us the way. Soon you will reach the levada and from there just follow the levada until you see Cascata Agua d’Alto falling down over a hundred meter (or more).
The way to the waterfall is beautiful but the end is heaven. Everything here is so beautiful, even though there was no water in the waterfall when we visited Cascata Agua d’Alto Oktober 2023. It was quite dry and there was hardly any rain for months. In the night it had rained and we hoped it had some effect, but no, it didn’t. Nevertheless it is visit worthwhile: I saw many pictures with a medium/high waterflow, so early in the season it must be one of the better waterfall to visit. Along the levada there where some small waterfall, so our visit wasn’t for nothing.
We spend quite some time at the waterfall, taking many pictures of the gorgeous surrounding and talking to some people from Luxembourg. The walk itself (one way) only takes 20 minutes and it easy. Maybe some parts in the beginning are steep but the road is good and it is a short part of the trail. It sounds weird, because there was hardly any water in this waterfall, but this is the real Madeira and one of the most beautiful places we visited on Madeira.
Afterwards we went to another waterfall (with the same name), Cascata Agua d’Alto in Santana. Also a gorgeous waterfall, easy to reach and there was water in it! If you like gardens, you also can visit a small garden/museum for free: Museu Família Teixeira. Nice to see and it something different then you will expect!!!
