Mountain trail in Madeira, Portugal

Mountain trail in Madeira, Portugal

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Mountain trail in Madeira, Portugal

Beyond the biodiverse forests on the outer edges of Madeira Island, the land rises, reminding hikers that this Portuguese island is the tip of a shield volcano. Trails allow passage up into these higher elevations, including paths created from the island’s old (and still functioning) aqueduct system. Some of the decommissioned channels, called levadas, have been repurposed as hiking trails.

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