The Balcões viewpoint offers wide views over the Ribeira da Metade valley. It is a picture of monumental proportions, dominated by the green tones of the Laurissilva. On days with good visibility, you can see the Central Mountain Massif of the island, where Pico do Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo stand out. Besides those, also stands out Penha d'Águia, a fascinating geological formation.
To reach the Balcões viewpoint, you must take a short 1.5 km trail. The Vereda dos Balcões begins at Ribeiro Frio, then follows the 'levada' of Serra do Faial as it crosses the dense Laurissilva Forest woods. The hiking experience is embellished by the exotic vegetation.
It is the ideal place to come into contact with tree species endemic to Madeira, from the Lauraceae family, such as the laurel tree (Laurus novocanariensis), the Madeira laurel (Ocotea foetens), Madeira Indica (Persea indica) or the Lily-of-the-Valley tree (Clethra arborea). Besides these, there are also exotic deciduous tree species, such as the oak (Quercus robur) and the maple tree (Platanus x acerifolia).
Finally, the Balcões viewpoint offers the possibility of contacting (sometimes even interacting) with some bird species, such as the endemic finch (Fringila coelebs madeirensis)).
Details
Situated at the end of Vereda dos Balcões (PR 11), this viewpoint offers a wide view of the green valley of the Ribeira da Metade. A great setting in the Laurissilva Forest.
