The plateau of Paúl da Serra

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The sorry plate of Paúl da Serra is immense a wide perfectly horizontal punt and lunar (from 1,410 to 1,440 m); it is spread out over about thirty km². The landscape, here, points out that of the dull Scottish plains often disappearing in the fog or the clouds: one hears there only the noise of the wind and, possibly, the bleats of the black sheep…

This “marsh” is flooded in winter: water infiltrates in this season, whereas it evaporates in summer.

It is also the crossroads of tracks, roads and ways which make it possible to make excursions in the center of the Madeira.

Etymology

Paúl da Serra: the fen of the mountain, the marsh of the mountain.

Situation

The plate of Paúl da Serra dominates in north the commune of Calheta; its water feeds the hydroelectric station of this city starting from a tank.

Visits

Northern slope

Eastern Slope
The slope east dominates the collar of Encumeada.


Southern slope
The road between Paúl da Serra and Boca da Encumeada dominates the southern slope of the island, offering very beautiful sights on the tops which overhang the planted coast of banana trees.



Lombo do Mouro





Western slope
The western slope of the plate opens in the area of Rabaçal on the valley of Ribeira da Janela.

Excursions
Preserved perfectly, Paúl da Serra is a small paradise for the avid hikers of great lonelinesses, especially because of its arid and stripped nature so different moreover from the island; many paths furrow the girdled plate of a lace of tops (refuges with Rabaçal, Estanquinhos, Bica da Cana and Lombo do Mouro). Because of the very frequent fogs which go down abruptly, the walkers may find it beneficial to be made accompany by a tested guide. One of the paths borrows the tunnel (furado das Levadinhas), 600 m length (essential flashlight) which passes under the central peak of the island, directed of is in west and forming the watershed. The vegetation is composed of ferns and foam beds; curved, shrivelled, the arborescent heather is due despite everything head to the wind which blows permanently: cloud and layers of fog often plane above ground.

History, literature, arts, traditions, legends, religions, myths, symbols…

Economy
Paúl is used as pasture: happy sheep and oxen evolve there with their ease whereas everywhere else, the animals lay out only narrow paiheiros.
A park of wind mills produced of electrical energy, benefitting from the quasi permanent winds of the plate.