Arco Da Calheta can be explored through several clearly distinct interests: a levada with a named route, a viewpoint on a cliff top, paragliding, and religious art and architecture. When planning your trip, this variety is chiefly a matter of your own priorities. Would you like to explore a route and its connection to agriculture, consider a single viewpoint associated with flying, or focus on paintings and architectural history? The places and details below offer a concrete point of reference for each of these choices.

Levada Nova: Route and Cultural Landscape

The Levada Nova do Arco da Calheta follows the route Central Hidroelétrica da Calheta – Arco da Calheta – Lombo de São João. Along the levada, you come into direct contact with the municipality’s agricultural landscape, where many cultivated areas have been restored. This means the route brings together two specific aspects: its named sequence of stops and the municipality’s agricultural surroundings. For travellers who want to consider the path in relation to the landscape, this is a distinctive focus. The route and its agricultural context offer different points of reference for deciding what to pay attention to.

Achada de Santo Antão: Viewpoint and Paragliding

The Achada de Santo Antão viewpoint is located in the parish of Arco da Calheta, on the tip of the Achada de Santo Antão cliff. It is also a starting point for paragliding flights. Its location and its connection to this activity are two distinct aspects of the same place: on the one hand, there is a specific viewpoint; on the other, its association with a flying activity. This sets Achada de Santo Antão apart from the levada, which is defined by a route and its connection to the agricultural landscape. When weighing up a single place and a route while planning your trip, you can compare these two options according to their different forms.

Paintings and Religious Architecture

The Igreja de São Brás contains six 16th-century paintings depicting São Brás and the donors Brás de Freitas and Maria Vieira. The paintings can be viewed in terms of both their period and the people they depict: in addition to São Brás, the two donors are named. This gives the paintings a clearly defined cultural context and sets this approach apart from considering a religious building through its architecture.

The Nossa Senhora do Loreto Chapel in the parish of Arco da Calheta was built in the 16th century. It features Manueline and revivalist architectural lines and is classified as a monument of public interest. Its construction date, architectural description and classification each offer a different perspective on the chapel: they identify when it was built, the architectural lines noted, and its monument status. Here, different cultural points of reference take precedence from those found in the paintings at the Igreja de São Brás.

Choose a Focus for Your Trip

If you want to organise your interests before looking for a holiday rental, it helps to compare the options by type of experience: the levada offers a route connected to the agricultural landscape, while Achada de Santo Antão offers a viewpoint associated with paragliding. In terms of culture, the paintings at the Igreja de São Brás differ from the architectural features and monument status of the Nossa Senhora do Loreto Chapel. This can help you decide whether to focus on the path and landscape, a viewpoint and flying, or art and architecture.

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