I visited this WHS in November 2015. I will surely remember this WHS as I 'completed' the WHS in Portugal by visiting it. Though I'm fond of this WHS not only for this reason. It has been one of the best European birdwatching destinations together with the Azores. In the inscribed area I managed to see around 7 long-toed pigeons or Trocaz pigeons in flight (from the Balcoes viewpoint) and took photos of another one perched on a laurisilva tree while hiking on the Levada 25 Fontes. I also so several Madeiran firecrests and Madeiran chaffinches there. The easiest way to visit this site is to catch a bus to the troutery or park your rental car nearby in Ribeiro Frio and walk the very easy (yet sometimes muddy) trail to the Balcoes panoramic viewpoint. You can continue the levada trail to Portela but still the best part is only visible from the Balcoes viewpoint. The core is out of bounds for tourists and there are several 500 year old laurisilva trees there. The trail is extremely crowded in the morning, less so in the late afternoon. The highlight here in my opinion is the panoramic viewpoint of the Madeiran peaks, rather than the endemic species and laurisilva forests which are quite far away to be able to appreciate the unique OUV. To be able to appreciate the OUV I suggest hiking the Levada 25 Fontes (picture) and the Cabo do Risco trails. Their difficulty is marked as easy to medium and are not suggested for people who suffer from vertigo. Personally I think this is quite an exageration, and I would be more concerned if you suffer from claustrophobia or hate narrow spaces as there are quite a few of them along the trail. I visited early in the morning after 3 days of rainfall. The waterfalls, streams and moisture were at their best and I could truly appreciate the foggy/cloud forest ecosystem at its best. During this trail you're completely surrounded by laurisilva trees, ferns, fungi and mosses. The levada varies from deep to shallow to dug in rock at places. The waterfall at Cabo do Risco is less crowded at all times while I would suggest the 25 Fontes at lunchtime. Apart from the distance marked at the beginning of the trail, you will have to walk another 2km downhill if you want to get a headstart and beat the crowds, most of who catch the shuttle that runs from 09:30 till 17:30. The return trip costs 5 euros while the uphill return trip which I caught after the hike costs 3 euros but is definitely worth it. Another interesting and worthwhile levada trail starts close to Porto Moniz but away from the touristy natural pools. It's called Levada do Janela and is ranked as medium to difficult. I spent 6 days in Madeira but for those who don't have as much time, definitely go for the Levada da 25 Fontes by rental car before 9am if possible and if you're lucky you'll beat the crowds and have a better chance of spotting the rarer endemic birdlife.