Serra de Água civil parish was established in 1680. Inicially, it belonged to Ponta do Sol municipality.
However, from 1914 ownwards, Serra de Água became part of Ribeira Brava municipality.

This civil parish is connected north of the road linking the municipalities of Calheta and Funchal, by a road linking Ribeira Brava and São Vicente.

Ribeira Brava is composed by four parishes, one of them being Serra de Água. The other three ones are Tabua, Campanário and Ribeira Brava.

Its nearest parishes are Tabua (west), São Vicente (northwest and northeast), Ponta Delgada (northeast), Curral das Freiras (east), Campanário (east) and Ribeira Brava (south).

Serra de Água has a pleasant weather, with average temperatures between 16ºC, during winter and 27ºC, during summer.