Madeira Now Requires Pre-Booking and Fees for Official Hiking Trails

From January 2026, anyone planning to walk Madeira’s official PR (Percurso Recomendado) trails must book a timed slot in advance and pay an entry fee. The change covers all classified PR routes on the island — around 30 trails in total — and marks a significant shift for visitors who previously walked without any reservation process.

Bookings are made through SIMplifica, Madeira’s official trail management platform, and must be completed before arriving at the trailhead. Entry is only permitted within a 30-minute window of your booked time. Hikers without a valid digital ticket are liable for an on-the-spot fine. There is no cash option — the entire process is online.

What it costs

The standard fee is €4.50 per person per trail. Children aged 12 and under hike free but still require a reservation. Residents of Madeira also hike free but must book a timed slot. Hikers joining a licensed guided tour pay a reduced rate of €3.00 per person, with the operator handling the reservation.

The high-level PR1 traverse — from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, the most popular route on the island — carries a higher fee of €10.50 from April 2026. The route was closed over winter for maintenance and reopened in spring with the new pricing in place. Multi-day passes covering three or seven days are available for visitors planning several hikes; these cover two or more classified trails (PR1 excluded) and work out cheaper than individual bookings.

Planning your hike

May is one of the best months to walk in Madeira. The winter rains keep the levadas full and the waterfalls running at their strongest, temperatures on the high ridges stay comfortable, and the summer crowds have not yet arrived. Popular trail slots, particularly on weekends, still fill up — booking at least a week ahead is advisable.

The levadas — Madeira’s centuries-old irrigation channels, now designated walking paths — wind through protected laurissilva forest at mid-altitude, connecting remote valleys and clifftop viewpoints that are otherwise unreachable by road. They form the backbone of the island’s trail network and are unlike anything else in Portugal or Europe.

For everything you need to plan a trip, see our Madeira island guide and the dedicated things to do in Madeira page, which covers the best levada walks alongside the island’s other highlights. For a broader view of the Portuguese islands, our Azores guide is a good companion if you are considering combining both archipelagos.