Santana Cites Five Recommended Trails and Calls Registration Illegal for Residents
Municipal leaders in Santana and Machico have spoken out against the mandatory registration now required for access to recommended hiking trails in Madeira. In Santana, the issue concerns five recommended routes. The mayor, Dinarte Fernandes (CDS), argues that residents should be free to use these trails without prior registration and says the requirement has no legal basis.
It is a legal constraint being imposed on a public that should not have this limitation.
Dinarte Fernandes, RTP Madeira
He added that such limits should only exist in cases of civil protection concerns or when access is restricted because an area is dangerous. According to him, local residents are not the source of the problems that led to the new rules.
Machico Points to Three Trails and Limits on Spontaneous Local Use
In Machico, the municipality has three recommended trails affected by the registration requirement. The president of the Câmara Municipal de Machico, Hugo Marques (PS), shares the opposition but adds a practical concern tied to how residents use the island’s landscape.
For us here, as we know, we often go according to the weather. If the weather is good in one area, we go there, if it’s better somewhere else, we go there.
Hugo Marques, RTP Madeira
He said the system does not fit the daily reality of residents, who may change plans at short notice depending on conditions.
No Exception for Landowners Raises Further Legal and Practical Concerns
Both mayors also criticized the absence of exceptions for landowners whose property lies within or alongside the recommended routes. They argue that owners should not be required to register to access their own land, calling this omission a serious flaw in the current rules.
Mr. Marques suggested that the issue should be addressed jointly through the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (AMRAM). He said common positions could be communicated to the Regional Government to request changes that apply across municipalities.
Calls for Legislative Review and Debate Over Revenue and Rescue Costs
The dispute has also moved beyond access rules to questions of governance and funding. Mr. Fernandes appealed to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira and to the Representative of the Republic, saying they should ensure proper oversight of the system.
He argued that if trail management is handed to private entities, municipalities should receive part of the fees paid by tourists. Mr. Marques raised a related issue tied to emergency response.
All rescue situations that happen in our municipality are handled by our municipal firefighters, and this service is a direct cost to the municipality. Therefore, I believe part of this revenue should be considered, or there should be the possibility for the Regional Government to cover the expenses incurred by municipal firefighters
Dinarte Fernandes, RTP Madeira
Debate over whether mandatory registration and time-slot booking for residents should remain in place is likely to continue.
Source: RTP Madeira
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