Madeira's regional government will raise access fees for the island's classified hiking trails starting April 1, 2027. The same ordinance extends fees to autonomous diving in the region's protected marine areas for the first time.
The changes come from a joint ordinance issued by the regional secretariats of Tourism, Environment and Culture, and of Finance. Officials said the update is meant to strengthen the funds available for conserving Madeira's natural heritage. They also said it should keep pace with investment already made in improving what the trails offer visitors.
Most Trails Rise by €3 for Non-Resident Hikers
For most trails, the fee for non-resident hikers will rise by €3 per person, to €7.50. That general rate covers all pedestrian trails that have no separate price. It also applies to the Vereda do Areeiro route as far as the Miradouro da Pedra Rija viewpoint.
Residents of Madeira remain exempt from the fee, as they are today. Children up to and including age 12 are also exempt, whether they live in the region or not.
Four Trails Including Pico Ruivo Will Cost €15
A higher fee of €15 per person will apply to four popular routes. They are the Vereda do Pico Ruivo, the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, the Levada do Caldeirão Verde and the Vereda dos Balcões.
Rabaçal's 40-Kilometer Network Will Cost €18
A third tier of €18 per person covers the fuller version of the Vereda do Areeiro. That version includes the paths linked to Pico Ruivo and Encumeada.
The same €18 fee will apply to the Fanal circuit, including the PR13 Vereda do Fanal. It takes effect once that route is finished and opened next year.
The €18 rate also covers the Rabaçal network, about 40 kilometers of trails in all. It includes the Levada das 25 Fontes, the Levada do Risco, the Levada do Alecrim, the Vereda da Lagoa do Vento, the Vereda da Palha Carga, the Levada Velha do Rabaçal, the Vereda do Pico Fernandes and the Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo.
One payment covers the whole network, so hikers are not charged again for each route inside it. Officials described the approach as part of a wider plan to spread hikers more evenly, manage demand and protect the trails.
Madeira Crossing Trail Fee Reaches €75
The Travessia da Madeira, the island's long-distance crossing route, will cost €75 per person.
| Trail / Category | Individual | IFCN Protocol Operator |
|---|---|---|
| General category (most trails, incl. Vereda do Areeiro to Pedra Rija) | €7.50 | €5.00 |
| Pico Ruivo, Ponta de São Lourenço, Caldeirão Verde, Balcões | €15.00 | €10.00 |
| Areeiro (Pico Ruivo/Encumeada), Fanal Circuit, Rabaçal network (~40km) | €18.00 | €12.00 |
| Travessia da Madeira (full island crossing) | €75.00 | n/a |
Multi-Day Passes Cost €20, €45 and €105
Visitors who want to combine several routes can buy a combined pass instead of paying per trail. A one-day pass costs €20, a three-day pass costs €45, and a seven-day pass costs €105.
| Pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day, any combined routes | €20.00 |
| 3 consecutive days | €45.00 |
| 7 consecutive days | €105.00 |
Tour operators that hold a formal protocol agreement with the IFCN pay a separate, lower table. For trails in the €7.50 category, including the Pedra Rija viewpoint route, protocolled operators pay €5. Trails in the €15 category cost them €10, and the €18 category costs them €12.
Diving Fees Climb to €12.50 in Protected Waters
The ordinance also brings autonomous diving under a fee for the first time. Divers will pay €12.50 per person, per day, for each site created by a sunken vessel. The same €12.50 rate, per person, per day, per reserve, applies to diving in Madeira's protected marine areas.
Operators with an IFCN protocol pay a reduced rate of €8.50. Manned or unmanned submersibles used in protected marine areas face a separate charge of €250 per dive, under the table that applies to protocolled operators.
| Activity | Individual | IFCN Protocol Operator |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial reef site (sunken vessel), per person/day/site | €12.50 | €8.50 |
| Protected marine area, per person/day/reserve | €12.50 | €8.50 |
| Submersible dive in protected area | n/a | €250.00 |
Manuel Filipe is president of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, known as the IFCN. He said the update lets the institute strengthen the resources it needs for trail and coastal upkeep.
The update to the fees lets us strengthen the resources needed for this work, making sure that whoever uses this infrastructure contributes to its conservation, without taking away residents' free access to the trails.
Manuel Filipe, president of the IFCN
Filipe also tied the fees to Madeira's wider environmental responsibilities.
Madeira has an added responsibility to protect its land and marine ecosystems. Developing our heritage for tourism has to go hand in hand with protecting it. That is the balance we are trying to build, making sure tourism activity helps preserve the natural resources that give it value.
Manuel Filipe
New Rates Start 1 April 2027, 150 Days After Publication
The new prices take effect 150 days after the ordinance is published, landing on April 1, 2027. Officials said the delay gives tour operators time to learn the new terms. It also lets them build the fees into planning and sales for the spring-summer season.
The fee update is also meant to spread hikers more evenly across the island. Officials said it should encourage visitors to discover less-crowded trails, easing pressure on the busiest routes. They tied the change to the user-pays principle, so the cost of using a trail lines up more closely with its upkeep needs.
Source: dnoticias.pt
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