Madeira’s Levada Hikes: How to Reserve a Time Slot and Pick Your Trail

What changed on January 1, 2026

€4.50. That’s what it now costs to step onto one of Madeira’s official trails, for a half-hour entry slot. Since January 1, 2026, access to the classified trails of this autonomous region of Portugal has followed new rules: €4.50 for the general public, €3 for visitors with a tour company that has signed an agreement, called a protocol, with the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), and a mandatory reservation on the SIMplifica portal [1].

Working with the University of Madeira, the IFCN has set the carrying capacity of every classified trail, meaning how many hikers it can handle. That capacity is now split into 30-minute slots, from sunrise to sunset, to spread visitors out over the day. Most important, every visitor now has to register in advance, whatever their age or status [2]. Residents of the region don’t pay, but they have to reserve too [2] [3].

And this isn’t just on paper. Entering a classified trail without a reservation is an infraction: you may be asked to leave the trail to sort things out, and the regulations provide for a fine [3].

Reserving your slot on SIMplifica

Reservations are online only, on SIMplifica, the Regional Government of Madeira’s digital services portal [3]. You pick your trail, your day and your entry time from the half-hour slots still open, and the general public pays when booking [1] [2]. The tourism board, Visit Madeira, posts a step-by-step tutorial, and each trail’s page lists its fee [1].

Before you pay, read the rescheduling rules. The IFCN refunds or reschedules access only when restrictions hit the site, by its own decision; in bad weather, it can handle reservation transfers itself [2]. So a hike canceled because you changed your mind isn’t refunded.

Seven official hikes to start with

For a first outing, the Vereda dos Balcões is the gentlest: 0.93 mile (1.5 km) from regional road ER 103 at Ribeiro Frio, along a levada, one of the island’s irrigation channels, to the Balcões viewpoint. On a clear day, the view reaches the island’s central mountains, with Pico do Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo [5].

The Levada das 25 Fontes, the “levada of the 25 springs,” starts at Rabaçal, on regional road ER 105, between 3,163 and 4,226 feet (964 and 1,288 m) of elevation: 2.7 miles (4.3 km) out, about 3 hours, through scenery the official page promises is exuberant [6]. The Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is a change of scene: 2.5 miles (4 km) along a peninsula, from Baía d’Abra to Casa do Sardinha, between 75 and 413 feet (23 and 126 m) [7].

From the same starting point at Rabaçal, the Levada do Risco, rated easy, shares the first stretch of the 25 Fontes trail before branching off: 0.93 mile (1.5 km) out, about 2 hours round trip, at around 3,300 feet (1,000 m) [8]. To reach the roof of the island without the big traverse, take the Vereda do Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, home to a rock formation called Homem em Pé, the “Standing Man”: in 1.7 miles (2.8 km), it reaches Pico Ruivo, the archipelago’s highest point at 6,109 feet (1,862 m) [9]. To match these times to your own pace, see our guide to estimating hiking time.

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The other two take more commitment. The Levada do Caldeirão Verde runs 5.4 miles (8.7 km) from Queimadas Forest Park to Caldeirão do Inferno, past the Caldeirão Verde lake, formed by the water of a stream that drops straight down into it: the trail page says to allow 6 hr 30 min [10]. The Vereda do Areeiro links the Pico do Areeiro viewpoint to Pico Ruivo in 3.8 miles (6.1 km) and about 3 hours, in the heart of a mountain range protected under Natura 2000, the European Union’s network of protected areas [4].

Weather, closures and staying safe

Rain, strong wind or fog can temporarily close a trail for safety reasons; Visit Madeira calls checking the weather forecast before you set out essential [3]. The status of each classified trail, open, partly restricted or inaccessible, is shown on the map on Visit Madeira’s website and on the IFCN’s channels [3] [1].

Getting to the trailhead and parking

From Funchal, you reach the trailheads by rental car, by taxi or on an organized tour; each official trail page lists the start and end points, worth checking before you choose your slot. Plan your way back: several trails, such as the Vereda do Areeiro, are one way.

Parking on the island is color-coded: white lines are free, some reserved for residents; blue lines are paid; yellow lines mean no parking. You generally pay Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sundays and public holidays are free. Pay at the meter or with the iPark Driver app. Expressways and main roads are toll-free [3].

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Once your slot is booked, all that’s left is to get up early, follow the murmur of water along its stone channel, and let the laurel forest do the rest.

Gallery: Madeira’s trails in five landscapes

Five real photos taken on the official trails listed above or at their trailheads, published under free licenses on Wikimedia Commons by their photographers, who are credited under each image. Tap or click a photo to enlarge it.

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Worth watching

The official walkthrough from Madeira’s regional innovation agency, which runs SIMplifica: buying a classified-trail ticket online, with no portal account needed for tourists and nonresidents.

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Nolwenn Bastide

Trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations

Nolwenn covers trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations for Outfarer. Curious about everything, from meteor showers to night-train schedules, she has a knack for digging up the one detail that changes everything, and nailing it in a single sentence.

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