Solutions need to be made before more deaths.

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

The Diário shows the images of the popular walks in Madeira, this being the ones in Rabaçal, but other areas of the island also suffer in the same way.

Mountain guides accuse the tourist massification in Madeira’s most popular walking routes of degrading the quality of the destination. Instituto de Florestas prepares to count the number of visitors to Rabaçal. Limiting daily accesses can be a solution.

The island is extremely popular at the moment, and will be for the coming year at least, and personally I think to popular.

These Levada walks are really going to suffer and when you see the images of the amount of people on this particular walk in Rabaçal, its amazing there hasn’t been more accidents, and it’s just not pleasant for the tourists or the guides.

See the link below from a video at the beginning of May.

Crowdered Levada Walk

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Tobi Hughes

8 Responses

  1. Regrettably and personally speaking I see this situation will become more exacerbated due to the local government allowing more and more hotels to be built.

    1. I agree with Chris. This government’s obsession with tourism will ultimately damage the island, which will lose its identity. That’s one of the ( many ) reasons we will transfer to mainland Portugal next year.

      1. Robin, you might try the Azores for a change. Nine beautiful islands unspoilt by mass tourism.

    2. What industry do you see filling the financial needs of the Island if the number of tourist spaces is capped at the present number. The islanders are still going to want marry and have families, without tourism what do you suggest, Birth Control.

  2. I have been on the Levada walks, including the one in Rabaçal and the Pico Rueivo one.
    First of all no one should be going on their own without a guide. Too easily lost and not knowledgable of what to encounter ahead.

    Secondly, if you do go with a tour operator or guide, they should give you a little bit of a talk on heights to be encountered so if you have vertigo or are afraid of heights you can decide properly whether to go or not. Also instructed on foot wear and what to not do or do. When I went there was a very good guide, but no instructions or talk before going.
    Selfies are not allowed period, or going after anything that falls such as hats blown in the wind etc.

    There should be entry point keepers, at the levada sights. If you do not come with a well trained guide, then you can not go on the levada walk. The other solution is a coloured paper bracelet that shows you are with a certain guide, his name and yours and name of the levada walk.

    Anyone who is an extreme adventure seeker, hiking or biking or motor cross should get a special permit and sign a waiver of taking full responsibility for their actions knowing the dangers. They would have to pay out of pocket all medical and rescue costs.

    Of course for this all to work you would have to have the guides report them to the authorities as they meet up with maverick not following the rules people on the walks. The other method is have check points workers, checking for bracelets or waiver cards.

    1. Full control, sounds like China…
      Beyond your experiences there are thousands of responsible hikers in the world, that can easily go on their own without permit, guide or special instructions. It is all about training, knowledge and ability.

  3. If the Covid has not killed us all, the crowded levadas will. Everything in this island rimes with disaster. Few people, a disaster. Too many people, a disaster. Half the people? A disaster, we need more people! Half the people? A disaster, they are still too many! I suffer a lot when I see people arriving at the airport, they are too many. I suffer when I see aircraft with empty seats, we will starve!

  4. Moan when there are no tourists. Moan when there are too many tourists. Be grateful for what you have. The future is not certain.

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