This morning the first Great Madeira Route was presented. The project, under the responsibility of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, through the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), is budgeted at around 400 thousand euros, and should be completed by the end of 2023.
This Great Route has 60% of existing trails, integrated into the Small Route routes that the Region already has. Only 40% of the route will be on new trails, which will serve as a connection to the existing ones.
The objective of this 93 kilometer route, which passes through the 10 municipalities of Madeira, and which can be carried out in several days, is to diversify the program in the area of hiking.
As Susana Prada noted, after the completion of the work on this Great Route and the new routes in the Rabaçal area, Madeira will have around 300 kilometers of recommended trails.
On the occasion, the regional secretary for the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change once again pointed out the interest of the Regional Government in granting the Bica da Cana Shelter House.
Regarding the possibilities of overnight stays along the Great Route, the official pointed out the houses already rehabilitated and concessioned with the possibility of accommodation, namely in Pico Ruivo, in Achada do Teixeira or in Rabaçal. In addition, private accommodation is also an option, complemented by the possibility of camping in places created for this purpose, with due authorization.
In the presentation of the project, which took place in the auditorium of the Casa da Luz Museum, although the route passes through all the municipalities of the island of Madeira, only representatives from the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Porto Moniz and Santana were present.