More and more accidents on Levada and Trails.

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Pedestrian trails are once again a highlighted today in the Diário Notícias, making the headline of this Thursday’s edition.

More and more accidents are happening in the mountains of Madeira. It has been 10 years since firefighters have been called for so many search and rescue actions on trails and levadas in the Region in the month of January. The last situation happened on Tuesday night, in Ribeira da Hortelã. Doing canyoning on your own was going to end badly in the Seixal area. Four tourists were rescued in an operation that lasted 7 hours.

From Diário Notícias

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Tobi Hughes

14 Responses

  1. I have heard of more and more accidents and a few things spring to mind; people walking these trails need to consider weather conditions and need to stay on the official trails or not bother and maybe there needs to be some investment in making the trails more clear and secure. Madeira is a beautiful island and the levada walks are a huge draw for tourism but the number of recent searches and people lost can’t be good press ?

  2. I think a lot of people, visiting Madeira, have no idea of the force of nature nor how to prepair properly before walking a levada or hike into the mountains. Reading the articles about the rescueteams risking their lives to safe people (mostly tourists) in trouble, apart from the financial consequences: in my opinion giving more information on the dangers you can face when exploring Madeira’s nature and consequences when you get in trouble, maybe would help a little bit, although reading some stories about rescuing people in trouble confirms my opinion that a lot of people are really stupid, unprepared or just only interested in getting likes on social media.

  3. Madeira seems to be attracting much younger-aged tourists, some of whom may have a more careless attitude – or even ‘daredevil’ approach, without properly understanding the dangers.
    Many also don’t want to go in organised groups – maybe so they don’t pay, or don’t understand value.
    It also seems strange some go off on their own, or in bad weather conditions.
    Most won’t understand they will put other people’s lives at risk if they have to be rescued !

    2. Organised groups are for losers who want an itinerary planned out, don’t bother doing minimum research and think it’s acceptable to block roads with huge tour buses not designed for this kind of island and crowd everywhere speaking loud in other languages. It’s strange to me that anyone would spend their free time in an organised group which seems to attract the most obnoxious and unimaginative people.

  4. Best island destination several times, lots of influencers making videos and posting about it, all those fabulous pictures… Of course it will attract all kinds of tourists including those who have never learned that nature can be dangerous as well as beautiful. I live in Norway and we also have tourists falling off mountains, into waterfalls, out of fishing boats, you name it. Sign posts in many languages does not seem to help. Sometimes people are simply so focused on getting their perfect aurora/midnight sun/gorgeous mountain photos that they will attempt it anyway. And yes, the rescue teams are sometimes in danger as well. It is difficult to see any solution to it. An accident can happen even to the most well prepared and so can a sudden change of weather. I think the only thing to do is to keep trying to inform visitors that there is danger and how to prepare for it.

  5. I would be interested to know if the increasing number of accidents corresponds with the increasing number of tourists coming to the island. Double tourist, double accidents…

  6. Tobi Hugher
    Agree with everyone around where and I will not add anything else people around where know my views about this . When hiking have careful and pay attention .

  7. On those blaming it on young tourists, I see plenty of old fools every day, oblivious to their surroundings, oblivious to how they are getting in the way of local people, sometimes forcing people onto busy roads because they refuse to move when walking in a group and spread their fat bodies over the whole pavement. You can’t teach manners at the age and unfortunately, you can’t teach common sense. There are more accidents because there are more idiots who seem to leave their brain behind on holiday. I wish they’d stay home.

    1. Well the tour operators should add to tourists a program with classes where the manners and etiquette will be teach this way they can behave when in holiday . And if the over weight tourist is a problem a strict diet program will be add to that group that travel no eating when in holiday . ?

      1. Oh my goodness Isabel, “Slimming Madeira”…no pastel de nata, no bolas de Berlim, none of that, walk, drink water, eat some fruit and chicken, return slimmer and with better manners after the etiquette course.

        1. Lavinia Freitas
          I understand very well your opinion sometimes is over powering the excess of tourists and everything with comes with that and it is difficult .And I know very well I live in Sintra and sometimes in certain period when is complete full you want them to disappear and have some peace . And many times isn’t only that it is the complete lack of respect and even manners and attitude of them when visiting . But you and me need to live with them and be sometimes a bit sarcastic with all the situations that happen .

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