Charges for walking Madeiras Levadas

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

So it seems from Monday walking in Madeira with be charged at 3.00 euros per walk.

This is due to Start THIS Monday 28th October.

This is not going down well with a lot of câmaras,  and they can’t see how this is going to be implemented and work.

This is the website site at the moment where it seems to have to reserve a place, but as you can see there is no information of any kind on it, and NO information for payment ect.

https://simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259

Also not only for walks, but Lorraine has sent me this link, and from Monday, the Quinta in the gardens in Santa da Serra , will also be charged at 3.00 each adult, so I’m guessing this will include other places also.

https://simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259

We will see how this plays out, and of course tourists coming to the island will have absolutely no idea about this .

Residents don’t have to pay, just proof of residence is requied, and all children under 12 are free.

Previous ArticleThree ships and more than 5,800 people pass through the Port of Funchal this weekend
Next ArticleVandalism in Praia Formosa
Tobi Hughes

33 Responses

  2. May stop coming. Government getting greedier by ty day with tourist tax, lead tax, mountain peak and other taxes.
    Then they don’t do anything for the average madeiran

    Reply

  3. Madeira is becoming far too expensive. All cost are increasing en that in combination with rising prices for airline tickets will cause tourism to decline and that is a good thing! I think it is way too busy on Madeira now and that is very bad for nature!

    Reply

  4. Like many destinations Madeira has been spoilt by over marketing and development . After many years of visiting and owning a property on the Island, it is no longer an attractive proposition to visit.

    Reply

    1. What a loud of crap there is plenty places that you and others can go but like usually some people go always to the same places and dont try go beyond of that

      Reply

  5. Actually, there is information on the SIMplifica site about payment. You have to scroll down to the bottom and select the walk you want from the apparently empty “Recurso” list which mysteriously fills itself in when you click on it. It’s a particularly unhelpful design that will have visitors tearing their hair out…

    Once you’ve done that you can select a date and proceed to the following page where you’re invited to tick a box acknowledging that you’re undertaking the walk entirely at your own risk before you can move on to payment.

    Reply

  6. And of course being an Island full of English and other European tourists the website is only in Portuguese !

    Perhaps I could go stand at the entrance to las Balcoes with an official looking sign and collect a whole load of 3Euro fees. I don’t see how they are going to police it.

    Ian

    Reply

  7. Residents don’t have to pay, just proof of residence is required….True??? – A few month ago, I was at Cabo Girao (I know it’s not a levada, but….) and gave up trying to make my point: Residents would have to go thru the same rigmarole as non-residents, basta.

    Reply

    1. You have to get a QR code from Simplifica, can’t work out how on the website, or you go to Funchal behind the Madeira Hotel to sort it out. Residents permit won’t work.

      Reply

  8. What about those tourists going on booked walks will the company collect the money or is it just for those not on organised walks.

    Reply

    1. That I’m not sure about , but I think they will eventually put in the price. Or may e they won’t need to pay, which would encourage more people going with a guide.

      Reply

  9. Once again wrong information published in this blog. Other than the ones that are already paid, the others will only be paid in 2025.

    Reply

  10. Well this will be difficulty of implement, monitor and verify they councils will be oblige to contract more forest guards to do this . I think this will be applied in the most popular levadas and mountains there is other places that you can go hiking .

    Reply

  11. Seems like Madeira thinks they are the only Jewel on the face of the earth well at least the authorities that are implementing this charge together with tourists tax. Tells me the corrupt officials need deeper pockets to live from, I myself been a national and a lover of hiking feel embarrassed how the madeiren government are getting greedier and greedier by the day. I travel the world and hike and rarely come across this absurd charge, it’s not the €3 but how they look at how and where they can rip off tourist who bring in income to the island. Please tourist look elsewhere, there are loads of countries with better walks and let Madeira fall to its knees without you.

    Reply

  12. How do you police it? Where does a levada start and end? What’s to stop someone joining a levada beyond the “start” point and leaving before the “end” point? Some levadas and walks have junctions with other levadas & walks.

    Has this been thought out properly?

    Reply

  13. That is unfortunately common in tourist areas that are a bit more demanded. Governments are trying to make money, telling they do this to regulate the numbers of visitors. What I really hate is that they force the AL owners to collect 2 euros per day from the customers. So much work on our side for such a small amount. The same for the entry fees for hikes. Each visitor needs to spend a lot of time to register for a single walk. For 2 or 3 euros paid… if I were a visitor, I would like more to pay 20 at the airport to enter the island once.
    And one more: where does all the money go to? The stairs and the reiling on the last hill of Sao Lourenco are in the same rotten conditions since years. How many euros did all the tourists already pay for that hike?

    Reply

  14. We’ve been coming to Madeira for many times since 1986. Guess last year has been our last visit to this once beautiful island. Now it has become overcrowded.

    Reply

    1. Overcrowded most be because you go always to the same place and you dont try go beyond of your comfort zone . I been many times returning back to Madeira visiting my family and I never stay in the same location and area it is the only way to visit the island and discovering other places . And if you go to the rural areas like I been they only overcrowd it is you staying in a place that most the population are elderly and few and plenty abandoned houses and plantation fields that people can keep up .

      Reply

  15. Re comment from Bram = Me too. I also visited Madeira every year for almost 20 years and often twice a year. I would take a 3 week vacation over Christmas and New Year and 3 weeks early summer. But things have changed in Madeira. Tourists being treated as a nuisance and blamed for much failures that the local authorities have mismanaged then treated as cash cows and second class. When visitors are treated on a level below locals, 2nd tier treatment = then you know it’s time to look elsewhere for a holiday destination.

    Reply

    1. Well Im from Madeira but live in Sintra then you should come over were then your definition of overcrowd will change your tone completely. As far treating the tourist was cash cows I dont know where that comes from been returning many times to see my family and never felt that way or treated like that despite been staying in AL always very well treated .

      Reply

        1. Ken
          I dont live there and when I go like I did explain I stay in hotels, and AL accommodation and when I go out visiting tourist attractions I pay like you and the others .

          Reply

  16. Time to choose for another location! The planet is great enough and lot of coutries to discover…

    Reply

  17. My wife and I just visited Madeira for the 1st time we are from Canada and we were thrilled with our stay there. The food was fantastic, scenery amazing, and the people were most hospitable and genuinely friendly to us everywhere we went. No complaints here and we would definitely go back.

    Reply

  18. Ok all so Simplifica is live and running to book the tickets and is available in several languages. The IFCN has posted it on their Facebook page, its very clear and straight forward but probably need to know you actually have to do it in the first place. Its also limited to a small number of walks. No idea how its going to be inforced! We only have three Forestal police stationed on Porto Santo one for each path i suppose!

    Reply

  19. Nevermind walking tourists. What about the mountain bikers? They cause a lot more damage and most have no respect for hikers on the same trail. I speak from personal experience when walking my dog. Although I suppose some will say I shouldn’t walk her along the levada.

    Reply

  21. My wife and I (both residents) have been walking the Balcoes Levada on Oct 28 with a non-resident friend. Have been controlled by two officially looking guards at about middle of the walk. Presenting our resident’s cards worked perfectly, our friend paid the 3 Euros in cash and got a paper receipt. So, it seems that the government has taken enough efforts to allow conventional payment for at least an intermediate period until the smartphone-app is being used widespread enough. The poor guards had to carry kilograms of coins in their pockets…

    Reply

  22. We had plans to visit Madeira in 2025.
    We will cancel these plans as asking a fee to walk in nature is a fundalental right for everybody. And if the Madeirian people/government says that there are too many visitors then they could introduce a maximum number of visitors. You can do such things without charging money. But yes, then the government gets less income. It all concerns money and it has nothing to do with preservation of nature. If Madeira does not want tourists, then they should say so ; they only want to get as much money as they can from the tourists. Let’s make a tax in eu for visitors that come from Portugal … . And let us all stay away ftom Madeira ; then they can close the levada walks but also their hotels.

    Reply

I encourage you to leave comments, I read every single one.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2023 Madeira Island News | Privacy Policy