They reveal that approximately 170 reports have already been filed for accessing closed routes.
This morning, around 300 people were queuing at the entrance gate to Pedra Rija on the PR1 trail. The gaurd was late to open the gate, and people had started to clime over.
To be honest I think the gate should be opened at least 15 minutes before the time , and then let this amount of people through in stages. I dont know if its clearly marked rhat the time slots start at 8am, and this obviously needs adjusting, as people go for the sunrise and then want to start the walk.
Once again you can clearly see there is no control or responsibility from the authorities, just take the money and they dont care for the rest.
Following the news reported by DIÁRIO this morning, which shows tourists jumping over the gate at Pedra Rija, on the PR1 – Vereda do Areeiro trail, the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN) has just clarified the access procedures and the timeline for opening the control infrastructure on the trail.
In a statement, the IFCN (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) begins by emphasizing that the complete PR1 route, between Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo, officially starts at Pico do Areeiro, and Pedra Rija is not the trail’s entry point. The entity also states that the first entry slot is between 8:00 AM and approximately 8:30 AM, and it is estimated that the initial stretch of about 1,200 meters to Pedra Rija can be covered in approximately 20 minutes at a normal pace.
According to the clarification, the Madeira Forestry Police opened the Pedra Rija gate at 8:10 am, “giving enough time” for hikers who started the route at the correct time in Areeiro to arrive with the access already unlocked.
The IFCN (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) therefore emphasizes that passing through a closed gate, even within the authorized entry period, “is not justifiable,” since the signposted barrier may exist for security and route management reasons. The entity adds that hikers who passed through the gate before the guard’s arrival were in breach of regulations, and the Forestry Police are taking steps to identify them.
In the same statement, the IFCN reveals that approximately 170 reports have already been filed for accessing closed trails, of which about one hundred concern the PR1 trail, including six in the last week alone. The institution also confirms that it has sent a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding damage to the Pedra Rija gate, a situation that could constitute a crime against property.