The classified pedestrian routes in the Autonomous Region of Madeira will be open to traffic again from this Thursday, March 5th, as well as the Forest Road that connects Eira do Serrado to Pico do Areeiro, informed the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN).
The decision comes after improved weather conditions in the region, allowing the reopening of most officially classified trails, which had been restricted due to recent bad weather.
Despite the widespread reopening, the IFCN (Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests) states that several routes remain closed for safety reasons.
The following trails remain closed : PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada , PR 7 Levada do Moinho , PR 10 Levada do Furado , PR 16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues , PR 20 Vereda do Jardim do Mar , PR 27 Glaciar de Planalto , PR 28 Levada da Rocha Vermelha and PR 3 Levada do Pico do Castelo .
There are also partially passable routes. This is the case of PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro , accessible only between Pico do Areeiro and Miradouro da Pedra Rija, at kilometer 1.2; PR 4 Levada do Barreiro ; PR 12 Caminho Real da Encumeada , passable between Boca da Corrida and kilometer 3.5; and PR 17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal , open between Encumeada and Bica da Cana.
The IFCN recommends that hikers respect existing signage and follow official updates before starting any route, bearing in mind that changes may occur depending on evolving conditions on the ground.