PR trail fees and reservation rules on Madeira

The 24 classified Percursos Recomendados (PR) on the IFCN table of 2 October 2026 use the mandatory reservation and fee schedule published in the official IFCN fee FAQ, read here on 12 October 2026. Before driving to a trailhead or booking a one-way taxi transfer, use this breakdown to check which fee tier applies to your walk, how shared trailheads work, and who qualifies for a €0 reservation.

1. The standard €4.50 classified-route tier

On the IFCN fee FAQ, any single classified PR route other than the full PR 1 traverse costs €4.50 per person for non-residents aged 13 and older. That €4.50 individual route fee applies to:

• PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo when walked on its own from Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo and back (2.8 km each way).
• PR 6 Levada das 25 Fontes at Rabaçal (4.3 km each way, one-way out on the levada and back on the bypass).
• PR 8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço from Baía d'Abra to Cais do Sardinha and back (4 km each way).
• PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde 6.5 km each way (13.0 km round trip) from Queimadas to the Caldeirão Verde waterfall viewpoint (plunge pool cordoned off; Caldeirão do Inferno extension closed).
• PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões at Ribeiro Frio (1.5 km each way).
• PR 13 Vereda do Fanal from Paul da Serra to Fanal (10.8 km), plus every other open or partly open classified PR route on the trail briefs index.

The €4.50 short option on PR 1 (Pico do Areeiro to Pedra Rija)

On PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro, the fee FAQ also lists a €4.50 option that covers only the two-way section from Pico do Areeiro to Miradouro da Pedra Rija and back. Important rules for this ticket:

• It does not include the one-way continuation past Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo.
• The fee FAQ states explicitly that a €4.50 Pedra Rija ticket is not upgraded into the full traverse if you decide at the viewpoint that you want to keep walking to Pico Ruivo.
• Miradouro do Juncal permit exemption: Visiting the Pico do Areeiro summit plateau and the panoramic Miradouro do Juncal viewpoint does not require a SIMplifica permit or fee. Miradouro do Juncal is situated on the open public plateau outside the PR 1 ticket control turnstiles; permits are only required once you pass through the turnstiles onto the trail descending toward Ninho da Manta and Pedra Rija.

2. The €10.50 central-ridge traverse tier (PR 1 + connecting exits)

The full one-way traverse from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo via the western tunnel line of PR 1 costs €10.50 per person.

Why is the full PR 1 ticket €10.50 instead of €4.50? Because no road reaches Pico Ruivo, every walker arriving at Pico Ruivo on the one-way line must exit via a connecting classified trail. The IFCN fee FAQ states that the €10.50 ticket also covers:

• PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha (8.2 km from Pico Ruivo down to Ilha),
• PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo (2.8 km from Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira), and
• PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada when the closed upper section of PR 1.3 reopens.

That means a walker holding the €10.50 PR 1 ticket does not need to buy a second €4.50 ticket to walk out from Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira on PR 1.2. Compare the two starts in Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo: which trailhead? and Is PR 1 Madeira open?.

3. Who pays €0 and still needs a reservation

The IFCN fee FAQ specifies three groups that do not pay the €4.50 or €10.50 fee:

1. Residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
2. Children aged 12 or under.
3. Covered disability cases.

In all three cases, the fee is €0, but a reservation is still required before entering the classified route. Keep your reservation confirmation accessible offline on your phone or printed on paper, as mobile signal drops out in deep valleys like Rabaçal, Ribeiro Frio, and Queimadas.

SIMplifica arrival time slots and 15-minute grace window (Portaria n.º 801/2025)

Under Portaria n.º 801/2025, the regional SIMplifica reservation portal issues permits in 30-minute arrival slot intervals to manage trail carrying capacity across classified PR routes. Official regulations grant a 15-minute grace tolerance window around your booked slot. Arriving outside this grace period during peak ranger patrols risks entry refusal.

4. Shared car parks vs. unknown trails

Where more than one classified PR code starts from the same parking area — such as PR 6, PR 6.1, PR 6.2, and PR 6.3 at Rabaçal, or PR 11 and PR 10 at Ribeiro Frio — the IFCN table lists each PR number as a separate classified route. Conversely, the 80 walks indexed under unknown trails are not on the IFCN classified list and are not part of the PR fee schedule; see Classified PR routes vs. unknown trails in Madeira.