Madeira trail fees and SIMplifica booking
Updated September 2026
The 2026 fees for Madeira's classified trails, how the SIMplifica hiking reservation works, and what happens if you miss your slot or the trail closes.
In 2026 a hike on any classified trail that IFCN manages costs €4.50 a person, and the full PR1, the Vereda do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, costs €10.50. You book and pay for each hike online on SIMplifica only, for an entry slot, and we can plan your drop at the trailhead around that slot.
The 2026 fees and booking rules
Fees and rules: IFCN FAQThe fees are per person and apply to the classified trails that IFCN manages. A few classified trails are run by local councils, and those carry no fee and are not booked on SIMplifica.
- Fee per trail
- €4.50
- PR1 to Pedra Rija only
- €4.50
- Full PR1 (also covers PR1.1 and PR1.2)
- €10.50
- 1-day pass, PR1 excluded
- €9
- 3-day pass, PR1 excluded
- €22.50
- 7-day pass, PR1 excluded
- €52.50
- Booking
- mandatory for everyone, online on SIMplifica only
- Entry slots
- 30 min
- Tolerance on your slot, about
- 15 min
- Who pays nothing (but still books)
- residents of Madeira, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion
- Refunds
- only when IFCN officially closes the trail; none for flight changes, rain or personal reasons
Booking on SIMplifica
-
1
Check that the trail is open
Before you book. Look your trail up on the IFCN trail status page. A closed trail can't be booked, and neither can a trail that a local council manages.
-
2
Open the trail-fee service on SIMplifica
The trail booking is one of the services on simplifica.madeira.gov.pt. The IFCN offices don't sell tickets or take payments.
-
3
Choose the trail, the date and the entry slot
Each day is split into entry slots of 30 min. Pick the slot you want to start in, and once you're on the trail you walk at your own pace. A full slot is blocked, so try another time.
-
4
Book a place for every hiker
Everyone in the group needs a place, including the people who pay nothing. The exemptions are in the table above.
-
5
Put your other trails in the same booking
If you plan several trails, book them together. At checkout SIMplifica applies the cheaper option, single trails or a pass, and PR1 is always charged on its own.
-
6
Pay, then keep the tickets and the invoice
Pay online and finish in one go, because an unfinished booking is cancelled automatically. SIMplifica then emails the tickets and an invoice, and you need both for any change or refund. If SIMplifica later emails that a booking was cancelled for non-payment while you hold tickets and an invoice, compare the reference numbers, because a different number is an earlier unfinished attempt.
-
7
Enter the trail inside your slot
On the day. You can enter about 15 min before or after your slot. For the full PR1 you enter at Pico do Arieiro, because the gate at Pedra Rija is not a starting point.
The booking is made at simplifica.madeira.gov.pt. IFCN does not run the portal. If the site shows an error or turns down your card, SIMplifica's own contact centre helps on working days. Its phone and WhatsApp numbers are in the IFCN fees FAQ.
A lift to the trailhead and back
-
Hiking transfers
Drop and collect at Rabaçal, 25 Fontes or Fanal, €160 for the car, 1 to 6 people
Timed to your slot
Why slot timing matters for your transfer
A missed slot is a lost ticket. IFCN allows about 15 min either side of your slot. If you arrive outside that window, the ticket is gone, because IFCN counts missed transport as your own reason and refunds nothing. We can't book SIMplifica slots for you, so you book your slot and we time the drop to it.
So the drive is the part of the day to plan. Many trailheads are up mountain roads, and the driving there is slow. From Funchal, Pico do Arieiro is 40–45 min by road. Before sunrise the access roads there were jammed by visitors again in September 2025, with cars parked on the verges.
Your driver drops you about 20 minutes before your slot starts, which leaves time to lace your boots and walk to the trail entrance while the slot is open.
Booking is on request, so message us first and we confirm your date. Then book the slot and send us the trail and the slot time.
If you drive yourself, allow time to park. The top car park at Pico do Arieiro has about 70 spaces. On a one-way trail your car also waits at the start while you finish somewhere else. For PR1, IFCN does not provide a return to Pico do Arieiro; hikers arrange their own transport.
Refunds and closures
You get a SIMplifica refund only when IFCN officially closes the trail; none for flight changes, rain or personal reasons. A closure counts when IFCN or another authority closes or restricts your trail on the date of your hike. A weather warning does not close every trail by itself, and IFCN posts the status of each trail.
When IFCN closes your trail
Write to IFCN by email and ask for a new date or a refund. The address is in the IFCN fees FAQ. Send these with your request:
- the tickets and the invoice that SIMplifica emailed you;
- for a new date, the date and slot you want;
- for a refund, a bank document with your IBAN and SWIFT/BIC, the account holder's full name and your address.
Refunds are paid by bank transfer only. Write as soon as the closure is announced, and no later than 10 working days from the booking date. A new date keeps the same number of hikers and the same trail. After a long closure, IFCN may consider another trail.
Your transfer with us follows its own rule. If IFCN closes your trail, you choose a plan B route, a new date or a free cancellation. The SIMplifica refund is separate, and you claim it from IFCN.
PR1 in 2026
PR1 reopened on 1 May 2026 after the wildfire that closed it. Some sections still close for works. You can walk both ways between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija, but beyond Pedra Rija the path runs one way only, towards Pico Ruivo. At our last check, on 25 September 2026, the one-way section to Pico Ruivo was closed. The path from Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija and back was open.
The status changes often, so check the IFCN trail status page when you book and again the evening before. A ticket for the Pedra Rija section costs €4.50 and covers that section only. It can't be converted into a full PR1 ticket later, so decide before you pay.
Trail fee questions
Do children pay the trail fee in Madeira?
IFCN charges no fee for residents of Madeira, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion. Every child still needs a place in your SIMplifica booking, and older children pay the same fees as adults.
Do residents of Madeira pay to hike?
No, residents of Madeira walk the classified trails free, but they still book a slot on SIMplifica. The exemption needs proof of residence, which is the regional resident card together with the citizen card. The resident card itself can be requested on SIMplifica.
Can I pay the trail fee at the trailhead?
No, the fee is paid online as part of the SIMplifica booking, and IFCN takes no bookings or payments at its offices. Book before you set off, and keep the emailed tickets with you.
What happens to my ticket if it rains?
If it rains but the trail stays open, the fee is not refunded, because IFCN refunds only when it closes or restricts the trail. A weather warning does not close every trail automatically, and each trail's status is on the IFCN trail status page. If IFCN does close your trail, you can ask for a new date or a refund.
Is PR1 included in the trail passes?
No, PR1 is left out of every pass, including the section from Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija. The full PR1 costs €10.50. That ticket also covers the two ways down from Pico Ruivo, PR1.2 (Vereda do Pico Ruivo) to Achada do Teixeira and PR1.1 (Vereda da Ilha) to Ilha.
Can I book a hike for today?
Yes, SIMplifica takes bookings for the same day or the next day while the slot still has places. A full slot is blocked, so choose another time or another trail. If you also want a lift to the start that day, message us before you book the slot, and we confirm whether we can drive you that day.
Do I need a guide to hike in Madeira?
No, IFCN does not require a guide on any classified trail at present. Hiking companies run guided walks if you'd like company and explanations on the path. We only do the driving, so you walk without a guide and your driver meets you at the end.
Plan the drive around your slot
A drop and collect at Rabaçal, 25 Fontes or Fanal is one price for the car, 1 to 6 people. Entry tickets, meals and SIMplifica trail fees are not included.
Paul da Serra: Rabaçal and 25 Fontes, Vereda do Fanal €160 per car, 1 to 6 people