The autonomous Portuguese region of Madeira has become the latest destination to bring in new restrictions on hiking trail access, in a bid to promote sustainability and pay for the infrastructure required to manage walking routes and keep them safe.
Madeira is an archipelago of four islands in Macaronesia, 400km north of the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa. With a year-round warm, spring-like climate and rugged, volcanic hillsides covered in lush greenery and riddled with ingenious, walkable, manmade waterways called levadas, the main island attracts growing numbers of tourists every year, reaching above two million since 2023, and hitting a record 11.7 overnight stays in 2024.
But now the cost of hiking—one of the island’s major tourist activities—is also rising. Access charges for some of the most popular trails were introduced in 2023 and were broadened to apply to all official routes in 2024. That general €3-fee has gone up by 50% to hit €4.50 in 2026, and the access price for Vereda do Areeiro, a three-peak hike that includes the iconic so-called “Stairway to Heaven” (a staircase carved into a steep ridge that appears to climb directly into the sky, especially during low cloud conditions) is now set at €10.50 to access, even though it is only partly open as it awaits recovery from wildfire damage.
There are ways to minimise the charges. Anyone aged 12 years and under does not have to pay. Moving to Madeira and becoming a local resident will also be exempt from paying, but a reservation will still be required. If changing residence is a step too far, reserving to do a hike with a local tour operator can enable visitors to avoid this year’s increase and keep the fee at 2025’s €3 level.
Officials on the island have told the press they believe that the increasing maintenance costs and infrastructure developments justify the increased charges, while Rafaela Fernandes, Madeira’s regional secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, has said the fees will help fund work to safeguard the islands’ natural beauty and handle visitor numbers effectively.
At the end of 2025, the archipelago’s ongoing responsible tourism efforts were rewarded with a remarkable suite of wins at the World Travel Awards. Madeira was named the World’s Leading Island Destination for an extraordinary eleventh consecutive year, a decade plus of success that recognises an official long-term strategy focusing on quality, sustainability, and visitor experience.
