The Atlantic Portuguese island of Madeira is bringing in access fees for some of its best-loved hiking trails in a move to fund conservation efforts along hard-worn trails.
An archipelago and Autonomous Region in Macaronesia, bathed in a mild year-round subtropical climate, Madeira’s UNESCO-recognised pre-historic landscape of lush volcanic slopes and peaks, has long attracted walkers and lovers of nature and the outdoors.
Levada trails under pressure
Particularly distinctive are the islands’ “levadas” or water channels and tunnels cut and built into the mountainous terrain to transport water over a 2170 kilometre network, from the wet northwest to the dryer southeastern regions. Effectively they create fascinating and sometimes precarious pathways that attract thousands of walkers every year.
Wear and tear due to crowding on the sometimes narrow, low-ceilinged levada trails are just one of the reasons authorities on the island need to raise funds. Madeira’s regional secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, Rafaela Fernandes, told press the toll is being introduced so that authorities can better protect the island’s natural heritage and contend with growing visitor numbers. Madeira welcomed over two million overnight guests in 2023, up by over a third since 2019.
Fees will apply to over 30 official trails
Currently, just the island’s seven most-walked hiking trails attract a surcharge of three euros for non-residents over 12 years old. But from 1 January 2025, all non-residents over 12 years of age hoping to complete any of Madeira’s more than 30 official hiking trails will have to pay the fee, applicable to all trails managed by the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (ICNF).
Those who do not comply with the charge will be fined up to €50, according to an awareness campaign launched to accompany the introduction of the measure. Would-be hikers can avoid getting caught out by using the regional government portal, Simplifica to pay for their adventure. On-site payment options exist as well, at ICNF kiosks dotted along many of the trails.
Eco sympathy
Fernandes said the move had been well-received by the island’s eco-conscious tourists who are sympathetic to the motives behind it. Local tourism and hospitality stakeholders who could be negatively affected by tax, meanwhile, are being kept sweet with proposals for a year-long reprieve on charges for “economic operators” until January 2026.
Madeira is not the first volcanic walking destination to introduce fees as part of a sustainability drive. Mount Fuji, Japan, said by a regional governor to be “screaming” with overtourism in 2023, has since introduced visitor caps and charges for its most popular hike.
