Around Madeira

The rain has been wreaking havoc. No sooner was the landslip cleared on PR18 and the route reopened than PR9 had to be closed for similar reasons. Probably best to expect short notice closures in the current circumstances.

The IFCN has announced the closure of PR!8 (Levada do Rei) owing to a landslip. There has been no news so far of the likely duration.  In better news, the detour on PR10 (Levada do Furado) is now optional as the original route has been reinstated. The detour involved a greater height gain and so the walk is now more accessible, but the detour remains available for those who wish to use it.

According to press reports, Horários do Funchal has extended the deadline for using up the credit on the old-style pre-paid Giro cards that are being phased out. HF has accepted that there will be a significant number of people - many of them tourists - who will be unable to use up their remaining credit before the previously-announced deadline of the end of November, 2024. Consequently, the old tickets will continue to be accepted until 31st May, 2025. The company will also allow the old cards to be topped up with new credit until the end of this year. Update (19-Jan-2025): there has been press speculation regarding the future of SIGA, the new public transport authority, and its ticketing arrangements. Visitors arriving in 2025 may need to check before use whether their pre-paid tickets from 2024 remain valid.

By 1st January, 2025, there will be a charge for everyone using the regionally recommended walking routes (with numbers prefixed by PR). However, some routes are payable from 28th October. These are: PR1 - Vereda do Areeiro PR1.2 - Vereda do Pico Ruivo PR 6.1 - Levada do Risco PR 8 - Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (existing charge goes up) PR 9 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR 11 - Vereda dos Balcões PR 18 - Levada do Rei  A payment of 3 Euros per person, per route per day should be made in advance online via the SIMplifica portal. Your permit will only be valid on the date and route for which it was issued, though you can contact the call centre to change it to another date or another route  if you're unable to embark on the walk you have booked. For a transitionary period, there may be staff available on site to take payments. Spot checks will me made to check people have paid the fee and penalties may be issued. Children of 12 and under are exempt, as are residents of...

As the Madeira Organ Festival draws to a close, a reminder that 2024's Madeira Piano Fest will take place in Funchal's Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias beetween 2nd and 10th November. The programme includes a variety of performances for solo piano, four hands on a single piano and pieces for two pianos. In between the two, the Maderia International Guitar Festival runs in various locations between 25th October and 3rd November.

23rd October: The majority of the PR1 trail at Pico do Areeiro remains closed. Horários do Funchal has announced two changes to the operation of its twice-daily shuttle service between Funchal and Pico do Areeiro which will come into effect on Sunday, 27th October. The departure point for the shuttle will change from Praça da Autonomia to the Cable Car Terminal bus station (4A), hopefully making it easier to find. Owing to the shortening days, the last departure from Pico do Areeiro, which is currently at 19:00 will leave an hour earlier, at 18:00. This winter timetable will run until 29th March 2025 (inclusive). The summer timetable will resume on 30th March. Summer departures from Funchal are presently timetabled as follows: 06:00 | 13:30 – Praça da Autonomia - stop Rua 31 Janeiro S (9); 06:02 | 13:32 – Jardim Santa Luzia; 06:10 | 13:40 – Monte - Largo da Fonte; 06:11 | 13:41 – Entrada Corujeira de Dentro; 06:15 | 13:45 – Terreiro da Luta; 06:23 | 13:53 – Portão Norte da Herdade do...

The IFCN has announced the closure of recommended walking route PR19 (Caminho Real do Paul do Mar) owing to rockfalls. There are also reports that a section of the Passeio Público Marítimo between Praia Formosa and Câmara de Lobos is impassable owing to construction work.

If you currently have credit on your old style Horários do Funchal Giro card, HF are "recommending" that you use it by 30th November. The last day on which you can add credit will be 15th November. It is presently unclear whether it will be possible for unused credit to be refunded or transferred, but visitors who have cards with existing credit who return after 30th November will be unable to use those cards on board.  New ticketing is being introduced that should - in theory - make it easier to undertake journeys that involve multiple buses from different operators.

On 29th September, the IFCN updated the status of walking routes. Routes with LIMITED ACCESS are: PR 1 - Vereda do Areeiro – from Pico do Areeiro to Pedra Rija viewpoint; PR 1.1 - Vereda da Ilha – from the shelter at Pico Ruivo to Ilha;  PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo – from Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo shelter. PR 2 - Vereda do Urzal – from Lombo do Urzal to the 6.2km point;  PR 17 - Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal – from Encumeada to Bica da Cana; The following routes are CLOSED: PR 1.3 - Vereda da Encumeada PR 4 - Levada do Barreiro PR 7 - Levada do Moinho PR 12 - Caminho Real da Encumeada PR 20 - Vereda do Jardim do Mar PR 23 - Levada da Azenha PR 27 - Glaciar do Planalto PR 28 - Levada da Rocha Vermelha Please note that the routes advertised by IFCN as "open" may only be open over part of their course and pay attention to local signage as conditions are subject to change at short notice. The following routes are OPEN: PR 3 - Vereda do Burro PR 3.1. - Caminho R...

All camping was prohibited while the recent wildfires were in progress and in their aftermath. However, some camping opportunities have been reinstated. All camping on Madeira requires a permit for an approved location on specific dates. Permits are obtained via the SIMplifica website . Look under "Culture and Leisure" and then "Camping Licence". Note that if you have chosen to access the site in English, the names of the various sites will be "translated" into English (so Pico Ruivo becomes Red Peak ), so you might want to set the language to Portuguese so the place names are recognisable.

The IFNC has updated its advice on the trails around Pico do Areeiro/Pico Ruivo. From 4th September, the PR1 walking route will now be open as far as the Pedra Rija viewpoint (1.2km stretch). PR 1.1 will be open from the Pico Ruivo "Casa de Abrigo" to Ilha and PR 1.2 will be open from Achada do Teixeira to the Pico Ruivo "Casa de Abrigo". This means that a slightly longer stretch of trails will be open than previously envisaged. However, barriers are in place to prevent access to areas that remain dangerous and visitors are asked to respect them for their safety,

From 26th August , the IFCN has announced the following walking routes re-opened to the public:     PR 3 - Vereda do Burro     PR 3.1. - Caminho Real do Monte     PR 13 - Vereda do Fanal These join the routes whose re-opening was announced on 25th August: PR 9 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR 18 - Levada do Rei  ... and the routes around Rabaçal that reopened on the 23rd: PR 6 - Levada das 25 Fontes PR 6.1. - Levada do Risco PR 6.2 - Levada do Alecrim PR 6.3 - Vereda da Lagoa do Vento PR 6.4 - Levada Velha do Rabaçal PR 6.5 - Vereda do Pico Fernandes PR 6.6 - Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo PR 6.7 - Vereda da Câmara de carga do Rabaçal PR 6.8 - Levada do Paul II – Um caminho para todos PR 13.1 - Vereda da Palha Carga However, the following routes remain closed: PR 1 - Vereda do Areeiro PR 1.1 - Vereda da Ilha PR 1.2. - Vereda do Pico Ruivo PR 1.3 - Vereda da Encumeada PR 2 - Vereda do Urzal PR 4 - Levada do Barreiro PR 7 - Levada do Moinho PR 1...

From today, 23rd August, the IFCN has announced the following walking routes re-open to the public: PR 6 - Levada das 25 Fontes PR 6.1. - Levada do Risco PR 6.2 - Levada do Alecrim PR  6.3 - Vereda da Lagoa do Vento PR 6.4 - Levada Velha do Rabaçal PR 6.5 - Vereda do Pico Fernandes PR 6.6 - Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo PR 6.7 - Vereda da Câmara de carga do Rabaçal PR 6.8 - Levada do Paul II – Um caminho para todos PR 13.1-  Vereda da Palha Carga  However, the following routes remain closed: PR 1 - Vereda do Areeiro PR 1.1 - Vereda da Ilha PR 1.2. - Vereda do Pico Ruivo PR 1.3 - Vereda da Encumeada PR 2 - Vereda do Urzal PR 3 - Vereda do Burro PR 3.1. - Caminho Real do Monte PR 4 - Levada do Barreiro PR 7 - Levada do Moinho PR 9 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde PR 12 - Caminho Real da Encumeada PR 13 - Vereda do Fanal PR 17 - Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal PR 18 - Levada do Rei PR 20 - Vereda do Jardim do Mar PR 23 - Levada da Azenha PR 27 - Glaciar do Planalto PR 28 - Levada da ...

Until recently, Madeira's public transport was delivered by various companies, each with their own separate branding, ticketing and websites. This has now been reorganised under the ambit of SIGA - the public transport organistation for Madeira. However, although many buses (and some transport passes) changed on 1st July, the SIGA website (and the mobile app) were missing much of the vital information and it was still necessary to rely on the former websites of the individual operators for timetable and fare information.  Those websites are now starting to disappear. The former EACL website now redirects to SIGA, the homepage of the SAM website still exists, but most of its pages now give 404 errors. The Rodoeste website still seems to be functioning, as is that for Horários do Funchal. Unfortunately, the SIGA website is still sorely lacking in functionality - the "journey planner" doesn't work at all and if you select " Timetables " you have to select ...

The regional government has been making a lot of news lately with various announcements regarding better management of tourist numbers in some of the more problematic hotspots using a combination of carrots and sticks.  In addition to the new shuttle to Pico do Areeiro , nine "new" recommended walking routes will be added to the present list in the hope of dispersing visitors more widely. The eastern alternative route on the Pico-to-Pico trail - which was severely damaged over 10 years ago - will also be restored. However, there will also be more use of charging both as a means of controlling numbers as well as helping to meet the increasing cost of maintaining the various trails - and particularly dealing with the growing amounts of litter. There will be modest charges to use the trails at Pico do Areeiro, at Rabaçal and at Balcões - as well as the current charge at Ponta de São Lourenço . Parking charges will be introduced at Pico do Areeiro and at Queimadas from where the...

30th August, 2024: This service, which was suspended owing to ongoing fires, will resume on 2nd September. However, the majority of the PR1 trail at Pico do Areeiro will remain closed. Following much consternation about the increasing traffic and demand for parking at Pico do Areeiro, a new, scheduled bus service is being launched from 5th August. Horários do Funchal will be operating two return services per day from Funchal and also a shuttle service between Pico do Areeiro and the Caminho Florestal das Serras de Santo António. Summer departures from Funchal are presently timetabled as follows: 06:00 | 13:30 – Praça da Autonomia - stop Rua 31 Janeiro S (9); 06:02 | 13:32 – Jardim Santa Luzia; 06:10 | 13:40 – Monte - Largo da Fonte; 06:11 | 13:41 – Entrada Corujeira de Dentro; 06:15 | 13:45 – Terreiro da Luta; 06:23 | 13:53 – Portão Norte da Herdade do Chão da Lagoa; 06:27 | 13:57 – Poiso; 06:35 | 14:05 – Caminho Florestal das Serras de Santo António; 06:40 | 14:10 – Car park, Pico do ...

The national government has confirmed that a contract is being finalized for Binter to operate the air link between Madeira and Porto Santo until 2027. Their previous contract has been extended for successive periods of only 3 months on multiple occasions, making it difficult for travellers to book flights in advance.

  As the pressure on the island's most popular visitor destinations continues to mount, the Regional Government has announced its intention to introduce a variety of measures to manage demand and ensure the safety and maintenance of popular walking routes. Although the plans are not yet finalised, it is likely that some combination of charging and timed access will be used - a ticket will be issued for admission within a specified time window only. There is already a charge for access to the Ponta de São Lourenço path and likely additional canidates include the popular 'Pico to Pico' route and the walks in the Rabaçal area.  There are also plans for improvements, such as increased parking at Pico de Areeiro and a surfaced path at Ponta de São Lourenço where there have been a number of recent accidents. Access to certain trails may also be dependent on being accompanied with a licensed guide.  It is expected the full plans - and the public tenders for any necessary service...

Headlining the local press is an announcement from the police that they have issued 500 fines over the last two and a half years in relation to obstruction and other traffic offences in the vicinity of Pico do Arieiro.  The popular site has become increasingly notorious for long queues of vehicles - particularly in the early morning - and for visitors leaving their vehicles where they obstruct other traffic. A planned car park for an additional 250 vehicles is currently stalled owing to the ongoing regional government crisis. The bus operator, Horários do Funchal, is said to be assessing the viability of operating a tourist bus route as there is currently no public transport to the location. There are both guided tours and shared transfer options, so visitors are urged to use these where they can.

  The 15h of August sees the traditional celebration of Our Lady of Monte and in the immediately preceding days the streets around Monte will be busy with the preparations.  For this reason, the popular wicker toboggans that career down the hill to Funchal will be out of action from 12th-15th August inclusive.

  Bus transport is changing in Madeira, with the aim of providing a modern network with integrated ticketing under the name SIGA . Starting on 1st July, on routes historically operated by SAM, EACL and Rodoeste, you'll start to see new white buses with the SIGA branding. HF buses will retain their present yellow livery for now, with an additional SIGA logo. The initial ticketing changes will mostly affect pass-holders as through-ticketing won't be available to start with. Eventually, there will be one ticketing system covering Madeira and Porto Santo, but the changes are being implemented in phases. The Getting Around page has been updated accordingly. Also, it has been announced in the press that public transport in Madeira and Porto Santo will be free on 1st July. That could go either way...

According to local media, the popular Levada do Furado trail (PR10), which has been closed after significant damage in March caused by a landslide, has reopened between Ribeiro Frio and Portela - but with a detour that bypasses the damaged section of the levada.  Owing to the extent of the reconstruction required and the difficulty of getting materials to the site, the original route is likely to be closed for some time. The alternative route, which diverges approximately 7.2km from Ribeiro Frio before returing to rejoin the levada at Lamaceiros, has been signposted, but involves a climb over the Pico do Suna  and adds around 1km to the journey, making it a rather different proposition to the largely flat original route.  The IFCN website had not (as of 8th May 2024) been updated with the new information.

From April 3rd to September 13th, the Centro de Estudos de História do Atlântico - Alberto Vieira (Funchal) has an exhibition of archival material relating to the history of Madeiran embroidery.  On show will be material from the records of the former manufacturer João Eduardo de Sousa, Lda., which are in the process of conservation, as well as material from four catalogues documenting embroidery and clothing from the latter part of the 19th century through to the 1940s. Centro de Estudos de História do Atlântico - Alberto Vieira is located R. das Mercês 8, Funchal and its listed opening hours are 9.00am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

New charges will be introduced in 2025 for visitors to some popular tourist destinations on the island. This has been in the works for some time - already there are charges at Cabo Girão and Ponta de São Lourenço : the charge for the latter will be increased in 2025. The additional locations likely to be affected are: Balcões Pico do Areeiro Rabaçal  The Rabaçal area is the location of a number of very popular walks including the Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Risco. Increasing numbers are causing problems, particular with parking, and it is hoped that the charges will help control numbers and raise revenue to meet the increased level of maintenance required. However, the charges will be very modest - around 2 euros - and local residents will be exempt, so the results remain to be seen. It has also been announced that a 2 euro charge will be levied for each passenger disembarking cruise ships in Funchal from 2025.

The ferry service to Porto Santo is back in operation following its annual maintenance, but the future of the air service remains unclear. Binter Canarias had a concession from the (national) government to operate the air route which has been the subject of last-minute and short-term extensions. The concession was most recently supposed to end on 24th February, but has now been extended until April 21st. The long-term arrangements are still unknown.