Would you pay a fee to go hiking?

Throughout the year, many people resort to activities in nature in their free time to disconnect from the daily hustle and bustle they face. Thus, practices such as hiking or mountaineering have become ideal options to enjoy a wide variety of environmental gems due to the simplicity and wealth of alternatives they offer.

Whether taking advantage of a free space during the weekend or planning a walk during the holidays, hiking routes have become a staple for many lovers of rural and outdoor tourism; which complement the visit to towns and villages with the discovery of the surrounding natural heritage.

For this reason, routes along Greenways, historical monuments or natural sites not only stand out for being defined as simple alternatives with great environmental appeal, but also for their accessibility, presenting themselves as viable options for any hiker. However, this is not the case in all destinations.

The tourist destination that charges for some of its hiking routes

The island of Madeira, one of the main tourist attractions in Portugal, has had an important peculiarity for less than a month, which distinguishes it from the rest of the holiday destinations around the European continent. Thus, on October 22, 2024, Ordinance No. 556/2024 was approved, which decreed fees for all those travelers who wanted to enjoy certain roads and trails.

In this way, the recently approved legislation helps define a basis on which “the rates and respective amounts to be charged by the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, for the provision of public services and issuance of licenses, authorizations and similar titles” to all those tourists who want to enjoy one of the many routes that can be taken on the island.

Specifically, to access some of the payment routes in the Portuguese territory, it is necessary to pay an amount of €3 through a reservation process in the official website. However, the rate distinguishes between adults and youth, so the price should only be applicable to all travelers over 12 years of age.

Furthermore, the rate only affects the so-called “Classified Pedestrian Routes”, which are several routes dependent on the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (ICNF). Thus, the payment is applied in the following paths:

However, this fee will be expanded for non-residents as of January 1, 2025, when more than 30 territories and routes managed by the ICNF of Madeira will become chargeable.

The levadas, payment routes in Madeira

Some of the routes with rates in the island territory of Madeira are called levadas, U-shaped and sloping irrigation canals or aqueducts that are used to collect rainwater or water derived from water currents that exceed their natural channels. .

These were originally created in the 16th century, given the need to supply water to the south of the island, which was considerably drier despite having greater agricultural production. Thus, these constructions were designed with the aim of diverting water from the west and northwest of the territory, where rainfall was more abundant.

Madeira, one of the most prominent tourist destinations

In recent years, the Portuguese island of Madeira has established itself as one of the most outstanding international destinations for the quality of its natural landscapes. The territory of volcanic origin, located in the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the most visited regions by inhabitants of all of Europe.

Among other visitors, different historical figures such as Empress Sissi, Emperor Charles I of Austria, Emperors Maximilian and Carlota and Winston Churchill, among others, passed through the enclave.

Although they were already known by the Romans, the islands gained importance after their rediscovery by the Portuguese navigators Tristão Vaz Teixeira and João Gonçalves Zarco, who contributed to populating them and turning them into a tourist standard, with multiple forests, destinations and more than 2,000 kilometers of routes. hiking.