Guide
Madeira Hiking Permits: How the 2026 SIMplifica Booking Rules Work
Since January 2026, Madeira's classified PR trails all require a booked time slot through the SIMplifica portal — here's what that actually involves, what it costs, and how far ahead to book.
If the last time you looked into Madeira hiking was before 2026, there's one change worth knowing about before you plan anything: the island's classified trails — every PR-numbered route, including all the ones we cover in our other hiking guides — now require a booked time slot rather than just showing up.
The system runs through a portal called SIMplifica (simplifica.madeira.gov.pt). You create an account, pick your trail and date, choose from the available 30-minute entry slots, and pay online — no cash accepted on the day. A PDF ticket lands in your email and also sits in your SIMplifica account, so it's worth having it accessible on your phone rather than printed.
Pricing is tiered rather than flat: most standard PR trails cost €4.50 per person, PR1 (the Areeiro-to-Ruivo ridge walk) is priced separately at €10.50 given how much more in-demand it is, and multi-day passes are available from €9 if you're planning several hikes across your trip. Children up to 12 hike free. Popular trails and weekend slots do sell out, particularly PR1 and 25 Fontes — booking a couple of weeks ahead is the safer move if your dates are already fixed.
The system exists to manage genuinely heavy foot traffic on trails running through fragile laurisilva forest, and entering a classified trail without a valid booking is treated as an access violation, not just a formality — so it's worth building into your planning rather than an afterthought. If you'd rather skip the logistics entirely, this is exactly the kind of thing we can arrange for you as part of a guided hiking day — just let us know which trail on WhatsApp.
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