Free walks in Madeira: levadas with no ticket (2026)

Free, or ticket needed? The rule in three lines

IFCN classified PR trails: ticket needed. Book a 30-minute slot and pay on SIMplifica before you walk. This covers almost every famous walk: PR1, PR6 25 Fontes, PR8 São Lourenço, PR9 Caldeirão Verde, PR11 Balcões and more.
Classified trails run by someone else: no IFCN ticket. PR3, PR3.1 and PR4 are managed by the Câmara Municipal do Funchal, PR23 by the Junta de Freguesia do Caniço. IFCN says such trails are not on the booking portal. We found no charge of their own.
Non-classified levadas and paths: nothing to book, nothing to pay. But IFCN does not maintain, signpost or recommend them (FAQ 6.2, 6.3).

One catch: if a free walk joins or crosses an IFCN PR trail, the stretch on that PR trail needs a ticket. IFCN tells hikers to check whether their own itinerary passes through any PR it manages (FAQ 6.3).

Walks with no ticket

Only walks the official sources (or our verified facts files) support. The live badge shows the official IFCN status where the walk is, or overlaps, a PR trail; hover or tap it for IFCN's note.

Walks that need no SIMplifica ticket. PR rows: IFCN list of classified trails (managing-body column, updated 14 Sep 2026). Non-classified rows: IFCN FAQ 1.7; locations from the guides linked.
Walk	Area / start	What it is	Note	Source
PR3 Vereda do Burro…	Pico do Areeiro – Ribeira das Cales, 6.7 km	Classified PR, run by Funchal council	Not on SIMplifica; no IFCN fee. Starts at the same summit as PR1.	IFCN list
PR3.1 Caminho Real do Monte…	Ribeira das Cales – Monte, 5.5 km	Classified PR, run by Funchal council	Not on SIMplifica; no IFCN fee. Continues PR3 down to Monte.	IFCN list
PR4 Levada do Barreiro…	Poço da Neve – Casa do Barreiro, 6.7 km	Classified PR, run by Funchal council	Not on SIMplifica; no IFCN fee. IFCN lists the current route as Poço da Neve – Levada do Barreiro – Ribeira das Cales.	IFCN list
PR23 Levada da Azenha	Azenha – Caminho Velho do Castelo (Caniço), 1.3 km	Classified PR, run by Caniço parish	Not on SIMplifica; no IFCN fee. Not on our live board: check the IFCN list.	IFCN list · see IFCN list
Levada dos Tornos	Hills above Funchal, e.g. near Camacha	Non-classified levada	Not on IFCN's classified list or on SIMplifica. ⚠ One third-party site calls it “PR29” with a €4.50 fee; IFCN's list has no PR29.	IFCN FAQ 1.7 · location · madeirahiking.org
Levada do Caniçal	Machico area	Non-classified levada	Not on IFCN's classified list or on SIMplifica.	IFCN FAQ 1.7 · location
Levada do NortePR17: …	Several sections	Non-classified levada	Free where it runs on its own, but one stretch is part of PR17 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal, which needs a ticket.	IFCN FAQ 1.7 · Visit Madeira PR17
Levada Nova	Lombada church, Ponta do Sol (loop start)	Non-classified levada	Not an official PR route, so not on SIMplifica. Several levadas carry the name “Levada Nova”. The popular loop combines it with a “Levada do Moinho”: if your route uses IFCN's PR7 Levada do Moinho, that part needs a ticket.	IFCN FAQ 1.7 · location

What still applies

Exempt doesn't mean unbooked. On IFCN trails, children 12 and under, Madeira residents and people with a disability of 60% or more (plus one guardian) pay nothing, but they must still be on the SIMplifica booking.
Free walks are not checked like IFCN trails. IFCN is not responsible for the maintenance, signage or safety of non-classified trails (FAQ 6.3) and cannot recommend them (FAQ 6.2). They are not on IFCN's warnings list, so our live board can't show their status.
Closures apply to everyone. PR3, PR3.1, PR4 and PR23 are on the IFCN list with their own status. Entering a closed trail is an offence, ticket or not.

Walking an IFCN classified trail without a valid SIMplifica ticket is an administrative offence (Portaria 801/2025 art. 10; DLR 24/2022/M art. 13); the law sets fines for individuals of €250–€2,500. Entering a closed trail is an offence under the same article.

Questions

Are any levada walks in Madeira free?

Yes. Only the classified PR trails managed by IFCN need a paid SIMplifica ticket (€4.50 per trail, €10.50 for the full PR1). Non-classified levadas such as Levada dos Tornos, Levada do Caniçal and Levada do Norte, and the classified trails run by other bodies (PR3, PR3.1, PR4 and PR23), need no IFCN booking and no IFCN fee.

Is Levada Nova free?

Levada Nova is not an official PR route, so it is not on SIMplifica and needs no ticket. Guides often combine it with a “Levada do Moinho”: any part of your route on an IFCN PR trail, such as PR7 Levada do Moinho, needs a ticket. IFCN does not maintain or recommend non-classified levadas.

Is Levada do Moinho free?

No. PR7 Levada do Moinho (Ribeira da Cruz – Lamaceiros) is a classified trail managed by IFCN, so it needs a €4.50 ticket on SIMplifica. Check its live badge on this page before you plan.

Do I need SIMplifica for PR3, PR3.1, PR4 or PR23?

No. IFCN's list names the Funchal council (PR3, PR3.1, PR4) and the Caniço parish (PR23) as their managers, and IFCN says trails managed by another body are not on the booking portal. There is no IFCN fee, and we found no charge from those bodies either.

Do children need a ticket?

On IFCN trails, children 12 and under, residents and people with a disability of 60% or more don't pay, but they must still be on the SIMplifica booking. On the free walks there is nothing to book.

What happens if I walk a paid trail without a ticket?

Walking an IFCN classified trail without a valid SIMplifica ticket is an administrative offence (Portaria 801/2025 art. 10; DLR 24/2022/M art. 13). The law sets fines for individuals of €250 to €2,500.

Sources

IFCN FAQ on classified-trail fees (updated 2 Jun 2026: 1.7, 2.5, 6.2, 6.3) · IFCN list of classified trails (managing bodies, updated 14 Sep 2026) · IFCN trail warnings · SIMplifica service page · Portaria 48/2026 (republishes Portaria 801/2025: art. 5, 9, 10, Annex I) · DLR 24/2022/M (art. 13) · Visit Madeira PR17 page · locations: 22places, schmale-pfade, madere-leguide · conflict: madeirahiking.org. Checked 2 Oct 2026.

Free walks in Madeira: which levadas need no ticket?