Levadinho · Madeira trail answers

SIMplifica won't work from abroad?

If SIMplifica won't take your foreign phone number, register with your email instead of a phone number and pay by card (Visa or Mastercard); your ticket and QR code arrive by email. If the site won't load at all, book when you arrive in Portugal (same-day and next-day booking is allowed while places remain) or have an operator book for you. You need a booking for the classified PR trails managed by IFCN; a few, such as PR3, PR3.1, PR4 and PR23, need no booking.

See also: the full SIMplifica booking guide: step by step, refunds and the PR1 ticket trap.

What actually goes wrong — and the workaround

Why won't the SIMplifica website open from my country? Access

SIMplifica is sometimes unreachable from outside Portugal — it loads the first screen then goes nowhere. Don't waste an evening on it: book when you arrive in Portugal, where it works normally, or have an operator book for you.

SIMplifica won't accept my phone number. What do I do? Registration

The portal frequently rejects non-Portuguese mobile numbers. Choose the email registration path instead of the phone one. Account type is "Pessoa Singular" (individual). Your password needs at least 10 characters using 3 of 4 types (upper, lower, number, symbol) — the "suggest strong password" button saves the hassle.

Payment won't go through Checkout

Pay by credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard) — that's the route that works for visitors. MB WAY and "ATM reference" are for Portuguese bank accounts, so skip them. Your ticket and QR code arrive by email, not SMS.

Book before you fly — the calm version

  1. Create the account this week, from home, on the SIMplifica booking page — not on hike morning at the trailhead with no signal.
  2. Book the exact date and 30-minute entry slot. Slots have limited places and full ones lock; when PR1 reopened in May 2026, its first weekends sold out the day bookings opened.
  3. Add the QR ticket to your phone's wallet, like any other ticket. You may have to show it on the trail, at control equipment or when IFCN staff ask, and it opens without signal.
  4. Everyone in the group goes on the booking — including under-12s (free) and residents (free) — or the whole reservation can be refused.
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. Same-day slots are possible if any remain, but a fixed travel date is a bad time to gamble on it.

Can I book a Madeira trail after I arrive on the island? On the island

Yes: same-day and next-day booking is allowed if places remain, and the portal works normally from a local connection. But places are limited and full slots lock, so for a fixed date it is safer to book before you fly. Either way, book before you set off: don't count on buying at the trailhead, where the signal can be patchy.

Sources: IFCN fees FAQ (booking, slots, tickets) · SIMplifica booking service · Portaria 801/2025 · Portaria 48/2026 (art. 7, showing your ticket) · DN Madeira, 29 Apr 2026 (PR1 sold out).

Next steps