Madeira Crossing
Also known as MIUT 115
About Madeira Crossing
A coast to coast traverse of Madeira, from Machico in the east to Porto Moniz in the northwest. The route links the island's classic waymarked paths over its two highest summits, through ancient laurisilva forest, along levada channels cut into the cliffs and across the open Paul da Serra plateau.
Madeira Crossing map
The interactive map shows the whole route, with accommodation, water and public transport along the way.
Madeira Crossing route planner
Build a day-by-day itinerary in the route planner, find accommodations along the route, and download the GPX file.
Open the Madeira Crossing route plannerBest time to go
- Best time1 Apr – 15 Jun, 1 Sept – 31 Oct
- Good time1 Mar – 31 Mar, 16 Jun – 31 Aug, 1 Nov – 30 Nov
- Possible, with care1 Dec – 29 Feb
Late spring and early autumn are the sweet spot. The peaks and the Paul da Serra plateau sit in cloud much of the time, can be near freezing at dawn in winter and are fully open to the wind. Heavy winter rain is the usual reason a section closes at short notice, and IFCN publishes the open and closed status of each classified trail, worth checking close to your dates. Summer is driest but the long descents turn hot.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book and pay to walk the Madeira Crossing?
Yes. Since December 2025 every classified PR route on Madeira needs a paid reservation for a 30 minute entry slot through the regional SIMplifica portal, and it is checked. A single trail costs 4,50 € per person, but PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro is charged separately at 10,50 €, a fee that also covers PR 1.1, PR 1.2 and PR 1.3. Because the traverse strings together many separate PR routes, the cheaper way to cover it is a combined pass at 9,00 € for one day, 22,50 € for three days or 52,50 € for seven, always with the PR 1 fee on top since no combined pass includes it. Children under 12 go free but still need a booked slot, and residents of Madeira are exempt from the fee though not from registering.
Which direction should you walk the Madeira Crossing?
East to west, starting in Machico and finishing at Porto Moniz. That is not simply a preference. PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro is now one way, and beyond the Miradouro da Pedra Rija you may only walk from Pico do Areeiro towards Pico Ruivo, with no return along the same path. Crossing the island the other way would put you against that rule on the most spectacular section of the whole route. Only the short stretch between Pico do Areeiro and the Pedra Rija viewpoint can still be walked in both directions.
Is the whole Madeira Crossing open, or are parts of it still closed?
One important link is still shut. PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada was closed by the wildfires of August 2024, and only its upper half, between Pico Ruivo and Boca das Torrinhas, reopened on 18 June 2026. The stretch from Boca das Torrinhas down to Boca da Encumeada remains closed with no reopening date, so the route leaves the ridge at Boca das Torrinhas and reaches Encumeada by way of PR 2 Vereda do Urzal and PR 21 Caminho do Norte instead. Several other classified routes on the island are also closed, among them PR 7, PR 20, PR 27 and PR 28, and the official status list is worth checking again shortly before you travel.
How difficult is the Madeira Crossing, and do you need a head for heights?
It is a demanding mountain route rather than a gentle levada walk. The summit section between Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo follows a narrow crest with long drops on both sides, protected in places by cables, and climbs and descends long flights of steps cut into the rock. Several levada sections traverse cliff faces where the path is barely wider than the water channel itself. If exposure genuinely troubles you this is not the right traverse, although many of the individual side routes are far gentler.
Where do you stay on the Madeira Crossing?
Madeira has no hut or refuge network, so each day ends by dropping off the mountains into a village and picking the route up again the next morning. That makes the traverse a sequence of village to village stages, joined here and there by a taxi transfer, rather than a self contained mountain circuit, and it pays to settle your overnight stops before you settle your walking days. Wild camping is not permitted and tents are only allowed at designated sites, currently 5,00 € per tent per night. Traileasy shapes the stages around the beds that actually exist, so you can see which day splits are realistic before you commit to any of them.
Do you need a head torch on the Madeira Crossing?
Yes, and it is not optional. The route passes through several unlit tunnels, including long ones driven through the ridge to carry the Levada do Norte, and the tunnel beneath Pico do Gato on the summit traverse. Some take a few minutes to walk, with a low roof and water underfoot, and a phone torch leaves you without a free hand exactly where you want one. Carry spare batteries, because there is nowhere to buy them up there.