Since 2026, the official PR trails are paid and bookable only online. Here's the full price list, who's exempt, and where a guide actually saves you money.
The short answer: most PR trails are €4.50 per person; PR1 is €10.50. Booking through SIMplifica is mandatory and online-only. Under-12s and Madeira residents pay nothing but must still be on the reservation. A protocol operator pays a lower trail fee (€3, or €7 on PR1) and books it for you.
2026 trail fees at a glance
Per person, per trail. Booked in advance on SIMplifica.
Ticket
On your own
Via protocol operator
Standard PR trail
€4.50
€3.00
PR1 Areeiro → Ruivo
€10.50
€7.00
1-day pass (2+ trails, excl. PR1)
€9.00
€6.00
3-day pass (excl. PR1)
€22.50
€15.00
7-day pass (excl. PR1)
€52.50
€35.00
Passes run on consecutive days only, and you still reserve a 30-minute time slot for each trail. PR1 is never in a pass — always a separate booking and fee.
Who hikes free (but still has to book)
Children 12 and under — no fee, but must be counted in the reservation.
Madeira residents — exempt on proof of residency; booking a slot is still mandatory.
Certified disability of 60% or more — exempt, still reserved.
Everyone in your group needs to be on the booking, paying or not — capacity is counted by head, not by ticket price.
When a guide is actually the cheaper choice
You're not paying the guide fee to save on the ticket — you're paying it for the ticket plus everything around it. It pencils out when:
PR1 is sold out and the operator holds their own allocation — sometimes the only way onto the trail on your date.
You need transport anyway. PR1 is one-way, so a bundled transfer replaces a €70-ish taxi and the parking scramble.
You'd rather not fight SIMplifica from abroad — the operator books it for you.
Payment is online only — no cash, no kiosk. Hiking without a valid ticket is an infraction with fines reported up to €250. PR1 parking is charged separately at about €4.00/hour.