Today, the Forest Police Force identified up to a dozen tourists of different nationalities walking along the classified route – PR1 – Vereda do Areeiro (Areeiro – Pico Ruivo), which is closed for security reasons due to a landslide. This route, like all classified routes, is under the management of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation.
Despite the no-entry signs, some hikers felt that danger/warning signs did not apply to them as they started their hike.
The Forest Police are legally supported by Regional Legislative Decree No. 24/2022/M, of December 19, which approves the Legal Regime of Pedestrian Routes of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, which provides that it is an administrative offence “to access pedestrian routes temporarily or permanently closed” and that it is punishable by fines for a natural person between 250 and 2,500 euros and for a legal (visitor) person between 500 euros and 10,000 euros.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
