GR1 in Madeira: crossing the island in 4 to 6 days, stage by stage

GR1 is called Travessia da Madeira, and English-language material calls it the Madeira Crossing. Sources give lengths from 93 to 121 km because they count approaches and variants differently; the figure repeated most often, and matching the project, is about 95 km. The route passes through every municipality on the island.

On the ground you follow direction signs carrying the GR1 symbol, the distance and the name of the destination. The Portuguese Grande Rota standard is white-and-red stripes, distinct from the yellow-and-red stripes of the PR trails. We saw the waymarking with our own eyes on PR 10 (Levada do Furado) in August 2026.

The regional law DLR 24/2022/M distinguishes the categories: PR trails run up to 30 km for a single day, while GR trails are over 30 km and may consist of several PR trails. GR1 is Madeira's first trail in that category.

Two mix-ups worth noting. Mainland Portugal has a different trail numbered GR1, the Travessia das Serras da Peneda e Soajo in the FCMP register, with no connection to Madeira. Event names also get confused: MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra Trail) is a mountain race, and Trans Madeira is a multi-day MTB enduro race (about 220 km).

On 18 October 2022 the regional government (secretary Susana Prada, reported by RTP Madeira) announced the first GR: 93 km from Porto Moniz to Machico through every municipality on the island, about 60% on existing PR trails and about 40% new connectors, for 3 to 4 days of walking. The sustainable destination plan 2022 - 2030 (action G50_227) budgeted €399,580.50, with the IFCN responsible.

The PRODERAM application was approved on 29 August 2022, works started on 13 May 2024, and completion was set for 31 March 2025 (100% EAFRD funding, per the IFCN page, as of 16 December 2024). Scope: clearings, steps, railings and waymarking. In September 2024 the links between PR 14 and PR 13 (Levada dos Cedros - Vereda do Fanal) and from PR 6.5 via Estanquinhos to Bica da Cana were reported under construction; part of the works was suspended after the great fire of August 2024 (over 5,045 ha according to the Lusa agency, indicative).

Once the works finished, the route was opened as GR1. Independent hiking sites date that to April 2026, after the sections damaged by the fire were restored. One caveat we owe the reader: we did not reach an IFCN announcement or a classification act with a firm date, because the institute's site is often unreachable. What is certain is what you see on the ground, namely full GR1 direction signage. For the formal legal basis, go straight to the IFCN.

The direction is not free. PR 1 from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo has been one-way since 26 June 2026, so the stage plan has to account for it; that is why guides now recommend walking east to west, from Machico and Caniçal towards Porto Moniz. Signage and advice changed after the opening, so confirm the direction on the signs before you start.

The announced 93 km in 3 to 4 days is a strong pace. Realistically count on 4 to 6 days, depending on fitness and how many variants you add. Formalities are handled separately on every paid section, not once for the whole route, so each day has to fit the booking slots.

Camping in public forests is allowed only in designated ZONAS DE ACAMPAMENTO (map on the IFCN site). You issue the permit via SIMplifica: €5.00 per tent per night, with residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira exempt. Open fires, picking plants and feeding animals are banned, and keep the document on you for the Polícia Florestal. An offence risks a fine and removal (we do not confirm the amounts). On the Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula you may pitch a tent only at Cais do Sardinha (€5.00, supervised by the Vigilantes da Natureza).

There are also 6 Casas de Abrigo shelters bookable via SIMplifica: Rocha do Navio (Santana, max 8 people, kitchen and WC, bring gas and bedding), Cedro - Montado do Pereiro (Camacha, max 8 people) and Sorveiras (Monte, 1,530 m, max 4 people, €25.00 per night, max 3 consecutive nights, once a year, 18+, no electricity or drinking water; the IFCN page currently marks it as Temporariamente indisponível). The remaining three: Casa do Pico das Pedras, Casa do Lombo do Mouro and Casa anexa do Lombo do Mouro. Status and rules per the IFCN on 16 February 2026.

SIMplifica bookings and fees apply on a multi-day route too, separately for each trail and day: the standard rate is €4.50, and PR 1 costs €10.50 (as of July 2026). You pick a 30-minute slot for every paid section, so match your stage plan to the booking times.

The ARRAM 2023 report (Proteção Civil, based on IPMA data) gives the mountains an annual average of 10.3 °C against 20.2 °C in Funchal and about 3,000 mm of rain a year (the 1961 - 1990 normal); in 2000 - 2021 the totals fell to about 2,066 - 2,300 mm. Fog is a daily reality: about 230 days a year at Bica da Cana and about 235 days at Pico do Areeiro, with documented cases of hikers losing orientation. Gusts exceed 100 km/h several times a year, and the storm scenario counts over 150 km/h.

The best windows for a multi-day route are spring (April to June) and early autumn (September and October): this is our editorial conclusion from the IPMA data above, not an official recommendation. In winter, expect temporary trail closures after warnings.

If you are interested in the crossing as a run: MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra Trail) is a 115 km race with about 7,100 to 7,200 m of ascent, from Porto Moniz to Machico via Pico Ruivo (1,861 m) and Pico do Areeiro, largely along PR trails. It has been organised by the Clube de Montanha do Funchal since 2008; the 17th edition took place on 25 and 26 April 2026, and the event site already advertises the 18th edition for 24 and 25 April 2027. The companion distances are about 85, 56 to 60, 40 to 42 and 16 km, and the series belongs to the World Trail Majors.