Rally & Road Closures
Madeira rally road closures and hiking trail access
The Rali da Madeira closes specific mountain roads for a few hours at a time each summer, and the closures run straight through the road hikers use to reach Ribeiro Frio and Poiso.
The short answer
If you're driving toward Ribeiro Frio, Poiso or Pico do Areeiro during rally week, check the organizer's own closure schedule first. Roads close for a few hours at a time around each special stage, not for the whole event, and the exact hours matter.
Which roads close, and when (2026)
The organizer's published 2026 schedule closes the ER103/ER202 corridor through Poiso twice: Friday 31 July, 16:05 to 19:45, for the special stage named Ribeiro Frio, and again Saturday 1 August, 08:15 to 11:55, for the Chão da Lagoa stage. Both windows are local time, taken directly from the organizer's closure timetable, not from a secondhand report.
Earlier stages on Thursday and Friday also close roads around Santo da Serra, Palheiro Ferreiro and Santana. If your route touches those areas during rally week, check the organizer's full timetable directly: it lists every road and every hour, stage by stage.
Full timetable, every stage and road: ralidamadeira.com's official closure schedule.
Which trailheads sit on the closure corridor
Ribeiro Frio is named directly in the organizer's schedule as a special stage, and the trailheads for Levada do Furado (PR10) and Vereda dos Balcões (PR11) sit right there. During the two windows above, the road to both is closed.
Poiso is the same road junction hikers use to reach Pico do Areeiro (PR1). The organizer's schedule does not name that exact stretch, so we state it as a likely knock-on effect of the Poiso closure, not a confirmed one: if Pico do Areeiro is the plan, allow extra time or check the day before.
A road closure is not a trail closure
The rally organizer closes roads. Only IFCN, Madeira's park authority, can officially close a trail. The two are different facts, and a closed access road does not by itself mean the trail at the end of it is closed.
Both matter for planning a hike, so check them separately.
For today's official open, closed or part-walkable status on any classified trail, see the Madeira trail status page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Madeira rally in 2026?
Rali da Madeira runs 29 July to 1 August 2026: reconnaissance Wednesday, shakedown and the first leg Thursday and Friday, the second leg Saturday, per the organizer's own published schedule.
Does the rally close the road to Ribeiro Frio?
Yes, for two specific windows: Friday 31 July 16:05 to 19:45, and Saturday 1 August 08:15 to 11:55, local time. Outside those hours the road is open.
Is Pico do Areeiro affected by the rally?
Likely, but not confirmed by name. Pico do Areeiro shares the Poiso road junction with the closures above, though the organizer's schedule does not list that exact stretch. Allow extra time or check the day before.
Does a road closure mean the trail is officially closed?
No. A road closure and an official trail closure are different facts. IFCN's status for every classified trail is on our trail status page, updated as it changes.