Madeira Island Ultra Trail 2027: MIUT Weekend and Levada Walks

Few ultra races start on a volcanic island in the Atlantic and send the field across the whole of it. The Madeira Island Ultra Trail (MIUT) does exactly that. Its longest format, the Legend, runs from Porto Moniz on the north-west coast to Machico on the east coast, through laurel forest, along the high ridges and past Pico Ruivo, the highest point of the island at about 1,862 m. The 2027 edition is announced for 24 and 25 April 2027. This guide covers the weekend around it: how to reach each start and the finish, where you can see the runners, and which levada walks you can do before or after the race without getting in the way of the course.

It is not a race report, and it is not a training plan. It is built from the organiser’s pages, the regional tourism office, the trail authority, the regional statistics office and the 2026 results. When a fact belongs to the 2026 edition, we say so. When a 2027 detail is missing, such as the official programme, the start times or the shuttle fares, we write that it is not published yet, rather than filling the gap with last year’s figure. Several race pages still display 2026 times, so every number that comes from last year is flagged.

What is confirmed for 2027, and what is not

Start with the dates. The Visit Portugal event page, which names the Clube de Montanha do Funchal as promoter, lists 24 and 25 April 2027. The race calendars we checked agree on Saturday 24 April for the main start. The official race site, however, still shows the 2026 programme, and its 2027 regulations were not readable when we checked on 26 October 2026.

Three formats, three starts, one finish

The three formats share one finish, the Forum square in Machico. They start at different points on the north and west coast, and that matters more than the distance when you plan your transport.

Two corrections if you read older material. The Discover starts at Boaventura according to its official page, not at São Vicente. And the Legend distance is not consistent across the sources: its body text says 100 km, and some calendars give 115 km. We quote the header, 110 km, which matches the WeRun listing as well.

WeRun also lists a 40 km marathon and a 17 km Starter. We found no route or start details for them, so this guide stays with the three MIUT formats.

The course: from the north coast to the highest point

The Legend follows the spine of the island. The 2026 checkpoints published by irunfar give the distances that matter to a runner planning a split, and to a spectator choosing where to stand.

The official 2026 pages list the aid stations but not the kilometres, so the table comes from the press. Fanal, at about 1,150 m, is the first stop, and the organiser calls it a quick stop. Estanquinhos sits on the Paul da Serra plateau. Pico do Areeiro is crossed by the course but is not an aid station.

The race was rerouted after the 2025 wildfire, then brought back close to its original line for 2026. We could not read a 2027 route in the sources, so treat these kilometres as the 2026 reference.

One section needs attention. On the 2026 race pages, the stretch between Encumeada and Pico do Areeiro was closed to the public for trail works and open only to runners on race day. If you plan to walk the central ridge that weekend, check its status first. We come back to it in the levada section.

Getting to the start, and home from the finish

The start is the hard logistical problem. Porto Moniz is on the north-west coast, and there is no direct public bus from Machico to it. The regional bus from Funchal takes about three hours. The public operator SIGA quotes between 3 hours 5 minutes and 3 hours 32 minutes, depending on the route, for a fare of roughly 2 to 3 euros. The sources disagree on the number of departures, three or four a day, so check the current timetable on the SIGA website before you rely on one.

Organised shuttles closed that gap in 2026. The Legend shuttle gathered at 21:00 at the Machico car park D. Pedro for a 21:30 departure, and a second group gathered at the SAM bus terminal in Funchal for a 21:50 departure. For 2027, the times, fares and booking rules are not published. If you want a shuttle, check the organiser’s page the week before. If you do not, book a car or a taxi in advance, because the night of the start is the wrong time to look for one.

The finish is simpler. Funchal to Machico is about 50 minutes by bus, on a line the aggregators cite, with departures roughly every 30 minutes. The return from Machico to Funchal takes about an hour. Check the last departures before you stay late at the finish, because the Legend allows 32 hours and finishers arrive at unpredictable hours.

Porto da Cruz, on the north-east coast a short drive from Machico, has one of the products we checked: a self-guided walk from Porto da Cruz down to Machico, with a transfer to the start. It ends in the town where the race finishes, and it is the featured option in the practical section below. We have not checked whether its path follows the race course, so do not treat it as a rehearsal of the route. In our check of 26 October 2026, it was open on both 24 and 25 April, with a best start time of 14:00.

Where to watch the finish, and what to do while you wait

The finish is on the Forum square in Machico. In 2026, the same square hosted bib collection from Wednesday to Friday and the expo until Sunday at 14:00. Expect the race village to be there again, but check the 2027 programme when it appears.

No spectator point is published. The aid stations reachable by car are the best public markers: Fanal, Chão dos Louros, Curral das Freiras, Portela and Larano. Those roads are narrow, and the early hours of race day are busy, so allow more time than the map suggests. In 2026 the Legend winners finished in under 13 hours, but the 32-hour limit lets later finishers arrive until the next morning. Expect a long wait at Machico, by day or by night.

Before or after the race: the levadas

Levadas are irrigation channels carried along the mountainsides, with narrow footpaths beside them, and many run through tunnels. Most classified walking routes now need a booking on the SIMplifica platform, in 30-minute slots, and the rules are worth reading before you pick a walk.

The Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6) is the most accessible choice for a walker without a guide. Visit Madeira gives 4.3 km one way, about three hours, moderate difficulty, starting from Rabaçal on the ER 105 road. You return on the same path, and the walk from the car park to the trailhead adds time, so plan an extra hour. The official fee is 4.50 euros per person over 12, booked through SIMplifica, and children aged 12 and under are exempt. Residents of the region are reported as exempt from the fee, and, in a January 2026 press report, from the booking. Check the platform for your own case before you assume.

The Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9) is one of the most spectacular walks in Madeira, and it is partly closed. The trail authority’s list, dated 14 November 2025, closes the section between Caldeirão Verde and Caldeirão do Inferno. The stretch from Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde was open on that date. Bring a headlamp for the tunnels, and leave the flip-flops at home, since tour operators forbid them on this trail. Walking takes about 3.5 to 4 hours for the walk itself, and 7 to 9 hours on organised tours, depending on whether the return and the descent are included.

The fee for the PR1 is reported differently. Euronews gives 10.50 euros after full reopening, and a Times of Madeira article gives 3 euros. We did not confirm either figure on the booking platform, so check the price there before you travel.

If you are on the island earlier in the week, a sunrise tour to Pico do Areeiro gives you the summit area without the full ridge walk. It is a short visit to a viewpoint, not the PR1, and it was open on both 24 and 25 April in our check, with a best start time of 06:00.

After the finish: the west coast and its natural pools

Porto Moniz, where the Legend starts, is also the best reason to see the west coast. Its natural pools are the obvious draw, and two day tours in our selection cover the west of the island. Both were open on both race dates in our check. A west-side day makes a useful look at the start area, but schedule it for later in the week rather than the eve of the race, when you want to be rested.

Weather and gear: the ridge is colder than the coast

Late April on Madeira is mild on the coast and cold on the high ground. The regional statistics office recorded an average highest temperature of 18.4 °C at the Funchal observatory in April 2026, and an average lowest of 7.5 °C at the Pico do Areeiro weather station. Rainfall was below normal that month. April 2024 was warmer on both counts, at 20.4 °C in Funchal and 10.5 °C on the summit station, which is a reminder that one year is not a forecast.

The high ground is often in cloud. Forecasts for the central massif at 1,000 m in late April 2026 showed a maximum near 10 °C with rain, the kind of day that catches out a walker in shorts. A pack with a waterproof jacket and a warm layer is the minimum for any walk above 1,000 m, even when the coast sits at 18 to 20 °C. The cloud often decides the afternoon, so keep a flexible plan.

• A waterproof shell and a warm mid-layer for any walk above 1,000 m.
• Shoes with grip for wet laurel forest paths, rock tunnels and steps.
• A headlamp for the levada tunnels, even on a day walk.
• Your passport or ID, and your SIMplifica confirmation for every classified walk.

Budget: what each part costs

The race itself needs a separate budget. Entry fees, race-week transport and shuttle fares are not published for 2027. A registration calendar we found gives 12 October 2026 as the opening date and 20 March 2027 as the close. We could not confirm those dates on the organiser’s site, so check the official registration page before you commit money.

For value, the bus is the cheapest way between Funchal and Machico. For the start in Porto Moniz, a car shared between two or three people is usually the better choice, because the public bus does not fit the timing. A car is also the only sensible way to reach the aid stations on the course.

A weekend plan by profile

Mistakes to avoid

• Planning a transfer around a start time taken from the 2026 pages. The 2027 programme is not out.
• Skipping the Discover because it sounds smaller. It has a 15-hour limit and starts in Boaventura, a different point from the other two formats.
• Walking a classified route without a SIMplifica slot. The booking is required for those routes.
• Treating PR1 as open on your dates without checking its status first.
• Paying a levada fee from an old article. Check the official page and the booking platform.
• Driving to Porto Moniz on the morning of the start without a plan for the road and the parking.

The race gives the weekend its date, but the island gives it its shape. Decide first whether you are running, supporting or walking, then book the transport that fits the start or the finish. Check the three things that change from one year to the next: the programme, the SIMplifica slots and the bus timetable. If you are planning this trip, fix the Machico finish first, because the rest of the week falls into place around it.