Home » TRAVEL EVENT NEWS » Madeira Botanical Garden Secures Perpetual Free Access For Residents, Signalling New Era Of Sustainable Heritage Accessibility Published on
December 17, 2025A significant policy shift, designed to enhance community engagement with natural assets, is set to be implemented across the region. It has been formally established that the Madeira Botanical Garden – Eng.º Rui Vieira will transition to offering free admission for all residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. This monumental change is scheduled to take effect beginning January 1, 2026, fundamentally altering the relationship between the local populace and one of the island’s most treasured ecological and scientific institutions. The initiative is being introduced as a central component of the broader UPGRADE Program, which guides integrated public policy across the domains of Tourism, Environment, and Culture. Information detailing this transformative measure was made public by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, signifying a unified governmental approach toward prioritizing the quality of life for those who call Madeira home.Formalization of the New Access PolicyThe mechanism for this sweeping change was structured through an amendment to the existing legal framework. Specifically, the official ordinance that delineates the fee structure managed by the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, IP-RAM (IFCN) was adjusted. The legislative action was documented within the scope of Ordinance No. 801/2025, of December 10. This legal revision secures the foundation upon which the resident population will be granted unimpeded access to the Botanical Garden.Advertisement A Conscious Political Choice for Territorial ManagementThe rationale underpinning this decision is deeply rooted in a strategy emphasizing territorial reorganization and the sustainable management of tourist flows. The initiative is intended to reinforce the access rights of the resident community to the region’s invaluable natural heritage. The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, Eduardo Jesus, emphasized the structural importance of this decision. The option to grant free access was characterized as a conscious and structuring political choice, highlighting the deep deliberation and foresight involved in its enactment.The Madeira Botanical Garden Eng.º Rui Vieira is formally recognized as an identity-defining space—a locale holding critical scientific, educational, and cultural significance for Madeira. It is maintained that …
