British tourist in fatal walking accident in Madeira
Concerns have been raised about the safety of tourist walking trails on the Portuguese island of Madeira after a British woman fell 300 feet to her death at the weekend.
The 43-year-old, who has not been named, had been hiking in the Levada do Norte with her husband on Saturday.
Local media reported that she died at the scene at around 11.30 after plunging from the trail. She is believed to have been on her third visit to the island.
Levadas, which are mini canals, have walking paths that run for more than 1,300 miles across Madeira, but some have narrow ledges that have started to crumble.
Concerns have been raised about their safety and on the Facebook page for local TV channel RTP Madeira one person said: “I’ve done that route but it’s dangerous!
“You don’t have protections.
“The regional government should put balconies at least in areas with chasms, ~throughout this journey, urgently.”
Another said the woman’s death was ‘a disgrace to the wood’, adding: “Every year tourists die…
“Our main tourism is tourism of hiking.
“We invest very little in security.”
A German tourist in his 60s died earlier this year after falling 90m near the island’s capital~Funchal in March, according to local media.
Another German, 62, died in November last year after a fall on the same walk.
In March 2013, a~Briton died after falling from another levada near Funchal and, in December 2009, a 29-year-old British woman died on the Levada Nova.
In June 2008, following the death of a 61-year-old Belgian woman on one of the levadas, a TripAdvisor user wrote: “Please, people, do not attempt trying to do any of these walks on your own.
“I don’t think one’s life is worth the risk. You are far better off spending a little more and doing the walks under professional supervision.
“There are plenty of qualified companies to choose from that will take you out to a number of different walks all over the island, with a qualified guide. As the saying goes ‘rather safe than sorry’.”
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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