Planning a Trip to Porto Santo? Be Aware of a Booking System Outage
The top news for travelers today is a temporary outage of the Porto Santo Line’s online booking system. If you intended to book, purchase, or modify a ticket for the Lobo Marinho ferry online, you will face an issue. The outage is caused by a major fire at a European data center that has affected numerous companies. However, the actual ferry service between Madeira and Porto Santo is not affected.
Who is affected?
- All tourists planning to travel by ferry between Funchal and the island of Porto Santo in the coming hours or days.
What does this mean in practice?
- Online bookings are unavailable: It is not possible to buy or manage tickets through the carrier’s website or app.
- Ferries are running normally: The Lobo Marinho ferry is departing and arriving exactly according to the current schedule. Your trip is not cancelled.
What should you do?
The simplest solution is to go old-school. We strongly recommend arriving at the port in Funchal or on Porto Santo with plenty of time to spare and purchasing your tickets directly at the physical ticket counter. Additional staff have been brought in to manage the situation. Do not attempt to contact the carrier via email; please handle all transactions in person at the port.
Status of Hiking Trails and Levadas
We have good news for hiking enthusiasts. No new emergency closures or warnings have been reported today on the marked hiking trails (PR) and levadas. The island is fully open for your adventures.
However, the year-round rule introduced in 2026 still applies: for all hikes on official PR trails, non-residents are required to make an online booking and pay a fee via the government’s SIMplifica portal. Remember to secure your entry in advance.
Overall Situation in Madeira
Aside from the aforementioned complication with ferry tickets, the island is completely calm. There are no weather warnings, traffic restrictions, or other extraordinary events reported that could affect your travel plans. Enjoy your day on the island of eternal spring!