Chão das Feiteiras campsite: no toilet, and how to leave it clean

A couple of weeks ago I spent a morning at Chão das Feiteiras, and it stopped me in my tracks the way the high meadows here always do. Then I looked down. Behind nearly every bush there was toilet paper, and there were sanitary pads too. This post is about why that happens and what we can all do about it.

What and where is Chão das Feiteiras?

Chão das Feiteiras (roughly "the fern ground") is a forest park and campsite run by the IFCN, Madeira's Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation. IFCN places it in the parish of Porto da Cruz, in the municipality of Machico, inside the Poiso forest perimeter (Perímetro Florestal do Poiso, the state forest area around Poiso). It describes the Poiso area as one of the places Madeirans seek out most.

Key facts, from IFCN's own pages:

• Altitude: 1,230 m
• Access: on foot, along a dirt path
• What's there: picnic tables and benches, water fountains, fireplaces, rubbish bins and public parking
• Public toilets: none. IFCN's park table says "NÃO" (no), and the WC icon on its campsite sheet is crossed out.
• Cafés or shops: none
• Public transport: IFCN says the park has access to public transport. Check the current bus timetable before relying on it.
• GPS: 32.723061, -16.886904 (from IFCN's campsite sheet)
• Trail fee: none. It is not one of the classified PR (Pequena Rota, short-route) trails, so the SIMplifica trail fees don't apply. Camping is different (see below).

IFCN lists no waymarked walking trails at the park itself.

An official campsite with no toilet

This is the part that surprised me most. Chão das Feiteiras is one of IFCN's official camping zones (zona de acampamento). According to IFCN:

• Camping in public forest areas needs a licence from IFCN, which you apply for on the SIMplifica portal.
• The fee is €5 per tent per night, set by Portaria n.º 801/2025 (a regional government order), and residents of Madeira are exempt if they can prove it.
• You must carry the licence and show it to the Forest Police (Polícia Florestal) if they ask.
• Campers must leave the site clean and take all their rubbish away. Fires are only allowed in the fireplaces, and you mustn't collect plants or firewood or feed wildlife.

None of the rules I could find mention toilets, and the site sheet confirms there isn't one.

The mess isn't new either. On 31 May 2026, JM Madeira published a reader's photo of rubbish spread across Chão das Feiteiras: bottles, bags and other waste, with tents nearby. The paper pointed out that the park already has bins.

My view: why allow camping without a toilet?

This is my opinion, not an official position. I understand that a meadow at 1,230 m is not an easy place to plumb. But when a place is licensed for overnight stays and also gets busy picnic days, people will need a toilet. Without one, the bushes become the toilet.

The same pattern has shown up elsewhere. In 2019, DN Madeira reported signs at Achada do Teixeira banning people from relieving themselves along the path, and noted how much toilet paper and wet wipes had been left behind. Later, JM Madeira covered a video showing PR 1 used as an "open-air toilet". In response, IFCN said it provides support infrastructure, including toilets, at the start and end of the main trails, and that its staff collect litter but can't reach every corner.

I'd love to see the same thinking applied to Chão das Feiteiras: even a simple composting or dry toilet near the camping area, with a clear sign. In my opinion, the camping fee would be a natural way to help pay for it, but I haven't found anything saying what that fee funds. Facilities alone won't fix it, though. We visitors have to do our part.

Before you go

• Use a toilet before you drive up. There isn't one on site.
• Pack a small waste kit: toilet paper, hand sanitiser, a small trowel, and two opaque zip bags, one for used paper and one for period products. The US National Park Service suggests the same kind of kit.
• If you're camping, book your licence on SIMplifica first and keep it on you.
• Bring a bag for all your rubbish. IFCN asks everyone to take their litter to a place where it will be collected.

How to handle human waste (and pads) properly

This is the Leave No Trace guidance (Principle 3), adapted for a Madeiran meadow:

• Use a toilet whenever one exists.
• For solid waste, walk at least 200 feet (about 60 m, or 70 big steps) away from water, paths and the camping area. Dig a cathole 15 to 20 cm deep, use it, then cover it and disguise it with soil.
• Toilet paper must be either buried deep in the cathole or packed out. Never leave it on the surface. Packing it out is the cleanest option, and IFCN itself warns that tissues decompose very slowly.
• Wipes, even the "biodegradable" kind, always go home with you.
• Tampons and pads must always be packed out. Leave No Trace says don't bury them, because they don't decompose readily and animals may dig them up. My own tip: an opaque bag, perhaps with a little baking soda or a used tea bag against smell, keeps it discreet.
• On a longer camp, a WAG bag (a bag that gels and seals waste so you can carry it out) means you leave nothing behind at all.

FAQ

Are there toilets at Chão das Feiteiras? No. IFCN lists no public toilets there.

Can I camp at Chão das Feiteiras? Yes, it's an official IFCN campsite. You need a licence from SIMplifica, which costs €5 per tent per night. Madeira residents are exempt.

Is there a trail fee? No. It isn't a classified PR trail.

What should I do with used pads or tampons? Pack them out in a sealed bag and bin them at home or in a proper bin.

Chão das Feiteiras deserves to be seen the way it looks at first glance. If we all carry a little bag and IFCN adds a little toilet, it can be that place again.