PR 1 · Madeira
Vereda do Areeiro
Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo
Open in both directions between Pico do Areeiro and Miradouro da Pedra Rija.
The high ridge walk between the island's two tallest peaks, through tunnels and along staircases cut into the rock.
- Distance 6.1 km
- Walking time 3 h
- Highest point 1,857 m
- Difficulty Moderate
- Route One way
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
One way. The trail ends somewhere else from where it starts, so plan how you get back before you set off.
The walk
Everyone does this one, and a lot of people get it wrong.
You start at 1818 m at the Pico do Areeiro car park, which you can drive to, and finish on top of Pico Ruivo at 1862 m. Between the two the path is cut into the mountain: steps in the rock, ledges along vertical faces, and tunnels where the ridge got too narrow to go round. Some of the tunnels are long and properly dark. Phone lights are not enough.
Most mornings the cloud sits below you and the peaks come out of a white floor. That is the photo everyone has seen. It also means the weather up here has nothing to do with the weather at your hotel. Twenty degrees in Funchal can be four degrees and a gale on the ridge, and they close the trail when the wind gets up.
Three hours is the official time. Nobody walks it in three hours. Allow five with stops.
The thing to sort out before you leave: it ends at Pico Ruivo, not at your car, and beyond Pedra Rija the path only runs one way, so walking back is not an option. You carry on to Achada do Teixeira, about an hour past the summit, and take a taxi from there.
Long drops next to the path for most of the way, and several unlit tunnels. If heights bother you, this one will bother you. Closes in high wind.
Before you go
Where to park
Free car park at the Pico do Areeiro viewpoint, at the end of the ER 202. In summer it is full before sunrise and cars end up along the road.
Getting back
It ends at Pico Ruivo, not at your car, and beyond Pedra Rija the path is one way, so you cannot walk back along the ridge. Leave by PR 1.2 to Achada do Teixeira (about an hour) and take a taxi, or by PR 1.1 down to Ilha. The full PR 1 ticket covers either. Arrange the lift before you set off.
By bus
One bus a day, run by Horários do Funchal from the cable car terminus stop in Funchal: up at 06:00 and 13:30, down at 12:15 and 19:00 (18:00 in the winter timetable), €3 on board. It is no use for the full PR 1, which ends on the other side of the mountain: for that it is a taxi, a transfer or your own car.
What to bring
A torch. A warm layer, even in August. More water than you think.
When to go
Allow five hours, not the three on the sign. In summer the Areeiro car park is full before sunrise. Mornings are usually clear above the cloud.
Toilets, water and food
A café and toilets at the Areeiro viewpoint, at the start. Nothing at all after that until Pico Ruivo, where there is a mountain hut.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 1
- You, on the line The whole trail on the map with your position on it, from the car park to the end.
- No signal needed Kept on your phone for the valleys and tunnels where the network goes.
- Today's free slots Every half hour of the day, live from SIMplifica, and booking in a tap.
- A timer for the walk Private, it counts from the trailhead and stops by itself at the end.
- To do, and done Mark the walks you want to do and the ones you have walked.
- Open or closed, every morning The IFCN status on every trail, read again each day.
Questions people ask
Is PR 1 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 1 (Vereda do Areeiro) as open. Open in both directions between Pico do Areeiro and Miradouro da Pedra Rija.
Do I need a licence for PR 1?
Yes. Every visitor over twelve books an entry slot on SIMplifica, the regional government's portal, before walking, and pays €10.50. Madeira residents, children aged twelve and under and people with a disability of 60% or more do not pay, but still register.
How long does PR 1 take?
The official walking time is 3 h for 6.1 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Where do I park for PR 1?
Free car park at the Pico do Areeiro viewpoint, at the end of the ER 202. In summer it is full before sunrise and cars end up along the road.
How do I get back after PR 1?
It ends at Pico Ruivo, not at your car, and beyond Pedra Rija the path is one way, so you cannot walk back along the ridge. Leave by PR 1.2 to Achada do Teixeira (about an hour) and take a taxi, or by PR 1.1 down to Ilha. The full PR 1 ticket covers either. Arrange the lift before you set off.
Can I get to PR 1 by bus?
One bus a day, run by Horários do Funchal from the cable car terminus stop in Funchal: up at 06:00 and 13:30, down at 12:15 and 19:00 (18:00 in the winter timetable), €3 on board. It is no use for the full PR 1, which ends on the other side of the mountain: for that it is a taxi, a transfer or your own car.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 1 (distance, time, difficulty, altitudes)
- IFCN / SIMplifica (licence, fee, route definition)
- IFCN notices via regional press: full reopening of the PR 1 on 1 May 2026
Status as the IFCN publishes it. This page was last rebuilt on 15 October at 07:00, Madeira time. Trails close without warning after storms: check again on the morning you walk.
Guides that mention this trail
Trails nearby
All 43 trails
PR 1 Open Vereda do Areeiro
Pico do Areeiro to Miradouro da Pedra Rija
The first stretch of the Areeiro ridge, out to the Pedra Rija viewpoint and back.
- 1.2 km
- 1 h
- Moderate
- There and back
Vereda do Burro
Down from the Pico do Areeiro car park to Ribeira das Cales, mostly through heather and then laurel forest. A descent, not a climb.
- 7.2 km
- Easy
- One way
Levada do Barreiro
A high levada from Poço da Neve, near the Areeiro road, down to the Casa do Barreiro. Partly passable at the moment; check the IFCN.
- 6.7 km
- Easy
- One way