Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo Hike | Know Before You Go

The island of Madeira is a tropical dreamscape filled with poncha-loving people & home to many beautiful and challenging outdoor adventures. One of the most popular hikes on the island, if not the singular most popular activity to do in Madeira, is hiking from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo.

This hike, also known as PR1, contains stunning views of peaks popping out over dramatic cloud cover and the breathtaking Atlantic horizon. The trek from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is extremely rewarding, with beautiful views at every turn that make its steep metal staircases worth the effort (we will get to that). For a firsthand look at what to expect on the PR1 hike, check out our guide below!

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How to Get to the PR1 Trail

Pico do Arieiro is about a 45-minute drive from Funchal. While there are parking lots at both Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo, they do have limited spaces. I recommend getting there early if you plan on driving to the hike in order to guarantee a parking spot.

The other ways to get to the hike include taking a taxi from Funchal, which can cost upwards of $60 each way, or using a tour service. I personally chose the $45 tour option with Get Your Guide. Through the tour service, we were provided a pre-determined pick-up location that was within walking distance of where we were staying. Once our full tour group was picked up by the van, our guide drove us directly to the top of Pico Do Arieiro. At the end of the hike, we were similarly picked up at the opposite end of the trail near Pico Ruivo.

The Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo Hike

The hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is just over 6 km each way. That means that if you park at Pico do Arieiro, the round trip journey is about 12 km to get back to your car. If you arrange pick-up at Pico Ruivo through a tour service, then you only have to hike one way.

The hike is rated as moderate due to the elevation and strenuousness of physical activity required to traverse the peaks. As a regular hiker, I would say that the only difficult portion of the trail is its metal staircases. The remainder of the path is relatively flat and well maintained.

As this is one of the most popular attractions on Madeira, the trail gets very busy throughout the day. It is a pretty narrow trail, so with such large crowds you may have to wait for larger groups to pass and take turns at certain stretches of the hike. These breaks are the perfect opportunity to take beautiful photos, drink some water, and rest along the way.

Once you reach Pico Ruivo, there are picnic tables and benches to rest and eat snacks at after hiking between the peaks. The steep metal stairs you need to climb (the Stairway to Heaven) will definitely give you a great workout, but the views at the top are SO worth it! I mean c’mon…

Beyond the Hike

If you chose to participate in a guided tour hike from Funchal, there is a fun little place to stop on the way back to the city called Santana. There are a couple of restaurants to get food from if you are hungry. The cutest thing to see is the traditional Santana houses that the locals of Madeira used to live in. One of the biggest cultural attractions in Madeira, you may see these colorful triangular houses on postcards around the island.

Hiking Solo vs. With a Tour

If you’re wondering whether or not it’s better to join a tour group or hike on your own, I’d say this one depends on your style! If you go on your own, you have the advantage of getting to go at your own pace and whatever time of day works best for you. However, you would have to coordinate transportation to and from the mountain on your own.

If you choose to go with a tour, you have the advantage of traveling with an experienced guide who will share information about the island along your hike. You also will not have to worry about figuring out how to get to & from the mountains from Funchal. We ultimately decided this was the better option for us, and decided to hike with a guide.

Let us know in the comments if you completed the hike and how it went! Happy hiking friends!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How hard is the Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike? While the hike is rated as moderate on some websites and hard on others, I would say this hike is only difficult when climbing the metal staircases. There are 5-10 of these staircases that are about 10-15 steps each along the trail. The staircases traverse steep, rocky terrain that would otherwise require actual rock climbing. Other than those few spots, the trail is flat and well maintained. (For context, I am basing this off of my previous hiking experiences along the Appalachian Trail and El Camino de Santiago in Spain where I would hike roughly 8-10 miles in a day).
2. What should I wear & bring on the hike? As the conditions change quickly in the mountains, I would recommend wearing layers to hike. I hiked during the warmer months of late August/early September. I wore athletic shorts and a T-shirt and brought a light sweatshirt and a rain jacket, both of which I ended up using. For the hike, I brought two water bottles, fruit and nuts as snacks, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable walking shoes, and hand sanitizer.
3. How long does the hike take? The hike varies in length depending on how far you are hiking and whether or not you use a tour guide. If you drive to the hike, you can hike as fast or as slow as you would like. The time flexibility is very appealing to many. If you are doing the hike out and back, expect it to take about 6-8 hours depending on how busy the trail is that day. If you are using a tour guide, like I did, the whole excursion took 8 hours (we left at 8am and returned around 4pm). The hiking pace was slow as the guide wanted to keep the group together as best as he could. I enjoyed going at a slower pace as there was a lot to look at and good opportunities to take gorgeous photos.
4. Is the hike safe to do without a tour guide? Absolutely! The trail is very well maintained and everyone is courteous about letting other hikers pass on the trail. I think this hike may be hard for someone who is afraid of heights or doesn’t regularly exercise. There are a few spots where the trail narrows and there is only a skinny wire next to the trail to hold on to as a buffer. However, the majority of the trial is wide enough that you won’t feel like you are going to fall. Personally, I never felt afraid I was going to fall.

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About the Author: Tracey is an award winning nurse, cat lover, and hiking fiend who enjoys traveling in her free time & providing firsthand tips for the places she’s been to!

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