True Madeira

Field notes from Madeira, kept by one local.

Santana / Funchal

Pico do Arieiro

Sharp reddish volcanic peaks under a clear blue sky at Pico do Arieiro
Pico do Arieiro, April 2017
Mountain ridgeline at Pico do Arieiro glowing orange at sunset with the ocean visible beyond
Pico do Arieiro at sunset, July 2020
Jagged mountain peaks at Pico do Arieiro framed by a tree branch in the foreground
Pico do Arieiro, July 2024

Pico do Arieiro is Madeira’s third-highest point at 1,818 metres, reached by road up through the central mountain massif. It is also the trailhead for the PR1 Vereda do Areeiro, the classic ridge walk toward Pico das Torres and the island’s highest peak, Pico Ruivo, at 1,862 metres.

Three visits, seven years apart, are on this page: the same jagged skyline each time, in different light.

The practical facts

Altitude
1,818 metres, the third-highest point on Madeira. Source: Visit Madeira - Pico do Areeiro · verified 2026-09-15
Cost
Parking at the summit is charged at €4.00 per hour. Source: Visit Madeira - Pico do Areeiro · verified 2026-09-15
Trail
The PR1 Vereda do Areeiro starts here and runs toward Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo (1,862 m), the archipelago's highest point. Source: Visit Madeira - Pico do Areeiro · verified 2026-09-15
Access
Reachable by car, or by a shuttle service run by Horários do Funchal. Source: Visit Madeira - Pico do Areeiro · verified 2026-09-15

PR1 trail information - Madeira Hiking Compare car hire for this outing - DiscoverCars

Sources and last verified