Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo: the PR1, step by step
The PR1 is a 6.1 km, 3 h ridge walk between Madeira’s highest peaks, and one way only after Pedra Rija. Book the €10.50 ticket, start at Pico do Arieiro from 08:00, and finish at Achada do Teixeira, where most people take a shared taxi back to Pico do Arieiro for €20 a seat.
The short version
The most popular walk on the island, and the one with the most questions: it comes up in 42% of recent posts on Madeira’s hiking forum, and 15% are about getting to the start or back from the end (our count of 93 recent posts on r/HikingMadeira, October 2026). Sort the way back before you book, and the rest is the best day in the mountains.
- Distance
- 6.1 km to Pico Ruivo, plus 2.8 km down
- Time
- 3 h to the summit; 4 to 5 h door to door on foot
- Ticket
- €10.50 full route · €4.50 to Pedra Rija and back
- Opens
- 08:00 at Pico do Arieiro
- Direction
- One way only after Pedra Rija
- Way back
- Shared taxi to Pico do Arieiro, €20 a seat, then car or bus
The PR1 on a map
Where to park, where the trail starts and where to turn back: twelve stops on two maps, in the order of the day.
Stops 01–05
Park, walk up, find the gate
Which car park, where the toilets are and where the PR1 really starts.
- Parking
- Toilets, café
- On the trail
- Viewpoint
- Walk up from the lower car park
- 1
Parking
Lower car park, €5 a day
The bigger car park and the one to aim for after sunrise. It is about 850 m from the visitor centre on foot and roughly 120 m lower: a steady climb of 15 to 20 minutes on the footpaths that cut across the bends. Do not walk along the road, which has no pavement.
- 2
Parking
Upper car park, €20 a day
Right below the summit, with room for about 30 cars. It is full long before sunrise, although spaces keep freeing up during the day.
- 3
Toilets and café
Centro Dr. Rui Silva
The visitor centre: toilets (a fee, usually €1 and sometimes €2), a café and a souvenir shop. Walk up the stairs through the building to the peak.
- 4
On the trail
PR1 start and checkpoint, from 08:00
The only official entrance, just past the visitor centre. Have the QR code from your SIMplifica booking ready for the staff. The trail heads north-west, along the ridge.
- 5
Viewpoint
Miradouro do Juncal
The free viewpoint for sunrise, past the radar station and the other way from the trail. No ticket and no booking, before or after the trail opens.
Stops 06–12
Along the ridge to Pico Ruivo, and home
The one-way route, where the short ticket turns back, and the three ways off the mountain. Number 4 is the gate from the first map.
- PR1
- PR1.2 down
- PR1.1
- Closed
- Taxi
- On the trail
- Viewpoint
- Way back
Paths follow OpenStreetMap; the watercolour is decorative.
- 6
Viewpoint
Ninho da Manta
The first viewpoint, about 650 m from the start. From here the steps are just ahead.
- 7
On the trail
The stairway to heaven
Flights of steps cut into the ridge, with drops on both sides. You see the stretch properly from the far side, once you are past it.
- 8
On the trail
Pedra Rija, 1.2 km
Where the short ticket (€4.50) turns back, and a good test: if you are comfortable up to here, you can do the rest. From here on the path is one way only.
- 9
Viewpoint
Pico Ruivo, 1,862 m
The highest point of Madeira, about 5.3 km from the start, and one of the best sunset spots on the island.
- 10
The way back
Achada do Teixeira
Where most people finish, by PR1.2 from Pico Ruivo. Taxis wait from about 12:00: €20 a seat, shared with other walkers, 45 to 60 minutes back to Pico do Arieiro. Fewer after 20:00 and none after 21:00.
- 11
The way back
PR1.1 down to Ilha
The long way down to the north, into the laurel forest. You still need a taxi from the village.
- 12
Closed for now
PR1.3 towards Encumeada
Partly closed: at the moment you can only go down to Curral das Freiras.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL. Relief: Copernicus DEM GLO-30, © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018, provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA. Painted for Madeira Trip Planner.
The PR1 rules in 2026
The trail reopened on 1 May 2026 with new rules. These are the ones that catch people out.
| What you want to do | Ticket | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise at the viewpoint only | None | The summit viewpoints are free. No booking, any time. |
| Walk to Pedra Rija and back | €4.50 | 1.2 km each way on the same path. Back at Pico do Arieiro, where you started. |
| Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo | €10.50 | One way after Pedra Rija. You leave Pico Ruivo by PR1.2 to Achada do Teixeira or PR1.1 to Ilha. PR1.3 to Encumeada is closed. |
Three things the booking does not tell you
The €4.50 ticket cannot be upgraded on the trail, so buy the full one if there is any chance you will continue. The gate at Pedra Rija is not a starting point: everyone enters at Pico do Arieiro. And a booking is not a status check: look at the IFCN trail status on the morning of the walk.
Fees: IFCN FAQ in English, updated 2 June 2026. Route: Visit Madeira: PR 1 Vereda do Arieiro. Opening time: DNoticias: IFCN clarifies the opening of the gate at Arieiro (14/06/2026). One-way rule: Sábado/Lusa: PR1 reopens every day from 26 June, one-way kept (31/05/2026). Checked 27 October 2026.
Book the PR1 on SIMplifica How to fill in the SIMplifica form, translatedThe PR1 day, from the bus up to the taxi down
How I would plan the full walk. Times are for the bus; with a car, start the same way.
06:00: bus from Funchal, or drive up
The Horários do Funchal bus leaves the Teleférico stop at 06:00 and reaches the summit at 06:45, for €3. It is how I would go: parking at the summit costs €20 a day in the upper car park (€5 in the lower one, with a walk up), the upper one is full long before sunrise, and the same bus takes you home at the end.
Sunrise at the viewpoint
The summit viewpoints are free and open before the trail. Watch the sun come up over the clouds, then get warm: it is cold at 1,818 metres before dawn, in any month.
08:00: the trail opens
The IFCN opens the PR1 at 08:00 at Pico do Arieiro, the only official entry point. Book a slot from that time. There is a tolerance of about 15 minutes.
Pedra Rija and the stairway
The first 1.2 km to the Pedra Rija viewpoint can be walked both ways. After Pedra Rija the path is one way only, towards Pico Ruivo. This is the stretch people call the stairway to heaven: steep steps cut into the ridge, tunnels through the rock and a long staircase around Pico das Torres.
Pico Ruivo, 1,862 m
The last climb passes the Casa de Abrigo, a mountain hut just below the summit. Walkers report drinks and snacks there; bring cash, but do not count on it. From the top you see the whole central range you just crossed.
Down to Achada do Teixeira
Take PR1.2 down past the Homem em Pé rock to the car park at Achada do Teixeira: 2.8 km, well under an hour downhill. This is where most walkers finish.
A taxi back to Pico do Arieiro, about €20
There is no bus at Achada do Teixeira. Most people take a taxi back to Pico do Arieiro, and the €20 is per seat: the drivers fill the car with other walkers coming down, so you share the ride. Taxis wait from about 12:00, and if none is there another comes within 15 to 20 minutes. It takes 45 to 60 minutes on a winding mountain road. If a driver asks for much more, he is trying his luck.
The bus down to Funchal
From the summit, the same €3 bus goes back to Funchal at 12:15 and in the evening (19:00 in summer, 18:00 in winter). After the full walk you will usually miss the 12:15, so plan a slow lunch or a rest for the evening bus. It is far cheaper than a taxi all the way to Funchal. With a car, you are simply back at it.
The bus to Pico do Arieiro
No line number and not part of the SIGA network: a separate Horários do Funchal service that reaches the summit before sunrise all year.
| Going up | Stop | Coming down |
|---|---|---|
| 06:45 · 14:15 | Pico do ArieiroShuttle | 12:15 · 18:00 |
| 06:40 · 14:10 | Parque Pico do ArieiroShuttle | 12:20 · 18:05 |
| 06:35 · 14:05 | CAM FlorestalShuttle | 12:25 · 18:10 |
| 06:27 · 13:57 | Poiso | 12:33 · 18:18 |
| 06:23 · 13:53 | Portão Norte Herdade Chão da Lagoa | 12:37 · 18:22 |
| 06:15 · 13:45 | Terreiro da Luta | 12:45 · 18:30 |
| 06:11 · 13:41 | Entrada Corujeira de Dentro | 12:49 · 18:34 |
| 06:10 · 13:40 | Monte – Largo da Fonte | 12:50 · 18:35 |
| 06:02 · 13:32 | Jardim Santa Luzia | 12:58 · 18:43 |
| 06:00 · 13:30 | Teleférico (Funchal centre) | 13:00 · 18:45 |
Winter times shown. The summer timetable, with the last trip at 19:00, returns at the end of March. No service on 25 December, and the bus can be suspended in bad weather. Source: Horários do Funchal: Pico do Arieiro timetable (27/03/2026), checked 23 October 2026.
Phone reservations, the summit shuttle and sunrise times are on the Pico do Arieiro guide.
How to get back from the end of the PR1
The question that decides the whole day. Settle it before you book the slot.
-
What most people do
Achada do Teixeira and a taxi
PR1.2 from Pico Ruivo down to the car park, then a taxi back to Pico do Arieiro for €20 a seat. You share it with other walkers, because the drivers fill the car before they leave, so there is no need to book. From the summit it is your car or the bus down to Funchal. Fewer taxis run after 20:00 and none after 21:00, so do not finish the walk that late. A Bolt costs €80 to €100 and a driver is not always found.
-
Afternoon slot
Do it in reverse
Park at Achada do Teixeira first, from around 13:00. Take a taxi up to Pico do Arieiro (arrive at least an hour before your slot, because the drive takes 45 to 60 minutes), walk the PR1 and finish at your own car. No hunt for a taxi at the end, and no worry about the last ones.
-
The long way down
PR1.1 to Ilha
8.2 km and about 3 h more, all downhill from mountain heath into laurel forest. A beautiful end for strong legs, but you still need a taxi from the village.
-
Not possible now
Back along the ridge
Walking back to Pico do Arieiro from Pico Ruivo breaks the one-way rule, and the IFCN does not run transport back to the start.
Planning around the PR1
The mistakes guides see most often, and how to avoid them.
-
Sunset
Pico Ruivo at dusk
Pico Ruivo is one of the best sunset spots on the island. After the clocks change (24 October) the sun sets around 18:00 to 18:15. The reverse plan fits: car at Achada do Teixeira around 13:00, taxi up, start near 14:00 and reach the top before 17:30. Go back down with a head torch and a warm jacket, with gloves and a scarf, and check the Achada do Teixeira webcam first. Also check that the Achada do Teixeira car park stays open until you are back: some map sources list it as open until 19:00, and a sunset walk finishes after that. The full-route ticket is the one you need, and there are slots around 14:00.
-
Do not combine
Sunrise and the PR1 in one day
Watch the sunrise one morning and walk the PR1 on another, rested. The same goes for the short PR1 and PR1.2 on one day: the drive between the two starts is over an hour, and you spend more time in the car than on the path.
-
Sold out?
Three ways round it
Ticket swaps between walkers on the community groups, a guided tour that includes the slot, or another trail: PR13 around Fanal, PR17 and PR18 can usually be booked a day or two ahead. The wrong direction is never a way round: it is forbidden, and on the narrow ledges the walkers going the right way have to stop for you.
Which path is which
PR1 joins Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. PR1.1 goes down from Pico Ruivo to Ilha and PR1.2 to Achada do Teixeira, which is why most people leave by PR1.2. PR1.3 runs west towards Encumeada and is partly closed.
The sunset plan, the reverse plan and the taxi timings come from guides who walk the PR1 every week and from Michael; the rules come from the IFCN.
Want the PR1 planned around the weather?
Our family plans your days by hand: which morning has the best chance of a clear ridge, how you get back from Achada do Teixeira and what fills the other days. A personal plan from our family is €149 for up to 5 days (€199 for 6 to 8), ready in 48 hours.
Is the PR1 for you?
Visit Madeira grades it moderate, and for a fit walker on a clear day it is. What makes it hard is not the distance but the steps: long flights of them, up and down, at 1,491 to 1,857 metres, with drops beside the path and tunnels where you need a torch.
I will be honest: I have not walked the full PR1 myself. I know the summit at sunrise, the road up and the way people get home, and the rules on this page come from the IFCN and Visit Madeira. If you have vertigo, or the forecast shows fog, wind or rain, the walk to Pedra Rija and back gives you the best of the views with an easy way out.
- Layers and a windproof jacket, even in August
- A torch or head torch for the tunnels
- A litre and a half of water and some food
- Cash for the mountain hut and the taxi, and a few coins for the toilets (€1, sometimes €2)
- A small bag to carry used toilet paper out: leaving it behind the rocks is the most common complaint about the trail
- Shoes with grip; the steps are worn smooth in places
The PR1 and the short way up Pico Ruivo
If you only want the highest summit, PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira is 2.8 km + 2.8 km back and €4.50.
- PR1
Vereda do Arieiro
ModeratePico do Arieiro → Pico Ruivo
Madeira's best-known ridge walk, between the three highest peaks, from Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) to Pico Ruivo (1,862 m).
- Distance
- 6.1 km
- Time
- 3 h
- Height
- 1,491–1,857 m
- Fee
- €4.50 to Pedra Rija · €10.50 to Pico Ruivo
Two-way only between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija; one-way towards Pico Ruivo after that. The east variant over Pico das Torres is closed; the route uses the west variant through the tunnels.
Our full PR1 guide How the one-way PR1 works Route on Visit Madeira
- PR1.2
Vereda do Pico Ruivo
ModerateAchada do Teixeira → Pico Ruivo
The short way up Pico Ruivo, the highest point of Madeira at 1,862 m, starting next to the Homem em Pé rock.
- Distance
- 2.8 km + 2.8 km back
- Time
- 1 h 30
- Fee
- €4.50
Questions about the PR1
Can you walk from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and back?
Not on the same path. Since the PR1 reopened on 1 May 2026, it is two-way only between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija. After Pedra Rija it is one way towards Pico Ruivo, so you finish at Achada do Teixeira or Ilha and need transport from there.
How much does the PR1 cost?
€10.50 for the full route from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, or €4.50 for the return walk to Pedra Rija. Children aged 12 or under are free but still book. The cheaper ticket cannot be upgraded on the trail, and the fee is not refunded for rain.
How do you get back from Achada do Teixeira?
By taxi back to Pico do Arieiro, which is what most walkers do. It costs €20 a seat, shared with other walkers, and takes 45 to 60 minutes. Taxis wait from about 12:00; you do not need to book. A driver asking much more is trying his luck. From there, your car is waiting, or the Arieiro bus takes you down to Funchal for €3, much cheaper than a taxi all the way. There is no bus at Achada do Teixeira, and the IFCN does not run transport back.
What time does the PR1 open?
At 08:00, at Pico do Arieiro. The IFCN confirmed in June 2026 that this is the opening time and the only official entry point for both the full route and the Pedra Rija section.
How long does the PR1 take?
Visit Madeira gives 3 h for the 6.1 km from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. Add the walk down to Achada do Teixeira and your stops, and plan for four to five hours on your feet. Walkers in a Madeira hiking group said in October 2026 that they took 2 hours 20 minutes in the rain with few photo stops, 3 hours 10 minutes, and 4 hours 30 minutes for a 65-year-old walker. Your pace, your stops and the climb up to Pico Ruivo decide where you fall in that range.
Can you start the PR1 at noon?
Walkers say yes: one started at 13:30 and finished in good time, including the climb to Pico Ruivo. It works if you hold a slot, the trail is open and you keep an eye on daylight. After the clocks change the sun sets around 18:00 to 18:15, and the tunnels are dark at any hour, so carry a head torch and arrange the way back before you set off. The afternoon plan above, with your car at Achada do Teixeira, is the easiest way to end the day.
Is the PR1 fully booked in the morning?
Often, in busy weeks. The IFCN gives visitors, residents and tourism operators their own capacity in each slot, and spaces cannot be moved between the three, so a slot can look full to you while it is still open to someone else. Morning slots go first. If yours is full, look at a later slot or another day, and check again on the day, because the IFCN says same-day and next-day bookings are possible. Walkers who started around noon report finishing before dark.
Where do you park for the PR1?
At Pico do Arieiro there are two car parks. The upper one, at the summit, costs €20 a day, has very few spaces and is full long before sunrise. The lower one, a few hundred metres down the road, costs €5 a day and is much bigger; cross the road and take the footpath up to the visitor centre rather than walking along the road. Or take the bus up and forget about parking.
Are there toilets on the PR1?
At the start, in the Centro Dr. Rui Silva, along with a café and a shop. They are paid, usually €1 and sometimes €2. There are none along the trail, so go before you start.
Can you walk the PR1 for sunset?
Yes, if you plan the way back. In autumn and winter the sun sets around 18:00 to 18:15. Park at Achada do Teixeira around 13:00, take a taxi up to Pico do Arieiro, start around 14:00 and reach Pico Ruivo before 17:30. Come down with a head torch and warm clothes.
Is the PR1 dangerous?
It is graded moderate, but it is a high mountain walk: steep steps, drops beside the path, dark tunnels and weather that changes in minutes. With fog, rain or strong wind, choose another day. If you have vertigo, the walk to Pedra Rija and back gives you the views without the steepest parts.
More hiking: the best hikes in Madeira, every PR trail on one map and Pico do Arieiro at sunrise.