Definitely one of the best hikes we've ever done was at Pico do Arieiro. In addition to the incredible views of mountains, cliffs and tunnels along the hike, we also got views of the gorgeous Atlantic ocean from 6,000 feet! If you're looking for a way to experience this area without the hike see this blogpost.
The official full hike connects you from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and is a challenging 7.5 miles (roundtrip as an out & back) with 3,871 elevation gain! We didn't end up hiking the entire way and instead went in, with our son Brian who was visiting, about 2 miles and then turned around for a total of 4 miles. What makes this hike a doozy is that you start at a peak and then go down before climbing up to the second peak. That means you're doing a lot of up and down elevation. It was hard to keep reminding ourselves that the two miles in (which was often downhill) meant we had to climb when we turned around. We were definitely huffing & puffing on our way back up to the start.
Getting There
This hike is really convenient to reach as you can drive all the way to the top and it takes about 35 minutes coming from Funchal. There are several places you can park depending on how many other cars have nabbed spots. There isn't any public transportation that will get you all the way to the trailhead so if you don't have a car you'd need to grab a taxi, car hire or join an excursion. One great option is to do a tour that offers a shuttle drop off here at the start and picks you up at the other end at Achada do Teixeira, the trailhead for Pico Ruivo. That means you wouldn't have to make the return trip and would save a LOT of miles/elevation gain and make it more doable. The challenge with this is typically you have to make that tour reservation ahead so you're gambling a little on weather, but if you time it right could really make it a more manageable hike. One pattern we noticed is that often the clouds would roll in by noon and then we were hiking in a fog bank so your best bet is to plan to start early enough that you can be finished by lunchtime. At the start of the trail there is a Café, bathrooms (for 50 cents) and a gift shop as well as plenty of views for those that don't want to hike.
Tips:
Pack plenty of water
Bring layers as the weather really can be changeable
Bring a wind jacket (it can get crazy at times)
Wear waterproof shoes as parts of the tunnels and trails get muddy
Have a flashlight or enough phone battery to light your way through tunnels
Pace yourself especially if doing the entire out/back as the return is all climbing up to get back to the start
Start early enough to account for the length in time it will take and to give yourself time for pictures and breaks
Pack in calories to replenish yourself
Our favorite Hike
It's really hard to describe just how spectacular the views were while doing this as it's non-stop the entire way. No matter what direction we looked it just seemed unreal because the it was so astonishingly gorgeous. The trail consists of a lot of stone steps, dirt, dark tunnels and endless switchbacks and sharp turns. Every few minutes we stopped to gawk and take more pictures.
The Start
When we first arrived we actually weren't sure we were going to do the hike because as we got out of the car it was windy and cold and there were quite a few clouds moving around us. We decided to bundle up and head up to the Café viewpoint and look around to see how it felt up there. This amazing rainbow greeted us and it was so beautiful that we decided to go for it knowing we could always turn around if we weren't having fun. The clouds kept moving around a lot and we started to get nice peeks of the ocean and patches of blue sky.
The Steps & Turns
As we continued we were amazed at how well things were maintained on the trail. It consists of lots of stone steps, sections of dirt and stone pathways. Although we had times that we crossed a narrow area we never felt unsafe and they often had railings. This is one of the most popular hikes on the island and there were lots of hikers on the trail. Most people on the trail were very courteous to each other (except for a few impatient trail runners).
Some cool short video clips with the 360 camera that make things look a lot scarier than they felt!
Tunnels & Wildlife
There are several tunnels that were fun to go through and we were glad to have our phones to use for lighting so we could avoid the worst muddy spots. We were also amazed to keep passing by colorful Red-legged Partridges which didn't seem disturbed by us at all.
At this point Alison decided to stop and plop down to enjoy the birds and views for a while before slowly starting the ascent back stopping to take lots of pictures. Jordan & Brian continued for another mile before turning around and meeting back up with her.
Pacing Ourselves Back
And then it was time to turn around and begin the big climb, stop to catch our breath and enjoy the way things looked coming from this direction. The weather seemed to be constantly shifting and creating new colors on the landscape.
Just surreal the entire route!
We hope to return someday and do this incredible hike here in Madeira using a shuttle service so we can do the full stretch from Peak to Peak one way.
December 2022
Oh my gosh! What a stunning hike! I have gone through all the text and photos/videos twice now. I also forwarded it to some avid hiking friends in AZ that might contact you about meeting up while you are there nearby ( they live in Flagstaff) the next few months.