Madeira's Peaks Hike: Trek Among the Highest Points on the Island
4.3
37 Ratings
Funchal
Embark on an exhilarating hike through Madeira's highest peaks, starting at Pico do Areeiro and reaching the summit of Pico Ruivo. Experience breathtaking views and conquer the island's tallest point!
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Pico do Arieiro - The start of the walk is at Pico do Arieiro, the highest point accesible by car in Madeira with outstandig views
- Pico Ruivo - Pico Ruivo, Madeira´s highest point at 1862m
What's Included
- Insurance coverage as per Portuguese law
- Round-trip transfer for the walk
- Certified driver and expert mountain guide accompanying
What's Not Included
- Drinks and food
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a journey amid the tallest peaks of Madeira!
Start at Pico do Areeiro, it’s not long before we reach the Ninho da Manta (Buzzard’s Nest) viewpoint. From here, enjoy views of the Fajã da Nogueira valley, a breeding ground for the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinnus), along with São Roque do Faial and much of the Central Mountain Range.
To get to Pico Ruivo, elevated at 1862m, we have to navigate around Pico das Torres, climbing a demanding set of stairs hewn from the rock and then descend. The most challenging part of this path is the last uphill climb to the Shelter at Pico Ruivo. But the motivation to reach the island’s pinnacle propels us forward.
From the Pico Ruivo shelter, the trail carries on to Achada do Teixeira car park. There, you can spot the “Homem em pé” (Standing Man), a peculiar basalt rock formation noticeable as you descend the slope post the shelter at Achada do Teixeira.
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Location
Funchal
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(37 Ratings)
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Z1571aklucys
Mar 21, 2024
Beautiful walk, amazing guides! - Too windy to hike Pico de Aireiro to Pico Ruivo but still had an amazing day with Diago and Geronimo. They took us to Machico and we did a beautiful costal walk to Porto de Cruz. 100% recommend it was unreal. Obrigada Diago and Geronimo!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Odyssey23460933213
Sep 27, 2023
Challenging Walk through Madeira's highest mountains - Took a walk with Nature Meetings. We went from Pico do Arierio To Pico Ruivo then to Achada do Teixeira to our van, about 11 km. The guide was knowledgeable, organized and often funny. When the blurb says its a very challenging walk, they are not kidding. On our day, we were walking in the clouds for a lot of the time, and it was drizzling a good amount of the time. It was September, but it was often cold and windy, glad I had long pants, although I didn't use my jacket from my backpack. There is a lot of up and down in our walk, with the rain it was usually muddy and slippery on the rocks and pathways. The air is thin in the mountains, so what might be a difficult climb up a hill became that much more difficult here. My body sincerely hated me, but I'm very glad I did it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark
Jul 19, 2023
Amazing experience - Highly recommend. Knowledgeable tour guide who took good care of the group. A strenuous hike but manageable for anyone with a decent level of fitness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Beatrizp554
Jul 16, 2023
Great experience! - Amazing views, our guide (Narciso) made sure to take a lot of breaks and the whole group was together throughout the tour. Highly reccommend!
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Beáta
Jun 3, 2023
Best view for sure - For sure the most breathtaking hike I have ever done. A must do when you are in Madeira.
Daria our guide was very nice and knowledgeable.
Communication and pick up went smoothly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Husks2016
Apr 12, 2023
Fantastic - Excellent organisation and communication from start to finish. Our guide Suzelle made us all feel at ease, very prepared and clearly an experienced hiker guide. The hike is tough enough in parts and it’s long so please make sure you are reasonably active to do it and without a doubt you need good footwear. It’s busy too so be patient. Plenty of snacks and water are essential! Last but not least, the scenery spectacular, incredible route for a hike, 100% recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kate
Apr 8, 2023
Highest peaks walk - Our guide Juan Carlos was great he pointed out points of interest to the whole party. He kept a careful eye to ensure all the party were accounted for. For those who feel they are slower he let some walk on and told us where and when to meet and stayed with the slower ones. Fantastic views made even better by being above the clouds in full sun. Excellent bus driver for the twisty roads up and back. We would highly recommend the one way walk which meant we didn’t have to return along the same route.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Itrac
Aug 15, 2023
Better than Solo - The beginning was a bit slow - though the latter half the guide had us walk at our own pace, so it was nice getting a combo of both that and staying with the group. I felt much more confident knowing there was a guide and other people a part of the group than I would have felt going alone.
Walking through the tunnels was really cool as well.
Could have done without the poncha at the end, after such a long day would have rather just gone right back to the hotel, unless the tour covered the drinks as part of the experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Onair52068662291
Nov 18, 2023
Fantstic view - We did the hike in lovely sunny weather 15. nov., and loved it.
At times there was a queue on the path, this particularly applied to the ladders and some of the stairs.
The guide was knowledgeable, but it was disappointing that he didn't inform us that we would not walk to the top of Pico Ruivo!
We also think that the 20 minutes to enjoy an "after walk" drink is a little short time, and was surprised that the guide did not gather the group and take a summary of the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
343henk
Oct 16, 2023
You don't need a guide - I've started the morning by waiting 30 minutes to the pickup, I've called the office and got the answer: "they on their way just keep wating"
not even an appology.
The hike is well paved and we'll signed, there is no need of a guide, as I knew it already, I decided to join a guided tour for the knowledge I might gain from the guide, alas the guide was very unpleasant, his English was not good enough and not as expected from an English tour guide, I might even say the guide damaged my experience and enjoyment of the hike, the scenery was beautiful and the hike is well worth it.
To conclude: the company is not recommend at all, the hike is extremely recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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