Madeira Ativa › Levada trails › PR 1
Vereda do Areeiro (PR 1) is a moderate 6.1 km walking trail on Madeira, running from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. It climbs about 499 m and descends about 461 m along the way. That averages a sustained climb, about 82 m of climb per kilometre. It runs between 1567 m and 1830 m above sea level. At that height the trail is often above or inside the cloud, and noticeably colder than the coast, whatever Funchal is doing. It is a point-to-point route. The official walking time is 3 h. Access status is currently partially open. An entry fee of 10.50 EUR applies. The trail is waymarked in yellow.
Official walking time and difficulty from Visit Madeira, as on the trailhead board.
There are 5 tunnels on the route, 411 m in total. They are unlit: a torch or a head lamp is not optional, and a phone light is the usual substitute. Narrow sections are limited (0% of the surveyed route), and 10% is without a railing. 55% of the route is classed as demanding mountain terrain.
OpenStreetMap, where surveyed; mapped on 95% of the route.
No bus route is mapped near either end, so this one effectively needs a car or a transfer. It is point-to-point, not a loop, so a car left at the start is a car you have to walk back to — most people arrange a drop-off, a taxi, or the bus. A car park is mapped at one end only.
Official route page (visitmadeira.com) ↗
The official walking time for PR 1 is 3 h over 6.1 km. That is the signed estimate at the trailhead, walking steadily and without long stops.
Yes — 10.50 EUR. Madeira charges for several of its marked trails, and the fee is collected at the trailhead or online in advance.
Not directly — no bus route is mapped near either end.
It runs between 1567 m and 1830 m above sea level. At that height the trail is often above or inside the cloud, and noticeably colder than the coast, whatever Funchal is doing.
Yes — 5 of them, 411 m in total, and they are unlit. Bring a torch.
The last published status is partially open. Closures on Madeira follow storms and landslides and change without much warning, so check the official status on the day.