Madeira’s most iconic hiking trail, Pr1 Vereda Do Areeiro, reopens this month after two years of closure | News
One of Madeira’s most iconic hiking trails, the PR1 Vereda do Areeiro, reopens this month after a two-year closure for restoration work. The opening coincides with the Madeira Island Ultra Trail, which takes place on April 25 and 26.
Connecting three of the island’s highest peaks – Pico do Areeiro (1,818m), Pico das Torres (1,851m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862m) – the 7km trail offers one of Madeira’s most dramatic high-altitude hiking experiences, through the Central Massif, a protected area known for its unique habitats and biodiversity.
Starting at the Pico de Areeiro viewpoint, the route takes about three and a half hours and takes hikers through tunnels carved into volcanic rock, steep ridges and panoramic viewpoints above the clouds. The trail is also home to endemic bird species found only in Macaronesia and the Madeira Archipelago.
The reopening strengthens Madeira’s position as a leading outdoor tourism destination, with hiking remaining one of the island’s most popular activities, alongside mountain biking, canyoning, climbing, coasteering and more.
The revamped route is part of Madeira’s ongoing commitment to invest in infrastructure, conversation programs and community-based tourism activities, as outlined in Visit Madeira’s latest awareness campaign, Explore. Respect. Protect. The insider encourages both visitors and locals to protect the island by respecting nature and local culture and shares practical guidelines on how to do so. More information is available here.
As part of this commitment, the island has also recently introduced mandatory registration and booking through the Simplifica portal, in accordance with the carrying capacity set for each route, and charges apply to access all PRs (classified walking routes). When the PR1 Vereda do Areeiro is fully reopened, a fee of €10.50 applies and for all other classified walking routes a fee of €4.50 applies. Contributions from these fees support trail maintenance, safety improvements and environmental protection, while helping manage visitor flow.
For more information about outdoor experiences in Madeira, visit: https://visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers
