Pico do Arieiro, Madeira Islands, Portugal

5Inwanderment 5:00 PM Nov 16, 2021

What a way to start the day!
We spent two mornings here watching the sun rise and the views are beautiful. That said its very busy as all the tours come here from Funchal and so you don't get a quiet experience like you do at Bica Da Cana. Even at 5am there are a lot of people around. Its super easy to walk to all of the view points from the car park and no more than a ten minute walk on flat ground. Lots of spots so although its busy you can find yourself a quiet spot if you want one. They also have lots of other view points around the back of the big globe which has even more stunning views over the mountain ranges! Lots of walks also start here and there is a cafe and toilets but they do not open until 9am as an FYI. The food at the cafe was very average and the toilet costs 50 cents but are very clean. Overall would definitely recommend for sunrise as being above the clouds in the morning is an experience you will not forget!

5tangek 5:00 PM Aug 13, 2022

Epic hike
We parked at the lower lot designated for hikers. The top lot is meant for brief visits under an hour. The walkway to the starting point is not well illustrated from the bottom, so you may end up walking on the road. The visitor center at Pico do Arieiro has a clean toilet for 50 cents per person, and a cafe and souvenir shop. We stopped off before beginning the hike, and our plan was to do a round trip to Pico Ruivo and back. All in all, it took us about 7 hours, including a 45 min rest at the cafe/toilets near Pico Ruivo. We are 2 adults and a teenager. The path for this hike is clear and does not require advanced technical gear. However, the hike is strenuous, and other than one family with small children, everyone else we saw that day were teenagers or older. The path has significant ascents and descents, some on stone stairs, and some on medal stairs close to ladders in steepness. Most of the path was on dirt or stones. Part of the hike is in the shade, but much of it is in the open sun so suncream is essential. The path traverses multiple tunnels, some of which are long enough that light cannot pass through, so a torch is necessary. One tunnel had a wet floor, so the light was particularly important to avoid stepping in deep puddles or slipping. The cafe near Pico Ruivo is staffed by people who hike there each day, with no car access, so you need to carry your own rubbish away. You can buy drinks and small snacks, and they do accept credit cards. There was just one working toilet and quite a queue for it. There was also one sink with running water. People were refilling bottles, although not clear if it was meant to be drinking water. At one point, the tap ran dry, and needed 30 min to refill the cistern to begin pumping water again. If you reach that cafe and consider turning around before the final climb to Pico Ruivo, do not turn around!! The view from Pico Ruivo is a 360-degree view of the mountains including Nun's Valley, and was the highlight of the day. Totally worth the extra effort to get there. On the way out, we saw many people on the hike. On the way back, there were relatively few people. Many of them must have made arrangements to be picked up on the other side, so just walked one way. We were exhausted the next day after this epic hike, but the views were well worth the effort. Bring a hat, suncream, a torch, snacks, and lots and lots of water.