At 1,818 metres, Pico do Aireiro (sometimes spelled Areeiro) is the third highest mountain in Madeira and the highest point that can be reached by car.

This makes the mountain ideal for the best views of Madeira's jagged dramatic peaks, even for less fit hikers. The local Miradoura do Juncal viewpoint is reached by a 200-metre walkway from the car park, more or less on level ground.

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Pico do Arieiro is the most popular starting point for treks up Madeira's highest mountain, Pico Ruivo.

The ridge, marked PR1, is 5.3km one way and takes around 7 hours to complete each way. Details, including a map of the route, are described on the Pico Ruivo site detail.

The entry fee for the PR1 route is 3 eur and must be booked online via the official website: simplifica.madeira.gov.pt.

How to get there

The most convenient way to get to Pico do Aireiro is by car, which can be used to reach the top.

There is a new tarmac road to the top and the distance from Funchal is 19 km, see map. Parking at the top is free. The larger car park is about 1.5 km below the summit, see map.

From this car park a shuttle runs to the mountain about every 15 minutes from 6:40am to 12:15pm and from 2:10pm to 7pm. The shuttle always leaves when there are at least 4 people inside. A one-way ticket costs 1,20 eur and is payable to the driver.

There is also a new direct bus service to the summit from the centre of Funchal (Praça da Autonomia) from 2024, without changing directly to the top of Pico do Arieiro.

3 eur - One-way ticket
Runs twice daily in the morning in the direction Funchal -> Pico do Aireiro and twice daily in the afternoon in the opposite direction
Details: horariosdofunchal.pt//PicoAreeiro