Pico Ruivo, Curral das Freiras

Great climb and impressive view. Recommend bringing long sleeves and long pants as it gets quite cold up top. Also good to bring a breathable rain coat as the weather was unpredictable.

BREATHTAKING HIKE! I completed the PR1 PICO DO ARIEIRO TO PICO RUIVO HIKE on the 26th February 2023. This has to be up there with one of my favourite hikes I’ve completed and I’ve hiked all round Asia, New Zealand and various national parks in America as well as the UK. I arrived at Pico do Arieiro at 7:20 and waited for the sunrise before setting off on my hike. I actually motorbiked it to the Pico do Arieiro from Funchal and for anyone also wishing to do this make sure you have gloves!! My hands were freezing! Also the car park fills up quickly so be sure to get there early. I planned my hike well as there was some bad weather days whilst we were on the island. So keep checking the weather forecast to make sure you get a clear sunny day. I imagine the hike to be less enjoyable and possibly dangerous if visibility is poor and you are stuck in thick dense cloud and getting rained on! The hike itself is strenuous. Lots of steep inclines and declines so it is heavy on the knees. However for anyone with a fairly decent fitness it is manageable. I completed the hike in 1hr 56 mins and actually then hiked back to Pico de arierio as I’d motorbiked there. However if you arrange transport (either taxi or a transfer) then you can do this hike one way and arrange a time to get collected at Pico Ruivo I would recommend doing this in busy months as most people hike this path from Pico do Arieiro to Ruivo therefore on narrow paths you are having to wait for people to pass when hiking back to Pico do Arieiro. The whole hike is breathtaking I can see why it is the no1 thing to do in Madeira!! Tips - Check weather forecast up the mountain (not in Funchal) - Wear suitable footwear - Take multiple layers - Take a waterproof - Take lots of photos - Stay Safe & Enjoy!