Madeira: Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo Hike

The guide was truly excellent – he put in a lot of effort to share as much information as possible and made the experience engaging. Transportation and organization were flawless. However, a major drawback was that we only received a third of the tour we paid for. While we understand that the situation was beyond their control due to the wildfires, it’s disappointing that this wasn’t clearly communicated at the time of booking but only 24 hours before departure. Additionally, the full price was charged despite the significantly reduced itinerary, which felt unfair given the circumstances.

Be aware when booking this tour that the trail that goes to Pico do Areeiro is closed since August, because of the fires. We ended up climbing to the top of Pico Ruivo and doing an alternate trail to Parque das Queimadas. Bruno was a very good and patient guide. We had a lot of time to take pictures and he gave us enough freedom to explore freely the trail, without having to rush. However, we could easily have done it on our own, as the 2 trails were well signalised and fairly easy. Overall, it was a fun tour but not worth the money with the current trial changes.

I booked a hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and Achada do Teixeira with Nature Meetings and can fully recommend this tour provider! One day before the tour, I received a detailed message with my pick-up time, what to bring, contact details etc. The next day, Nature Meetings picked me up at the agreed time directly at my hotel and we drove straight up to Pico do Arieiro. There, we met our very cool guide and received detailed information about the route, rules and what to expect. As the hike is challenging, Nature Meetings offered to take less confident hikers to Achada do Teixeira by minivan to allow them to hike to Pico Ruivo from there. From Pico do Arieiro, we walked about three hours to Pico Ruivo. The hike is very challenging (you will cover about 1.000m in altitude) so you may want to go on a few easier routes to test your stamina beforehand. Overall, the experience made up completely for the pain and misery and I would choose Nature Meetings again anytime. Thanks!