Vereda do Areeiro vs Vereda do Pico Ruivo

Both are graded hard, so the grade alone will not separate them. Vereda do Pico Ruivo climbs 169 m more, 585 m against 416 m. Distance pulls the other way: Vereda do Areeiro is the longer walk at 6.1 km against 5.6 km.

Allow about 3h 30m for Vereda do Areeiro and about 1h 30m for Vereda do Pico Ruivo, one way and at a walking pace. That is roughly 2 hours more for Vereda do Areeiro, before any stops. Vereda do Pico Ruivo is an out-and-back, so the return doubles the time on the ground; the other is not.

Both are regulated IFCN trails, so both need a ticket, EUR 10.50 and EUR 4.50, bought through the SIMplifica portal.

Vereda do Areeiro

Choose Vereda do Areeiro if you are here for Tunnel, High ridge, Viewpoint, or if you would rather not climb.

Vereda do Pico Ruivo

Choose Vereda do Pico Ruivo if you are here for Out and back, Viewpoint, Summit, or if you want the shorter day.

Which of the two is better on a given morning is a different question, and the numbers above cannot answer it: cloud, wind and closures change hourly and they change differently on the north and south coasts. Levadas scores both live and tells you which to drive to today.

For today's official open, closed or part-walkable status on any classified trail, see the Madeira trail status page