PR1 (Vereda do Areeiro) is a 6.1 km, hard, official IFCN route that requires a SIMplifica booking. Cost: €10.50 per person. Whether it is worth hiking right now depends on live conditions and today's official status, re-checked every 20 minutes in the live app.
One way of walking this route is closed. The route itself is officially open: it is the variant that is shut, not the trail.
IFCN, LOCAIS DE PASSAGEM: “Vereda este (pelo Pico das Torres) - Encerrado”
Also known as the “Stairway to Heaven”
Madeira
A coastal forecast will not tell you what it is doing at 1862m up on this ridge. That is what the live score is for. How the island splits one forecast into many: microclimate guide.
Is today the day?
The difference between a clear morning above the clouds and a wet, foggy drive is knowing before you go. Levadas reads the live weather, the safe-start window and how busy Vereda do Areeiro is right now, then gives you one honest answer, re-checked every 20 minutes.
Ten seconds, one tap, from €2.99 once. No subscription.
Advance booking required via SIMplifica
The slot is €10.50 per person, tied to the day and time you pick. Book it on the right day, the first time.
IFCN has announced this trail will be closed, with no reservations honoured, on August 19-August 20, September 14-September 17, and September 21-September 22. Check live trail status
Book now on SIMplifica How to book this trail Which trails are free See how busy this trail is todayDownload GPX: free offline map
Grab the full GPS track and waypoints for Vereda do Areeiro as a free GPX file, no signup. Load it into Garmin, Komoot, AllTrails, Gaia GPS or OsmAnd and follow the route offline, even where there is no phone signal.
ⓘ Source & safety
Track and waypoints from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Planning aid, not a safety guarantee. Check the official trail status and conditions before you go.Estimated hiking time
1h55
Shuttle between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo
PR1 is a one-way trail between two trailheads 36km apart by road. If you need a ride back to your car, tell us your date and we will check what we can arrange.
This shuttle is not operated by us. We search our network for someone available for your date, and if we find a match, they will contact you directly. The price is not shown here: it depends on who accepts and is only communicated if we find availability.
- Tell us your date Enter your email, the date you need the ride, and how many people.
- We check our network We search for a local operator available on that date. No price is shown yet.
- You hear back directly If we find a match, they contact you with the price. If not, we let you know too.
Is there a shuttle between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo?
This shuttle is not operated by us: you can request a connection between the two trailheads directly on this page, and we check our network for someone available. If we find a match, they will contact you directly with the price, which depends on who accepts and is only communicated if we find availability.
Getting there by bus
The nearest public bus stop to the Vereda do Areeiro trailhead is Pico Areeiro (PA11), 85 m away. That is a straight line on the map and not a walk: on this terrain the climb between the two can matter more than the distance.
The timetable we hold ran until July 30, 2026 and no newer one has been published, so departure times are not shown. The stop and the lines serving it (PA) are unchanged.
Horários do Funchal is the only Madeira operator that publishes a machine-readable timetable. A trail without this block is one we hold no bus data for, not one no bus reaches.
About Vereda do Areeiro
A high-mountain ridge route that links Madeira's three tallest peaks, running from Pico do Areeiro past Pico das Torres to Pico Ruivo, the island's summit at 1,862 m. The path is a demanding mix of stone staircases carved into the rock, steep drops, and short tunnels cut through the volcanic stone. Open sightlines along the spine give wide views over the central massif, with the Ninho da Manta viewpoint sitting right at the start near Pico do Areeiro.
Vereda do Areeiro (PR1) is widely known as the "Stairway to Heaven". It is a one way route of about 6.1 km in Madeira.
What you'll see
Expect walk-through tunnels, a high mountain ridge, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
Landmarks on the route include Pedra Rija, Ruivo, Arieiro, Pico do Arieiro, Ninho da Manta and Gato.
The path runs between roughly 1,542 m and 1,862 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.
Difficulty
Vereda do Areeiro is officially graded hard by IFCN, based on 6.1 km, 416 m of ascent and high exposure.
How long it takes
Allow about 3h 30m one way, a point-to-point route.
The app's live 0-100 score also flags the latest safe start time for the day. See it in the app.
Getting there and back
Starts at Pico do Areeiro. Ends at Pico Ruivo. This trail runs both ways only between Pico do Areeiro and the Pedra Rija viewpoint at kilometre 1.2. Past Pedra Rija it is one way only, towards Pico Ruivo, so walking back is not an option: plan a second car, a taxi from Pico Ruivo, or come down by PR1.1 or PR1.2. The car park at the start has room for about 30.
What to bring
The route passes through several tunnels carved into the volcanic rock, the longest around 150 m, so bring a torch or headlamp.
Best time to walk it
Late spring to autumn; avoid winter and any day with snow, ice, high wind, or low cloud
High trails are best early: clear summits and the chance of a sunrise above the clouds before the cloud builds.
This route runs through a mix of sun and shade.
The sun and shade reading comes from the slope's aspect and steepness, so it describes terrain shading and not tree cover.
A live 0-100 score picks the best 30-minute window for the day. See today's window in the app.
Booking
Vereda do Areeiro is a regulated trail with a daily visitor cap, so you must reserve a timed slot in advance through SIMplifica before you go. The official fee is around €10.50 per person. Levadas does not sell tickets or make the reservation for you.
Official trail status
According to IFCN, as of 20 Aug 2026, this trail is currently officially open.
IFCN lists the ways this route can be walked, and marks one of them closed. The route as a whole is officially open, so this restricts a variant rather than closing the trail. IFCN's own wording, in Portuguese:
IFCN, LOCAIS DE PASSAGEM: “Vereda este (pelo Pico das Torres) - Encerrado”
IFCN's own status page is dated 24 Jul 2026. The date above (20 Aug 2026) is ours: it records when we last read that page, not when IFCN wrote it.
Official status can change, so always check the latest before you go.
Fire and other live hazards near this trail are tracked on the Madeira trail alerts page
Frequently asked questions
Is Vereda do Areeiro worth hiking today?
It depends on today's conditions, and that is exactly what Levadas answers. The app reads the current weather at Vereda do Areeiro, the safe-start window, how busy it is and the official IFCN status, then gives one honest go-or-wait score from 0 to 100, re-checked every 20 minutes. It is decision-support, not a safety clearance: an official IFCN closure always overrides the score, no matter how good the weather looks.
How long is Vereda do Areeiro?
Vereda do Areeiro is about 6.1 km (one way).
How difficult is Vereda do Areeiro?
Vereda do Areeiro is officially graded hard by IFCN.
Is Vereda do Areeiro safe?
Vereda do Areeiro is a high-exposure route: long unfenced stretches with a drop beside the path. It reaches 1,862 m, and the weather up there is not the weather at the coast. Part of it runs underground, so without a head torch you are walking in the dark. None of that tells you about today, and this page does not try to. Conditions decide, which is why Levadas reads the current weather on Vereda do Areeiro, the safe-start window and the official IFCN status, then gives one go-or-wait score from 0 to 100. It is decision-support, not a safety clearance, and an official IFCN closure overrides the score however good the weather looks.
How long does Vereda do Areeiro take to walk?
Allow about 3h 30m.
How long is the Stairway to Heaven hike?
It depends which walk you mean. Every figure on this page is for the whole of Vereda do Areeiro: about 6.1 km from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, roughly 3h 30m one way. It is a crossing, so it does not bring you back to where you parked. Walking in from Pico do Areeiro and turning round part way is a shorter day than anything quoted here, and this page gives no distance or time for that version, because the figures we hold measure the route end to end.
Can I download a GPX track for Vereda do Areeiro?
Yes. Tap Download GPX on this page: the first download on any device asks for an email so we can also send the free trail pack, then every later trail downloads instantly.
Do I need to book Vereda do Areeiro?
Yes. Vereda do Areeiro is a regulated trail with a daily cap, so you must reserve a timed slot through SIMplifica in advance. The official fee is around €10.50 per person.
Where does Vereda do Areeiro start and finish?
Vereda do Areeiro starts at Pico do Areeiro and finishes at Pico Ruivo.
What will I see on Vereda do Areeiro?
Highlights include walk-through tunnels, a high mountain ridge, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
When is the best time to hike Vereda do Areeiro?
Late spring to autumn; avoid winter and any day with snow, ice, high wind, or low cloud
Are there tunnels on Vereda do Areeiro? Do I need a torch?
The route passes through several tunnels carved into the volcanic rock, the longest around 150 m, so bring a torch or headlamp.
Is Vereda do Areeiro open right now?
IFCN lists Vereda do Areeiro as officially open. Status can change, so check the latest before you go.
Is all of Vereda do Areeiro open?
IFCN lists the ways this route can be walked, and marks one of them closed. The route as a whole is officially open, so this restricts a variant rather than closing the trail. IFCN's own wording, in Portuguese: IFCN, LOCAIS DE PASSAGEM: “Vereda este (pelo Pico das Torres) - Encerrado”
How do I check live conditions for Vereda do Areeiro?
Levadas scores Vereda do Areeiro from 0 to 100 using live weather along the path and the official status, refreshed every 20 minutes. You also see how busy it is. Open the trail in the app to see the live score and the best time to go today.