PR3 (Vereda do Burro) is a 6.7 km, hard, official IFCN route. Cost: free. 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.
Madeira
A coastal forecast will not tell you what it is doing at 1800m up on this ridge. That is what the live score is for. How the island splits one forecast into many: microclimate guide.
Go or wait today?
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 Burro is right now, then gives you one honest answer, re-checked every 20 minutes.
Ten seconds, one tap, from €2.99 once. No subscription.
Download GPX: free offline map
Grab the full GPS track and waypoints for Vereda do Burro 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
1h27
Getting there by bus
The nearest public bus stop to the Vereda do Burro trailhead is Pico Areeiro (PA11), 39 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 Burro
PR3 is a high-altitude mountain path, not a levada, that drops from just below the summit of Pico do Areeiro at around 1805 metres down to the Ecological Park welcome centre at Ribeira das Cales near 1130 metres. The route runs through the endemic vegetation of Madeira's mountain zone and opens up wide views over the Ribeira do Cidrao valley and the Paúl da Serra plateau. A concrete landmark along the way is the Poco da Neve, an igloo-shaped reservoir from 1813 once used to store snow and hail collected on the high peaks.
Vereda do Burro (PR3) is a one way route of about 6.7 km in Madeira.
What you'll see
Along the way you'll find high mountain terrain, endemic Madeiran flora, historic features, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
Landmarks on the route include Astronomia, Arieiro, Lagoa, Pico do Arieiro, Poço da Neve and Meires.
The path runs between roughly 1,130 m and 1,800 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.
Difficulty
Vereda do Burro rates as hard on our objective scale, based on 6.7 km, 64 m of ascent and high exposure.
This grade is an estimate from distance, ascent and exposure, not an official IFCN rating.
How long it takes
Allow about 2h 40m 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 Ribeira das Cales. This is a one-way route, so you finish where your car is not: plan a second car, a taxi from the far end, or the walk back before you set off. The car park at the start has room for about 30.
Best time to walk it
Apr to Oct; avoid winter (cold, fog, wind and possible ice/snow at 1800m)
High trails are best early: clear summits and the chance of a sunrise above the clouds before the cloud builds.
This route is mostly open to the sun, so it bites on a hot, clear day. Start early and carry more water than you think you need.
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.
Who manages this trail
Vereda do Burro is an official classified route, but IFCN lists Câmara Municipal do Funchal as its managing entity rather than IFCN itself. IFCN only sells reservations for the routes it manages, which is why Vereda do Burro has no slot on the SIMplifica portal and no reservation fee.
Official trail status
According to IFCN, as of 20 Aug 2026, this trail is currently officially open.
IFCN lists Câmara Municipal do Funchal as the managing entity for this route, not IFCN itself, and IFCN publishes status for the routes it manages, so a restriction decided by Câmara Municipal do Funchal may never appear in the line above.
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 Burro 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 Burro, 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 Burro?
Vereda do Burro is about 6.7 km (one way).
How difficult is Vereda do Burro?
Vereda do Burro rates as hard based on its distance, ascent and exposure (an objective estimate, not an official IFCN grade).
Is Vereda do Burro safe?
Vereda do Burro is a high-exposure route: long unfenced stretches with a drop beside the path. It reaches 1,800 m, and the weather up there is not the weather at the coast. 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 Burro, 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 Burro take to walk?
Allow about 2h 40m.
Can I download a GPX track for Vereda do Burro?
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.
Is Vereda do Burro free to walk?
Yes. Vereda do Burro needs no reservation and has no fee. It is an official classified route, but IFCN lists Câmara Municipal do Funchal as its managing entity, and IFCN only sells slots for the routes it manages, so there is nothing to book.
Where does Vereda do Burro start and finish?
Vereda do Burro starts at Pico do Areeiro and finishes at Ribeira das Cales.
What will I see on Vereda do Burro?
Highlights include high mountain terrain, endemic Madeiran flora, historic features, panoramic viewpoints, a mountain summit and laurel forest (laurisilva).
When is the best time to hike Vereda do Burro?
Apr to Oct; avoid winter (cold, fog, wind and possible ice/snow at 1800m)
Is Vereda do Burro open right now?
IFCN lists Vereda do Burro as officially open. Status can change, so check the latest before you go.
How do I check live conditions for Vereda do Burro?
Levadas scores Vereda do Burro 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.