The 2026 rule on one page, checked on 2 October 2026 against IFCN, Visit Madeira and SIMplifica. Pico do Arieiro and Pico do Areeiro are the same summit.
IFCN closes the Pedra Rija – Pico Ruivo section on some days for scheduled works (it did on 14–17 and 21–22 September 2026), while Areeiro ↔ Pedra Rija stays open both ways. The card below shows IFCN's own listing and its date. If the IFCN warnings list and Visit Madeira's PR1 page disagree, check both before you go.
→ Is PR1 open today? Live status, sold-out fixes and rescheduling.
Trail status comes from the official IFCN warnings list, which IFCN updates when conditions change and dates itself ("updated"). It is shown here as a live badge (it needs JavaScript). If it doesn't appear, check the official sources linked below.
| Section | Distance | Direction | Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico do Areeiro ↔ Miradouro da Pedra Rija | 1.2 km each way | Two-way: out-and-back allowed | €4.50 Pedra Rija ticket |
| Miradouro da Pedra Rija → Pico Ruivo | rest of the 6.1 km route | One-way, towards Pico Ruivo only | €10.50 full ticket |
| Pico Ruivo → Achada do Teixeira (PR1.2) | 2.8 km | The usual way down | Included in the €10.50 |
| Pico Ruivo → Ilha (PR1.1 Vereda da Ilha) | 8.2 km | The other way down | Included in the €10.50 |
The official texts state the rule but not the reason. IFCN's FAQ (5.3) only says that from Pedra Rija "the trail operates on a one-way basis, in the direction Pico do Areeiro → Pico Ruivo", and the Regional Government announced it together with the reopening (JM). The section beyond Pedra Rija had been closed since a rockfall caused by the August 2024 wildfire, and repair work carried on after the reopening. Some tour and blog sites say one-way traffic eases crowding on the narrow ridge; that is their explanation, not an official one.
How to book on SIMplifica (step by step, and the Pedra Rija trap) · Hiking fees 2026
Because PR1 is one-way, you finish at Achada do Teixeira, far from your start. No bus serves Achada do Teixeira, and IFCN says hikers are responsible for their own transport (IFCN FAQ 5.5). If you drove to Areeiro, your car stays there.
→ Getting back from PR1: every option, with costs. → PR1 sunrise transport: bus, transfer, taxi or car to the start.
Yes. Since the full route reopened on 1 May 2026, PR1 is one-way from the Pedra Rija viewpoint to Pico Ruivo, in the direction Pico do Areeiro → Pico Ruivo. Only the first 1.2 km, between Pico do Areeiro and Pedra Rija, is still two-way. You finish by going down from Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira (PR1.2) or to Ilha (PR1.1).
No. IFCN only allows the section between Pedra Rija and Pico Ruivo in the direction of Pico Ruivo, so you can't start at Pico Ruivo or Achada do Teixeira and walk to Pico do Areeiro, and you can't walk the whole route there and back.
Yes. Pico do Areeiro – Pedra Rija viewpoint (1.2 km each way) is still two-way. It has its own €4.50 SIMplifica ticket, which does not let you continue to Pico Ruivo.
Since the full reopening on 1 May 2026. The one-way section first opened Friday to Sunday only, because of surface repairs, and has been open every day since 26 June 2026. IFCN still closes it on some days for works, so check the live status before you go.
IFCN and the Regional Government state the rule but have not published a reason in the texts we checked. The rule came with the reopening after repairs to the rockfall caused by the August 2024 wildfire. The crowding explanation found on some tour sites is not an official one.
No bus serves Achada do Teixeira, and IFCN does not arrange the return. Book a transfer that collects you at Achada do Teixeira, or arrange a taxi in advance (Táxis Santana +351 291 572 540, as printed on IFCN panels). A taxi to Funchal costs about €70–90.
Sources: IFCN FAQ (5.1–5.11) · IFCN warnings list · IFCN trail list · Visit Madeira, PR1 · SIMplifica · Portaria 48/2026 · JM 28/04/2026 (announcement) · DN 01/05/2026 (reopening) · transfer and taxi prices: operators' pages and traveller reports, see Getting back