PR1 transfer, Arieiro to Achada do Teixeira

We drop you at Pico do Arieiro and collect you at Achada do Teixeira. IFCN listed the crossing between them as closed on 25 September 2026.

€160 per car from Funchal for 1 to 4 hikers, €180 for 5 or 6, when IFCN reopens the crossing. The drop is timed to your SIMplifica slot.

  • Up to 6 hikers in one car
  • 6.1 km + 2.8 km PR1, then PR1.2 down to the car
  • 40–45 min Funchal to Pico do Arieiro

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The road climbing to the Achada do Teixeira car park and its stone house, seen from the path to Pico Ruivo, with a layer of cloud below the ridge
Achada do TeixeiraThe pickup car park, seen from the path to Pico RuivoPhoto: anagh, CC BY-SA 3.0

PR1 status

Live status: IFCN

We never promise the crossing. The evening before every hiking run we check your trail in the IFCN status table and message you what it shows. While the section beyond Pedra Rija is closed, we drop and collect you for two walks that need no crossing. One is Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija and back, the other PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira up to Pico Ruivo and back.

Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo (one-way section)
closed
Direction
two-way between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija, one-way from Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo (Arieiro to Ruivo only)
Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija and back
open

Checked on 25 September 2026 IFCN trail status table IFCN trail fees FAQ

Pico do Arieiro transfer prices, per car

The PR1 drop and collect and the back-to-your-car run need the crossing open. The runs below them don't, and the one-way drop is for hikers who have their own way back.
All hiking transfers
Pico do Arieiro transfer prices, per car
Route Time Price per car, 1–4 people Price per car, 5–6 people Status Book
PR1 PR1.2 PR1 drop and collect: Pico do Arieiro to Achada do Teixeira Your timesdrop-off and pickup €160 €180 Closed Why
Drop-off Pico do Arieiro car park Pickup Achada do Teixeira car park IFCN closed the one-way section from Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo (check of 25 Sep 2026). Sold again only when IFCN reopens it.
1–4 people
€160
5–6 people
€180
PR1 Back to your car (PR1): Achada do Teixeira to Pico do Arieiro Your timesdrop-off and pickup €100 €110 Closed Why
Drop-off Pico do Arieiro car park, at your own car Pickup Achada do Teixeira car park Needs the PR1 crossing, closed by IFCN at the check of 25 Sep 2026. Sold again only when IFCN reopens it.
1–4 people
€100
5–6 people
€110
PR1 Pico do Arieiro drop and collect: PR1 to Pedra Rija and back Your timesdrop-off and pickup €110 €120 On request Book: Pico do Arieiro drop and collect: PR1 to Pedra Rija and back
Drop-off Pico do Arieiro car park Pickup Pico do Arieiro car park
1–4 people
€110
5–6 people
€120
PR1 One-way drop at Pico do Arieiro Your timedrop-off €401–6 people On request Book: One-way drop at Pico do Arieiro
Drop-off Pico do Arieiro car park
1–6 people
€40
PR9 PR1.2 PR18 Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei Your timesdrop-off and pickup €160 €170 On request Book: Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei
Drop-off Queimadas, Achada do Teixeira or the Levada do Rei start Pickup The same point
1–4 people
€160
5–6 people
€170

Your own route, tours and hiking transfers include pickup anywhere from Ribeira Brava to Caniçal, including Funchal and the hills above it, and a pickup further out adds the fixed amount shown for your area.

Prices checked on 25 September 2026. Every price is per car, in euro, for the whole group.

How a PR1 drop and collect works

These steps apply to the full PR1 while IFCN has the crossing open. The plan B walks run the same way, with a different trail and car park.
  1. 1

    Book your SIMplifica slot

    First. The full PR1 costs €10.50 a person and also covers PR1.2 down to Achada do Teixeira. We can't book SIMplifica slots for you, so you book your slot and we time the drop to it.

  2. 2

    Send us the slot

    Once you have it. Message us the date, the slot time, where you're staying and how many of you are walking.

  3. 3

    We confirm the pickup time

    After your message. We reply within 60 minutes (07:00–22:00) to confirm your date, the price for the car and your pickup time. The evening before, by 20:00, we send the pickup time, the car's plate, your driver's photo and the meeting point.

  4. 4

    Dropped at Pico do Arieiro

    Before your slot. Your driver stops at the top car park about 20 minutes before your slot starts, so you don't hunt for a parking space. IFCN's tolerance on a slot is about 15 min, and a missed slot is a lost ticket.

  5. 5

    Message us on the way down

    On PR1.2. Send a message when you're about 30 minutes from Achada do Teixeira. If there's no phone signal at the end, your driver waits at the car park named in your confirmation for the whole window.

  6. 6

    Pickup at Achada do Teixeira

    At the end. Your driver is in the car park when you come down and drives you back to your hotel.

A sample PR1 morning

This is a morning with an 08:00 slot and a hotel in Funchal, on a day when IFCN has the crossing open. Your own times move with your slot.
  1. about 06:55

    Pickup at your hotel

    The drive up to Pico do Arieiro takes 40–45 min on the mountain road.

  2. about 07:40

    Dropped at Pico do Arieiro

    Your driver stops at the top car park about 20 minutes before your slot. There's time for a warm layer before you start.

  3. 08:00

    Your slot starts

    PR1 is 6.1 km one way, and the published walking time is about 3 h. The path is two-way as far as Pedra Rija.

  4. On the way

    Pedra Rija

    From here to Pico Ruivo the path is one-way, so there is no turning back to Pico do Arieiro after this point.

  5. about 11:00

    Pico Ruivo

    Pico Ruivo is the high point of the walk, and a good place to rest before the path down.

  6. about 12:30

    Achada do Teixeira car park

    PR1.2 runs 2.8 km down to the car park. In this example the agreed finish is 12:30, and the pickup window runs 30 minutes either side of it.

  7. Early afternoon

    Back at your hotel

    The drive back from Achada do Teixeira takes a little over an hour, and you have the rest of the day free.

When the crossing is closed

Two walks need no crossing. Each one starts and ends at the same car park, so your driver drops you and collects you in one place.

  • Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija and back. You walk the open part of PR1 from the top car park, turn at Pedra Rija and come back the same way. The Pico do Arieiro drop and collect is €110 per car for 1 to 4 people, €120 for 5 or 6. The SIMplifica booking as far as Pedra Rija is €4.50 a person.
  • Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo and back. PR1.2 climbs 2.8 km from the Achada do Teixeira car park to the top of Pico Ruivo, and you book it on SIMplifica as well. This is the Santana hills drop and collect, €160 per car for 1 to 4 people, €170 for 5 or 6.

If IFCN closes the crossing after you've booked the full PR1, you choose a plan B route, a new date or a free cancellation.

Why you need a driver or two cars

The walk ends at Achada do Teixeira, on the other side of the mountains and about an hour by road from where it starts. From the IFCN trail FAQ: IFCN does not provide a return to Pico do Arieiro; hikers arrange their own transport.

A one-way trail also leaves a hire car at the wrong end. If you park at Pico do Arieiro, we collect you at Achada do Teixeira and drive you back up to your car. If you park at Achada do Teixeira, we drive you from there to the start in the morning. Either way it is the back-to-your-car run, €100 per car for 1 to 4 people, €110 for 5 or 6. Like the PR1 drop and collect, it needs the crossing open.

Parking at the start is the other problem. The top car park at Pico do Arieiro has about 70 spaces and fills before sunrise. Lusa reported the access roads jammed by visitors again in September 2025, with cars parked on the verges. With a drop you skip the car park, and nobody in your group drives the mountain road after 6.1 km of PR1 and 2.8 km down PR1.2.

PR1 from the drop to the pickup

Dropped at Pico do Arieiro, collected at Achada do Teixeira. Between Pedra Rija and Pico Ruivo the path runs one way only.
  1. Start Pico do Arieiro
  2. Pedra Rija
  3. Pico Ruivo
  4. End Achada do Teixeira
  • Drop: Pico do Arieiro top car park
  • One way: Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo
  • Pickup: Achada do Teixeira car park

Timing, waiting and closures

Timed to your slot

You book your SIMplifica slot, and we drop you about 20 minutes before it starts.

Pickup window at the trail end

We agree a pickup window of 30 minutes either side of your expected finish, you message us when you're about 30 minutes from the end, and after the window we wait 60 minutes free.

If the trail closes

If IFCN closes your trail, you choose a plan B route, a new date or a free cancellation.

No phone signal at the end

If there's no phone signal at the end, your driver waits at the car park named in your confirmation for the whole window.

Terms reviewed on 25 September 2026

PR1 questions

Is PR1 closed?

The PR1 crossing from Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo was closed when we checked on 25 September 2026. The walk from Pico do Arieiro to Pedra Rija and back was open, and we drop and collect you at Arieiro for it. IFCN publishes the live status in its trail table, and it can change from one week to the next.

How long does the PR1 hike take?

PR1 is 6.1 km and takes about 3 h by the published walking time, and PR1.2 then adds 2.8 km down to Achada do Teixeira. With an 08:00 slot your driver picks you up in Funchal at about 06:55, and you're back at your hotel in the early afternoon.

Can we start from Achada do Teixeira?

Not on PR1, because IFCN keeps the path two-way between Pico do Arieiro and Pedra Rija, one-way from Pedra Rija to Pico Ruivo (Arieiro to Ruivo only). From Achada do Teixeira you can walk PR1.2 up to Pico Ruivo and back, which is the Santana hills drop and collect.

What if we're slower than planned?

Your driver waits 60 minutes free after the pickup window, which already runs 30 minutes either side of your expected finish. Message us when you're about 30 minutes from Achada do Teixeira. When you book, tell us your group's usual pace, and we set the expected finish to match.

How much is the PR1 trail fee?

The full PR1 costs €10.50 a person on SIMplifica, and that also covers PR1.2 down to Achada do Teixeira. The fee is waived for residents of Madeira, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion. They still book a slot. How to book on SIMplifica covers every step and the other trail fees.

Can 6 of us go in one car?

Yes, our car has 7 seats and takes up to 6 passengers. For 5 or 6 hikers the PR1 drop and collect is €180 per car, and for 1 to 4 it is €160. The price covers everyone in the car.

Can we do the sunrise hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo?

Yes, when the crossing is open the drop at Pico do Arieiro can be before sunrise, at the price of the PR1 drop and collect. Book a SIMplifica slot for soon after sunrise, using the sunrise times by month. IFCN listed the crossing as closed on 25 September 2026.

Send us your slot and we'll time the drop to it.

We reply within 60 minutes (07:00–22:00) to confirm your date and the pickup time. If the crossing is closed on your date, send the slot for Pedra Rija or for PR1.2, and we time that drop the same way.

Who drives you: Dmitriy

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