Madeira´s highest Peaks - Pico Areeiro to Pico Ruivo

Andrea Cantalupa

Oct 2025

What made this excursion wonderful was the hike and views from Pico Ruvio. The view was stunning, the path was cared for and safe, there is a hut just before the peak and at the base of the trail to get a cold beverage and use the bathroom. Truly a must do experience in Madeira. This review is not meant to take away from the absolute beauty of this trail, but to offer feedback on the experience provided by this tour company. I booked my tour through the Get Your Guide app and my excursion was last week. To start, I’m not even sure our guides name, as I think she only mentioned it once and no one I asked in our group over the course of the day knew it either. To me, that’s a safety concern. In the event there were to be an emergency on the trail, I would not know who to yell out to for help, and at times, our group was very spread out. I also did not find her particularly informative, personable, or attentive to those having a harder time with the trail. Also, the description of this hike was misleading. My ticket was advertised as the traditional “peaks” tour- between Pico Ruvio and Pico Aeieiro. I personally had known the trail that connects the 2 was closed, however, that should be reflected in the hike’s title and description when purchasing the ticket. And the hike being done instead should be described. It was not for me. Many group members I spoke to, myself included, learned they were not seeing both peaks while they were in the bus on the way up, when it was too late to do anything about it. This felt like a bit of a trap. Pick up for this hike also was 45 mins late. I understand things happen in this regard, but it feels part of a larger trend of challenges with this experience on my end. I truly hope my experience was a one off and not reflective of the company as a whole, because as I stated earlier- Pico Ruvio and Madeira island are beautiful and well worth the trip. But when searching for a tour company to provide this experience, safety concerns and misinformation cannot be overlooked for me. I hope this review is used to provide a better experience to future travelers.

stephane menez (Stephane)

Aug 2025

Amazing walk in the laurisilva forest of Madeira on the Calderão Verde path.

Arthur SOARES

Jun 2025

(Translated by Google) Absolutely avoid this – a disastrous experience due to blatant amateurism. We booked a guided hike to Pico Ruivo/Pico Arieiro through the GetYourGuide app, expecting to benefit from professional guidance. What a mistake… From the outset, we were taken in charge by an individual whose name we never learned, who couldn't speak three words of French and barely any English. It was therefore difficult to establish any trust whatsoever. The driver, clearly overwhelmed, hurled insults in Portuguese throughout the journey, unable to find the people to pick up, and completely helpless as soon as the road started to climb. A sluggish van, disastrous organization, and a deplorable atmosphere. Upon arrival, the weather didn't permit the climb – which can happen, it's part of the game. What should never happen, however, is to be offered only one alternative excursion, already done by most of the group, and then to be insulted when we asked to discuss it. No professionalism, no listening, no willingness to offer a solution. And to top it all off: we were left 15 km from the starting point, without a word or even a goodbye. Disgraceful treatment, unacceptable behavior. When we had to call the agency, their "director" refused to hear anything about it, offered no other solution than to wait until 5 pm, the end of the excursion (it was 11:30 am), to come and pick us up, and made no commitment to any compensation for this disrespectful situation. We didn't care about getting a refund for a time issue or an alternative route; we wanted a gesture of goodwill for the insults we received... but no such luck! In short, Nature Meetings is "nature" in name only, and nothing like a professional meeting. Avoid it. (Original) À fuir absolument – une expérience catastrophique due à un amateurisme flagrant. Nous avions réservé une excursion pour l’ascension Pico Ruivo / Pico Arieiro avec guide, via l’application Get Your Guide, pensant profiter de l’encadrement d’un professionnel. Quelle erreur… Dès le départ, nous avons été pris en charge par un individu dont nous n’avons jamais su le nom, incapable de dire trois mots en français et à peine en anglais. Difficile donc d’instaurer la moindre confiance. Le chauffeur, visiblement dépassé, lançait des insultes en portugais tout au long du trajet, incapable de trouver les gens à récupérer et totalement impuissant dès que la route montait un peu. Un van poussif, une organisation désastreuse, une ambiance déplorable. Arrivés sur place, la météo ne permettait pas l’ascension – ce qui peut arriver, c’est le jeu. Ce qui ne devrait jamais arriver, en revanche, c’est de proposer une seule excursion alternative déjà faite par la majorité du groupe, puis de nous insulter lorsque nous avons demandé à en discuter. Aucun professionnalisme, aucune écoute, aucune volonté de proposer une solution. Et pour couronner le tout : on nous a laissés à 15 km du point de départ, sans un mot ni même un adieu. Traitement indigne, comportement inacceptable. Quand il a fallu appeler l’agence, leur « directeur » n’a pas voulu entendre parler de quoi que ce soit, n’a proposé comme solution de rapatriement que d’attendre 17h le soir la fin de l’excursion (il était 11h30) pour venir nous récupérer et ne s’est engagé sur aucun dédommagement vis à vis de cette situation irrespectueuse. Nous n’en avions rien à faire d’être remboursé pour une histoire de temps ou d’itinéraire alternatif, nous voulions un geste commercial concernant les insultes que nous avions reçu.. mais que nenni ! Bref, Nature Meetings n’a de "nature" que le nom, et rien d’un "meeting" professionnel. Fuyez.