A new daily bus route makes it easier to visit Pico do Arieiro, avoiding traffic problems at one of Madeira's biggest attractions
Pico do Arieiro, one of Madeira's most visited sites, can now be reached by bus. The Horários do Funchal company has launched a regular transport route.
There are two uphill journeys between Praça da Autonomia in Funchal and Pico do Arieiro (at 6am and 1.30pm respectively) and two downhill journeys (at 12.15pm and 7pm). There are several stops in both directions and the bus can be boarded at any of them.
The cost of the journey is 3 euros each way and tickets must be purchased on board. Seat reservations can be made between seven and two days before the date of the journey, but the reservation only applies to the initial stops of each journey.
In between these connections, the bus operates a Shuttle service between the Serras de Santo António Forest Path and the Pico do Arieiro roundabout. With 15-minute intervals, each journey costs 1.10 euros and tickets are also bought on board.
The bus can seat up to 31 passengers, though standing passengers are also allowed.
The launch of this route is a response to the increase in visitors to Pico do Arieiro. At 1,818 metres, it is the third-highest peak in Madeira. It is sought after for its landscape, which offers a 360-degree panorama of the island, sometimes above the clouds, but also by many hikers who want to go on walks, taking advantage of the famous PR1, which leads to Pico Ruivo, Madeira's highest peak.
In recent years the number of visitors using rented cars instead of tour groups has made traffic more intense and sometimes chaotic on Pico do Arieiro, making it difficult to enjoy the experience. The bus, along with more car parks, is meant to address this issue.
www.horariosdofunchal.pt
