PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha — Madeira hike guide

Tell me about the PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha hike in Madeira

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The user is asking about a specific hiking trail - PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha in Madeira. Let me look this up using the find_hikes tool.The find_hikes tool returned 0 results for "PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha". Let me try a broader search - maybe the trail name is slightly different or I should search differently.The user asked about PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha. I found it in the official IFCN trails. Let me compile the key information: - PR code: PR 1.1 - Name: Vereda da Ilha - Route: Pico Ruivo – Ilha - Distance: 8.2 km - Difficulty: Moderate (IFCN) / Hard (AllTrails community) - Duration: 3 hours (IFCN) - Start point: Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo - End point: Ilha - Max altitude: 1764m - Min altitude: 490m - Managing entity: IFCN - Access fee: €4.50 for visitors > 12 years, exempt for ≤ 12 years (via SIMplifica portal) - AllTrails: 4.6★ from 161 reviews - There's also a community trail that combines it with Levada do Caldeirão Verde (14.8 km, hard) The note says not to state the status since it's deliberately omitted in this evergreen context. The status field is empty. I should tell the user to check the current trail status. Let me also find a video for this trail and maybe the webcam.Now I have the information about PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha. Let me compose a comprehensive answer based on the tool results. Key facts from the official data: - PR code: PR 1.1 - Name: Vereda da Ilha - Region: Madeira - Managing entity: IFCN - Route: Pico Ruivo – Ilha - Distance: 8.2 km - Difficulty: Moderate (official) / Hard (AllTrails community) - Duration: 3 hours (official) - Start point: Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo - End point: Ilha - Max altitude: 1,764 m - Min altitude: 490 m - Access fee: €4.50 for visitors > 12 years, exempt for visitors ≤ 12 years (via SIMplifica portal) - AllTrails: 4.6★ from 161 reviews The note says not to state open/closed status since this is an evergreen page, but I should tell the reader to check the current status. There's also a community trail (longer combined route) but the user asked specifically about PR 1.1, so I'll focus on that and mention the combined route briefly. Let me write a nice answer in English since the question was inEnglish.

How this was derived · 4 steps

TrailsMap & photos

Vereda da Ilha6 photos

Photos: walkmeguide.com ↗

Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)

Vereda da Ilha 4.6 Directions

Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)

PR 1.1 — Vereda da Ilha

Vereda da Ilha is an official PR trail on Madeira, managed by IFCN. It runs from the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo (the mountain shelter near Madeira's highest peak) downhill through spectacular mountain terrain to the village of Ilha, in the municipality of Santana.

Quick Facts


Official code	PR 1.1
Route	Pico Ruivo → Ilha
Distance	8.2 km
Official difficulty	Moderate
Estimated duration	~3 hours
Start point	Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo (1,764 m)
End point	Ilha (490 m)
Altitude range	1,764 m → 490 m
Managed by	IFCN

Access Fee 💶

This trail requires a paid access pass via the SIMplifica portal:

€4.50 — visitors over 12 years
Free — visitors 12 years and under

Hiker Reviews

4.6 ★ from 161 reviews on AllTrails — the community rates it as hard (due to the significant elevation loss and rugged terrain), and most hikers report it takes 7.5–8.5 hours round-trip. AllTrails page ↗

What to Expect

The trail descends dramatically from Pico Ruivo — Madeira's highest point at 1,862 m — through Laurisilva forest and exposed mountain ridgelines, ending down in the lush Ilha valley. The views across the central massif are outstanding, and the vegetation shifts from alpine heath to dense laurel forest as you lose altitude. It's a point-to-point trail, so you'll need to arrange transport at the far end or hike back up.

⚠️ Before you go, check the current trail status — open/closed conditions change with weather and maintenance. You can verify the latest status on OpenMadeira.

Getting There

Directions to the trailhead ↗ — Google Maps will route you from wherever you are.

Photos: walkmeguide.com

Want me to check the mountain weather forecast and IPMA warnings for the day you're planning to hike, or look into how to get to Pico Ruivo by bus?

OpenMadeira can make mistakes — check the sources.