Pr1 - Pico Arieiro - Pico Ruivo - Achadas Do Teixeira

The pickup was on time, good & helpfull guide Maria along the walk, thanks for providing the hiking poles

Everything was excellent.The tour guide Elton was very sociable and did a excellent job.

The experience was amazing, with striking views throughout. Our guide, Elton, was exceptional. We feel quite pleased with this journey.

Good guiding, good walk although weather was against us. I’m sure on a clear day it would have been awesome!

Did the Pico Do Areeiro/ Pico Ruivo/ Achada Do Teixeira walk (challenge!) with the brilliant Maria, she made a challenging hike most enjoyable. This is a must do hike with stunning views. Many thanks for a great day. Steve and Karen S

Amazing experience walking above the clouds!

Nice guides, a lot of explanation of nature and Madeira

thanks Maria for being a great guide and for the memories. Me and Andy had a great time doing the PR1 walk. highly recommend.

Perfect experience. Special thanks to our guide Maria, she was wonderful

Good group tour - very busy hike and you will hike at the busiest time of the day but the guide was good and it seemed well organised

Amazing day but didn’t do the final peak x no mention was made of it during the day x Teixera x Friendly guide and good pace for the walk x would recommend good boots and plenty water

We did two hikes with Madeira Free Spirit Walks - Pico Arieriro to Pico Ruivo and Legado Vento as well as the Jeep Tour. I would thoroughly recommend this company as the walking tours are small groups with a maximum of 15 people and the Jeep Tour was up to 7 people per jeep. The hiking guides Maria and Susannah were really knowledgeable about the flora/fauna and you met people from a variety of countries. It is a fantastic way to see this amazing place.

Our party were guided expertly by Elton across PR1. He not only made sure we enjoyed the walk safely, but he also gave us some great insights into the area, the island and the route itself.

Not difficulte, but amazing trip to the mountines, very kinde, knowledgeable, fun to be around gide Suzan.

Amazing hike pt Ruivio with guide Elton, so knowledgeable, friendly, interesting and helpful. Tax is €4.50, full day hike , very friendly, group of 11,driver and guide excellent, best for nature lovers and a love of walking in altitude as 1862 metres above sea level I highly recommend doing hikes with Elton

Very picturesque hike - our guide Susanna was very knowledgeable and flexible. Thanks to her scheduling we were able to enjoy the views from the top without clouds. I also enjoyed the walk in the forest and the waterfall at the end of it.

Excellently organised trip and stunning scenery. This trip is a must do experience in Madeira. Maria was an amazing and informative guide.

Super interesting hike, we started before car park for main trail and came up via a shepherds path which was so unique. Out guide Elton was very knowledgeable about the area, nature and wildlife and shared lots of information with the group, a must do for travellers, highly recommend

Amazing expierience! Very helpful and kind guide. Amazing views from the top. Route was short and not difficult but views were amazing. Really recommended.

The Levada walk was nice and relaxing. The hike to the peak was quite a bit more challenging. Our guide was very good and she stopped along the way to point out things of interest. This was also done to allow everyone to catch their breath. We really enjoyed the experience.

On time pick up where Maria welcomed us & Full explanation of tour. Driver gave us a few laughs along the way. Maria guided us on the trail and was very knowledgeable on the wildlife and environment and you could tell how proud she is of her homeland Madeira & cared about nature. The trail was moderate and couple of steep sections but the views along the way and at the summit were fabulous, well worth it. It's easier to understand why the other trails were closed due to the fires when you see it up close. Hopefully they will open again soon . Overall a very nice hike enhanced with Maria's enthusiasm and caring personality.

Walk had to be changed twice due to government restrictions and local weather conditions. Was a really good replacement walk with a very helpful and informative guide who looked after with my 75 year old mother. Would highly recommend Maria and free spirit walks. We will be booking another trip with them before we go home

Highly recommend! We had Susanna as our tour guide - she was fantastic. Excellent walks/hike and great knowledge of Madeira meaning we learnt so much about the island. Susanna went above and beyond to ensure everyone was enjoying the walks and felt comfortable. A fabulous excursion which meant we didn’t need a car and got to be in the company of locals. Would absolutely book with Free Spirit Walks again.

The guide was lovely but the tour did state 4 hrs and it took about 6-7 hours. It was a shame that some part of the walk was closed.

We do a lot of walking, but this was our first mountain hike. Susana was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about the island. She is friendly, approachable, and was happy to answer all of our questions. The walk was at a steady pace, with plenty of little breaks along the way. The views from the top were incredible, and we highly recommend giving it a go!

The team were very helpful and efficient . All the staff were very friendly and attentive making it an excellent day . The Pico Rievo walk is spectacular and the forest walk very beautiful . A great team and we will be back for more

We really enjoyed this trip. Maria met us at our hotel and George drove us to the start of our climb which was around an hour away. Maria then guided us to the top of the mountain. We were very lucky with the weather. The mountain tops are often shrouded in cloud but for the most part it was bright and sunny. As you can imagine the views were out of this world. Once we had walked back down George drove us to the forest for the second part of the day. This was a gentle walk through a wooded area and Maria explained when the Levadas were built and how they work. She also told us about the native trees and plants, she really knew her stuff! Definitely recommend Maria, George and Free Spirit Walk!

Amazing experience, easy communication. Received a message with the pick up details. Our guide Maria was friendly and welcoming. We were driven to Achada Texiera and started our hike to Pico Ruivo. Maria led us at an easy pace, giving loads of opportunities for photo stops and sharing interesting facts about the nature- flowers, birds- and the island. We got to the Ruivo accommodation and had an hour break, to climb up to the summit and have lunch. After an hour of admiring the scenery, we descended back to the car park. It was “a free time” so we could walk at our own pace (a bit faster) if we preferred. Then we were transferred about 10 minutes and started a levada walk- that took about an hour with lots of informations. Jorge- our driver was waiting gor us at the end and drove us safely to our pick up/ drop off destination. It was a lovely hassle- free day.

We had a great hiking experience with our guide, Sandra. She made us feel safe throughout the entire trip and brought a wonderful, positive, and genuine energy. Sandra was also very knowledgeable about the surrounding nature. Due to trail closures caused by a forest fire, we had to take an alternative route, which she handled smoothly and professionally.

Really great day with our guide Maria, friendly and informative. Weather was poor so no views but good fun, extra coats were appreciated. The walk we did was not the advertised walk, as the path had been closed since fires last Sumner, but it was a good alternative!

Incredible views overlooking a vast mountainous region on a beautiful sunny day with Maria as our guide who was friendly, led at a nice pace and made sure everyone in our group kept together. We were blessed with the day as the weather was perfect going to up the trail but got cloudy on the way down which showed a different perspective to the mountain. We were contacted a few days beforehand so we were aware that part of the trail isnt open due to the fires and if we were still happy to be part of it which I am delighted we decided to go ahead with our booking. A big thank you to George as he is an excellent driver with a great attitude!

Route changed due to fires. Alternative walk up to Pico Ruivo was excellent, but segment from Pico das Pedras to Queimadras was quite average (although cafe was great). Maria was a great guide and looked after us really well. Good experience all in all.

This was a wonderful hike with our guide Susanna and diver George well worth it! The hike is a little strenuous but at a good pace and the views stupendous! The Levada walk was also great!

Well organized.. enjoyable day. I was sad to hear that the tour had to be changed because of closed trails.. but turned out to be a great day after all. Definately recommend this tour

The walk was very well organised and guided my amazing Marija, we really enjoyed every step, absolutely stunning views, we were really lucky as had a clear skies 😎 Really recommended trip!

This was cancelled at the last minute. We were offered another day when we weren’t on the island. I asked to change to a different tour. I was not helped at all with planning something different. Went with another company.

Unfortunately due to the recent forest fires this iconic walk was cancelled due to safety reasons and concerns and the need to evaluate the conditions- I was offered another two trips as a substitute and the one i chose was excellent and our guide Maria was fantastic and had a very enthusiastic love of the area

Again opted for maderia free spirit walks to do the famous sunrise pico to pico tour. We were driven to Pico Do Arierio where our driver allvaro started the day with hot chocolate and homemade cake! This tour take a headlight or torch as to reach the viewing point you need to navigate dark paths. Our guides Maria and sofia made sure we had a good viewpoint for sunrise.basically, it's a wonderful you have to be prepared for a bit of a workout to get to Pico Arivo. The tour however offers a "soft" option which allows you to experience the sunrise then drives you closer to the finish point which STILL requires some legwork but I though it was great of them to offer this and some guests took it. The way we took around was spectacular! Our guides took us along at a steady pace advising us along our way .it has to be said though some people think it's a race you just let them past. After ups and downs and about 5 tunnels you arrive at pico Ruivo and by then very hot and for us this was another good reason to do this tour as opposed to start later in the day. Fully recommend this trip with maderia free spirit walks

What a hike! The views from the top are incredible - but you do have to earn them. This isn’t the easiest of hikes but it sure is worth it. Our guide, Yulya, made everyone feel super safe, was very caring, and also informative about all the local flora and geology. Would thoroughly recommend this tour company to anyone.

Excellent service from start to finish with this company. Excellent safety advice and guidance. Excellent communication. Excellent customer service. Excellent tour. As a very experienced walker I wanted a reliable company. Maria our guide was outstanding!!! Very knowledgeable and took care of the group perfectly! Please note that this walk is exactly as advertised- it is a challenge, but the company are clear about this.

Wow, wow, wow!! What an experience, I would recommend this to anyone that loves a good view (there are amazing views the whole way round) and is willing to work for it. Our guide, Julia, was amazing - she was very knowledgeable and ensured we and other hikers outside of our group were safe the whole way round. She was also a great laugh and keeping a smile on everyone's face.

No time or chance to take in the views and look around the place on this tour. Not even a tour it’s more a marathon than anything else. Would not recommend unless you plan on speed running this. Also the tour guide will end up shouting at you and calling you unfit just because you take your time and want to reach the actual peak of the mountain and not their affiliated shop. 1/10.

Free spirit walks are a fantastic company to book your hikes through, with knowledgeable guides who are safety conscious. We were due to do the Pico Areiro to Pico Ruivo hike however due to landslides the route was not accessible, when we booked we were made fully aware of this and an alternative hike was provided which we were more than happy with, we hiked from Achada do teixeira to Pico Ruivo and then had a stop off in Santana and to a Viewpoint shortly after. Our guide Philip was fantastic and made regular stops during rhe hike to allow fellow hikers to rejoin the group whilst giving valuable information about local flora and fauna and facts about Madeira and her mountains. We would highly recommend hiking with Free spirit walks to fellow travellers in the future and we will be booking again upon our return.

Pico do Arieiro - Pico Ruivo - Achadas do Teixeira. The trip hike itself was amazing – georgous views – got there in the morning ahead of the big groups. So quiet and peaceful. The pace was set comfortable for everyones fittness. Difficulty: moderate to hard (especially the stairs). Felipe our tour guide, was very friendly, welcoming, a lot of knowledge, careful and patient. Small group was great. Jorge (driver) safe and friendly as well. Was picked up on time at the agreed location. Comfortable and clean car. Definitely a tour company I would go for again and highly recommend! Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you Felipe and Jorge – I wish you all the best – and hopefuly I‘ll get a chance to go back.

I wish I could properly rate this hike, but it’s unfortunately not the one that I did. Due to bad weather and the trail being closed, we wound up doing a different hike along the cost in the northeast of the island. Beautiful hike. One star less because I wish I had known earlier that the plan was changing (I found out upon being picked up) and I felt a bit rushed throughout the hike. The guide was walking very fast. Otherwise he was very nice, gave us lots of great information and told us a lot about Madeira culture (and have us restaurant tips too)!

Really enjoyed the hike! A good walk in the mountains! Yulia was a great guide, and very supportive of the group. Overall difficulty was good - it’s a hard walk with some big steps, we had good weather so traction was good, the metal stairs part way through are steep but are solid stairs so not too bad I didn’t think

We were lucky to have a perfect clear sunny day for this magnificent walk over the highest peaks on Madeira, but even more fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide! Her knowledge of the mountain flora and fauna, and the geology was unparalleled - and all delivered with great humour and indomitable spirit. Expect a strenuous day, as this is probably the toughest of the available guided walks on the island - but the rewards are huge, and the experience unforgettable. Madeira Free Spirits are an excellent choice, and the whole booking process, pick-up and drop-off was extremely slick. We would recommend them unreservedly.

Amazing scenery. Fantastic walk. Guide was fab. Loved it. Pity the weather closed in on the last peak but such a great day

Fantastic guide - it’s a popular hike so not very secluded. There are difficult portions but overall most achievable for most and worth the views above the clouds