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The Pico do Arieiro is with an altitude of 1818 meters the second highest summit on Madeira commanding breathtaking views over the surrounding mountains, peaks and valleys. It just goes to show how beautiful and mountainous this island is !
The climb to Pico do Arieiro is a journey through geologic time. A stretch of bright yellow gorse gives way to treeless, dust-swept mounds of volcano, 20 million years old. At that time, of course, it was covered by water. Only when it burst molten from the sea, did Madeira begin to take shape. Lava flowed and the earth shifted, creating great fissures and cliffs that can be seen from the peak, a view that is a mere 1,7 million years old.