By improving sliding durability while ensuring a high SNR, an improvement in reliability and a further increase in recording density are to be achieved.The structure of a method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to the present invention includes: a main recording layer forming step of forming, on a substrate, at least a main recording layer formed of magnetic particles having a CoCrPt alloy as a main component and a non-magnetic grain boundary part having an oxide as a main component; a split layer forming step of forming a split layer having a Ru alloy or a Co alloy as a main component on the main recording layer; a first heating step of performing a heat treatment on the substrate after the split layer forming step; an auxiliary recording layer forming step of forming an auxiliary recording layer formed of a material having CoCrPt as a main component after the first heating step; a second heating step of performing a heat treatment on the substrate after the auxiliary recording layer forming step; and a protective layer forming step of forming a protective layer having carbon as a main component by CVD after the second heating step.