Pico Ruivo, the top of the island
Madeira's highest peak, reached only on foot: the shortest way is the PR1.2 from the Achada do Teixeira car park.
Pico Ruivo at a glance
Madeira's highest peak, 1,862 m, reached only on foot: the shortest way is a 2.8 km path from the Achada do Teixeira car park.
- Where
- Santana, in the central mountains
- From Funchal by car
- about 70 min
- Time to allow
- 1 h 30 there and back from Achada do Teixeira, plus the top
- Trail
- PR1.2 PR1
- Trail booking
- a SIMplifica slot for each walker, €4.50 a person
- Height
- 1,862 m
- PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira
- 5.6 km there and back, about 1 h 30
- Near the top
- a mountain house selling tea, coffee, soft drinks, water and homemade cakes
Go there with us
- Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei Hiking transfer Your times drop-off and pickup €2151–4
- One-way drop at Achada do Teixeira Hiking transfer Your time drop-off €1351–4
- PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Achada do Teixeira, our car only: from your hotel and back Hiking transfer Your times drop-off and pickup €2101–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see
Pico Ruivo is the highest point of Madeira, 1,862 m. No road reaches it. The shortest way up is the PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira, a car park above Santana by the basalt rock called Homem em Pé, the standing man. The path climbs along a ridge with shelters on the way, to a mountain house just below the summit, then a short last climb to the top.
From the summit you look across the central peaks towards Pico do Arieiro, often over a sea of cloud. Three other trails meet at the mountain house: the PR1 from Pico do Arieiro, the PR1.1 to Ilha and the PR1.3 towards Encumeada.
Before you go
- Book a SIMplifica slot for each walker, €4.50 a person. A full PR1 ticket (€10.50) also covers the PR1.2.
- Sunrise on the summit? IFCN's slots run every 30 minutes from sunrise to sunset, so a start in the dark may have no slot to book. Check on SIMplifica before you plan it; Pico do Arieiro is the sunrise you can drive to.
- Sunset means walking down in the dark: bring a torch each.
- Bring a warm layer and a rain jacket. The weather up here changes fast, which is why the path has shelters.
- No bus. buses run to Santana; none to Achada do Teixeira.
Pico Ruivo with us
With the Santana hills hiking transfer your driver drops you at Achada do Teixeira at your slot time and collects you there after the walk up and back. Walking the PR1 from Pico do Arieiro instead? The PR1 transfer drops you at Arieiro and collects you at Achada do Teixeira, where the walk ends.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Pico do Arieiro
A 1,818 m peak you can drive to, where the PR1 starts and the sun often rises above a sea of cloud.
-
Caldeirão Verde
A levada walk from Queimadas through laurel forest and four rock tunnels to a waterfall dropping into a pool.
-
Santana
A north-coast town known for its small triangular houses with thatched roofs and colourful fronts.
-
Ribeiro Frio and the Balcões walk
A forest hamlet with a trout hatchery, where the short, level PR11 levada walk leads to the Balcões viewpoint.
Pico Ruivo questions
How long is the walk to Pico Ruivo?
From Achada do Teixeira by the PR1.2 it is 5.6 km there and back, about 1 h 30, by the official time. From Pico do Arieiro by the PR1 it is 6.1 km one way, about 3 h by the official time, and you finish at Achada do Teixeira.
Can you drive to Pico Ruivo?
No. The nearest road ends at the Achada do Teixeira car park, and the summit is a walk of about 45 minutes each way from there.
Can you watch the sunrise from Pico Ruivo?
Possibly, but check first: IFCN's trail slots run every 30 minutes from sunrise to sunset, and a summit sunrise means starting in the dark. Pico do Arieiro, which has a road to the top, is the easier sunrise.
A drop at Achada do Teixeira
Send us your slot time and where you're staying. We reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the drop time and the price for the car.
Santana hills: Caldeirão Verde, Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira, Levada do Rei €215 per car for 1 to 4 people, €235 for 5 or 6