Pico Ruivo from Achada do Teixeira

PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo is on the IFCN classified-trail table updated on 2 October 2026 and read here on 12 October 2026. The official distance on that table is 2.8 km each way (5.6 km there and back). The places named there are Achada do Teixeira and Pico Ruivo. The status on that table is: open. Route Summary: 2.8 km each way (5.6 km there and back) · 1 h 30 min – 2 h 00 min · +270 m / -270 m (1,592 m – 1,862 m) · Easy–Moderate · Out-and-back returns to car. No public road reaches the summit of Pico Ruivo. Achada do Teixeira, on the northern spur above Santana, is the highest point reachable by vehicle and serves both as the starting car park for out-and-back walkers on PR 1.2 and as the finish car park for hikers completing the one-way central ridge traverse on PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro.

Why PR 1.2 is the primary two-way route to Pico Ruivo

While PR 1 from Pico do Areeiro is a 6.1 km one-way ridge traverse past Miradouro da Pedra Rija that requires a transfer at the finish, PR 1.2 is an open two-way mountain path where you walk 2.8 km to the summit and 2.8 km back to the same car park:

• Direct car return: Ideal for rental-car drivers who want to stand on Madeira's highest peak and walk straight back to their parked vehicle at Achada do Teixeira.
• No unlit tunnels: Unlike the western line of PR 1, PR 1.2 stays in the open air along a broad, stone-pitched ridge crest without dark rock tunnels or cliffside metal ladders.
• Ridge shelters: Three stone wind shelters stand along the paved climb between Achada do Teixeira and the Pico Ruivo mountain refuge, offering cover if northern trade-wind squalls sweep across the saddle.

For a full comparison between starting at Achada do Teixeira and starting at Pico do Areeiro, read Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo: which trailhead?.

Road access and parking at Achada do Teixeira

Achada do Teixeira is reached from Santana on the north coast by climbing the signed municipal mountain road (Estrada da Achada do Teixeira) through eucalyptus and laurel forest up to the open heath ridge.

• No public bus at the trailhead: Scheduled buses serve Santana town below, but no public bus climbs to the Achada do Teixeira car park. Walkers without a car take a local taxi from Santana or arrange a pre-booked transfer.
• Car park capacity: The tarmac car park at Achada do Teixeira is spacious, but sunrise and mid-morning slots fill quickly with both out-and-back walkers and pickup vans meeting PR 1 hikers. Park strictly within marked bays.

Connecting routes at the Pico Ruivo refuge

Just below the final summit steps at the Pico Ruivo refuge (Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo), four classified routes converge:

• PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo: 2.8 km back to Achada do Teixeira (open both ways).
• PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro: 6.1 km from Pico do Areeiro. Because the western tunnel section between Pedra Rija and Pico Ruivo is one-way toward Pico Ruivo, hikers coming up PR 1.2 from Achada do Teixeira cannot walk south onto PR 1 toward Pico do Areeiro.
• PR 1.1 Vereda da Ilha: 8.2 km descending north from Pico Ruivo into the parish of Ilha (listed open).
• PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada: 11.2 km on the table, currently closed between Pico Ruivo and Boca das Torrinhas (open only between Boca das Torrinhas and Encumeada).

Weather exposure and before you go

Wind and cloud on the bare northern ridge are a morning question before you leave Santana, not a status the IFCN table states; see the Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo weather note. Pack a windproof jacket, warm layer, sun protection, and water even when the coast is warm. The IFCN fee FAQ lists €4.50 per person for a standalone walk on PR 1.2, and €10.50 for the full one-way traverse from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo (which already covers PR 1.1, PR 1.2, and PR 1.3 when open). A €4.50 Pedra Rija ticket on PR 1 is not upgraded into the full route. Residents, children aged 12 or under, and covered disability cases pay €0 and still need a reservation; see PR trail fees and reservation rules on Madeira. This site does not publish a live forecast. Source: Percursos pedestres classificados, table updated 2 October 2026, read here on 12 October 2026. The fee figures are from the IFCN fee FAQ.