PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada

PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada is on the IFCN classified-trail table updated on 2 October 2026 and verified here on 19 October 2026. The official distance for the complete route on that table is 11.2 km between Pico Ruivo and Encumeada pass. However, under official forestry decrees, the operational status of the trail is partly open:

• Pico Ruivo to Boca das Torrinhas (3.9 km): Listed open in both directions.
• Boca das Torrinhas to Encumeada: Listed strictly closed due to post-wildfire slope destabilization, fallen boulders, and destroyed handrails along the southern precipices.

Route Summary: 11.2 km total table length · 3.9 km open alpine segment · 4 h 30 min – 5 h 30 min full traverse estimate · +210 m / -970 m overall profile (1,764 m summit ridge down to 1,007 m at Encumeada) · Hard (High Mountain Ridge) · Out-and-back turnaround required at Boca das Torrinhas unless connecting to PR 2. You cannot use PR 1.3 Vereda da Encumeada to hike through to the Encumeada road pass while the western half remains closed.

How to hike the open 3.9 km section from Pico Ruivo

Because Boca das Torrinhas is an isolated high mountain saddle with no direct vehicle access, the open eastern segment of PR 1.3 must be approached from the central mountain ridge:

• Approach via Achada do Teixeira (PR 1.2): Park at the free public car park at Achada do Teixeira above Santana. Walk 2.8 km up PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo to the Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo mountain refuge (1,764 m). From the junction just below the refuge, follow the signed PR 1.3 path branching westward toward Boca das Torrinhas.
• The open crest to Boca das Torrinhas: The trail contours beneath towering basalt pinnacles along the main spine of the island, dropping gently over 3.9 km from 1,764 m down to 1,416 m at Boca das Torrinhas. You enjoy dizzying views plunging into the volcanic amphitheatre of Curral das Freiras to the south and the verdant gorges of Boaventura to the north.
• Turnaround point and PR 2 connection: At Boca das Torrinhas, physical closure barriers and warning signs prohibit further westward travel toward Encumeada. Hikers must either turn back along the ridge to Pico Ruivo and Achada do Teixeira (7.8 km round trip on PR 1.3 plus 5.6 km on PR 1.2), or take the open PR 2 Vereda do Urzal descending south into Fajã dos Cardos (Curral das Freiras) or north into Boaventura.
• Encumeada trailhead closed for PR 1.3: Do not drive to the Encumeada pass expecting to hike east toward Pico Ruivo. At Encumeada, the PR 1.3 trailhead is blocked by official IFCN closure barriers.

Terrain, vertigo exposure, and weather dynamics

The open alpine crest between Pico Ruivo and Boca das Torrinhas is a serious high-mountain route that requires mountain awareness:

• Ridge exposure and stone staircases: The path follows narrow volcanic ledges and chiselled stone steps cut into basalt dikes. While critical drop-offs are secured by steel cables, the sheer exposure above Curral das Freiras will trigger acrophobia in sensitive walkers. High-traction mountain boots and trekking poles are indispensable.
• Microclimate and cloud ceiling: Cloud sea inversions often billow up from the northern valleys by 10:30 AM, enveloping the Torrinhas ridge in chilling mist and dropping visibility to under 20 metres. Start early from Achada do Teixeira (ideally before 08:00 AM) to experience crisp visibility above the clouds.
• Essential equipment: Carry a windproof and waterproof jacket, a warm thermal midlayer, headlamp, and at least 2 litres of drinking water per person. There are no water sources or operating springs between Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo and Boca das Torrinhas.

2026 SIMplifica fees and reservation protocols

Under 2026 IFCN forestry regulations, classified routes require advance digital registration via SIMplifica (simplifica.madeira.gov.pt):

• Standard PR fee: Non-resident adult visitors (> 12 years old) pay €4.50 per person for a single PR route.
• PR 1 traverse ticket inclusion: Hikers who hold the €10.50 full traverse ticket from PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro have access rights to PR 1.1, PR 1.2, and PR 1.3 included in their booking. Note that a €4.50 short-route ticket (Areeiro to Pedra Rija) cannot be upgraded mid-trail.
• Exemptions: Legal residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, children aged 12 and under (€0.00), and hikers with certified disability ≥ 60% are exempt from the fee, but must still book their free arrival time slot on SIMplifica.
• Enforcement: Uniformed rangers of the Corpo de Polícia Florestal patrol the central massifs. Administrative fines of €50 to €500 apply for entering without a valid reservation, and fines of €250 to €2,500 apply for trespassing beyond the closure barriers at Boca das Torrinhas.