Pico Ruivo

Overview

Pico Ruivo is the highest point of Madeira at 1,861 m and the third highest in Portugal, a summit of red rock above the tree-heath of the central massif that is reached only on foot: by the short path from Achada do Teixeira, 2.8 km each way with barely a rise, or by the long one from Pico do Areeiro, 7 km over ridges, staircases and tunnels between three of the island’s highest peaks. From the top the island lies below on both sides, and on a clear day Porto Santo and the Desertas are on the horizon.

There is a €3 entry fee for the summit paths for anyone over 12, and a shelter just below the top, renovated in 2019, with water, toilets and meals; the surrounding heath is home to the Madeira firecrest, the chaffinch and the linnet, and the rock towers often stand above the cloud.

Visiting

The short route, PR1.2 from the car park at Achada do Teixeira above Santana, takes about an hour and a half return along a stone path past shelters built against the weather, with the Homem em Pé rock standing at the start and the view opening over the massif; it is the one for most people. The long route, PR1 from the viewpoint at Pico do Areeiro at 1,818 m, reached by road from Funchal, links Areeiro, Pico das Torres and Ruivo in about three and a half hours one way, through volcanic tunnels and up steep staircases with the lowest point at 1,491 m and a final climb to the shelter; up to a thousand people a day pass Areeiro at peak times.

From the shelter the path down to Ilha on the north coast, PR1.1, drops 1,376 m in 8.2 km through the heath and then the laurel forest, three hours, with the endemic birds along the way.

History

The peak is the highest point of the mountainous spine that runs the length of the island, volcanic rock cut by the deep valleys of the Ribeira Grande and São Jorge to the north and the Curral das Freiras to the south; the caves along the Encumeada path were shelters for the men who cut tree heath for stakes, firewood and charcoal. The trails cross Natura 2000 areas of the central massif and the laurel forest, and the western path to Encumeada was closed in late 2024 by fire damage.

Tips

• The Areeiro to Ruivo path is exposed and the tunnels are dark; torch, layers and a check on the forecast, because cloud and wind arrive fast at 1,800 m.
• Walk Areeiro to Ruivo in the morning and descend to Achada do Teixeira, where a taxi ordered in advance waits; the return over the ridge in the afternoon is the version that ends in the dark.
• The sunrise from Areeiro is the island’s ritual and the car park fills before dawn; Ruivo at sunrise means a head-torch start from Achada.
• Achada do Teixeira is the best night sky on the island and the university’s astronomy group meets there.

Nearby

• Pico do Areeiro: 7 km by the ridge path.
• Achada do Teixeira: 2.8 km.
• Santana: the north-coast town below.
• Laurisilva of Madeira: the forest on the slopes below.