PR 1.3 · Madeira
Vereda da Encumeada
The stretch between Boca das Torrinhas and Encumeada stays closed.
The mountain traverse from Pico Ruivo west to Encumeada. Half of it is currently closed.
- Distance 11.2 km
- Walking time 5 h
- Highest point 1,764 m
- Difficulty Moderate
- Route One way
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
One way. The trail ends somewhere else from where it starts, so plan how you get back before you set off.
The walk
On paper this is one of the great walks on the island: 11 km along the spine from Pico Ruivo to the pass at Encumeada, dropping from 1764 m to around 1000 m.
In practice you cannot do it. The section from Boca das Torrinhas down to Encumeada has been closed since a landslide, and only the first half reopened. From Boca das Torrinhas you can continue on the PR 2 towards Curral das Freiras or Boaventura, which is the official suggestion and a serious day in itself.
Worth knowing that the tourism board's own site gives both five hours and six hours for this one, in the data box and in the text. For the full route, believe the six.
High and exposed, and the closed section is closed for a reason. Do not walk past the barrier.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 1.3
- You, on the line The whole trail on the map with your position on it, from the car park to the end.
- No signal needed Kept on your phone for the valleys and tunnels where the network goes.
- Today's free slots Every half hour of the day, live from SIMplifica, and booking in a tap.
- A timer for the walk Private, it counts from the trailhead and stops by itself at the end.
- To do, and done Mark the walks you want to do and the ones you have walked.
- Open or closed, every morning The IFCN status on every trail, read again each day.
Questions people ask
Is PR 1.3 open today?
Partly. The IFCN lists PR 1.3 (Vereda da Encumeada) as partly open. The stretch between Boca das Torrinhas and Encumeada stays closed.
Do I need a licence for PR 1.3?
Yes. Every visitor over twelve books an entry slot on SIMplifica, the regional government's portal, before walking, and pays €4.50. Madeira residents, children aged twelve and under and people with a disability of 60% or more do not pay, but still register.
How long does PR 1.3 take?
The official walking time is 5 h for 11.2 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 1.3 (11.2 km, 5 h in the data box and 6 h in the text, moderate, 1009–1764 m)
- Visit Madeira and IFCN: partial reopening, Boca das Torrinhas to Encumeada remains closed
- IFCN / SIMplifica (licence and fee)
Status as the IFCN publishes it. This page was last rebuilt on 15 October at 07:00, Madeira time. Trails close without warning after storms: check again on the morning you walk.
Guides that mention this trail
Trails nearby
All 43 trailsCaminho do Norte
Three kilometres downhill from the Encumeada pass to Ribeira Grande in São Vicente.
- 3.2 km
- 1 h 30
- Moderate
- One way
PR 22 Open Vereda do Chão dos Louros
A short loop around the Chão dos Louros forest park, and the only classified trail here that brings you back to your car.
- 1.9 km
- 45 min
- Easy
- Loop
Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal
The hardest classified trail on the island: 15 km across the centre from Lombo do Mouro to Encumeada, through long dark tunnels. Currently open only in part.
- 15 km
- 6 h 30
- Hard
- One way