PR 12 · Madeira
Caminho Real da Encumeada
Passable from Boca da Corrida to km 3.5; closed beyond.
The old royal road between Boca da Corrida and Encumeada. Only the first 3.5 km are open.
- Distance 12.5 km
- Walking time 5 h
- Highest point 1,323 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
This is one of the old caminhos reais, the paved routes that crossed the island before there were roads, running 12.5 km under the central peaks from Boca da Corrida to the pass at Encumeada.
Only the first three and a half kilometres are open. Both the tourism board and the IFCN say so, and it has been that way for a while. Walked as an out-and-back to the restriction and back it is still a good half day, with the mountains above you the whole time.
If it reopens fully, note the transport: Rodoeste line 6 reaches Encumeada once a day, arriving mid-morning and leaving at four. There is no bus to Boca da Corrida at all.
Before you go
By bus
No bus to Boca da Corrida. Encumeada, at the far end, has one Rodoeste line 300/301 (formerly 6) service each way per day, and the timetable warns it can change with road conditions on the ER 105.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 12
- 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 12 open today?
Partly. The IFCN lists PR 12 (Caminho Real da Encumeada) as partly open. Passable from Boca da Corrida to km 3.5; closed beyond.
Do I need a licence for PR 12?
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 12 take?
The official walking time is 5 h for 12.5 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Can I get to PR 12 by bus?
No bus to Boca da Corrida. Encumeada, at the far end, has one Rodoeste line 300/301 (formerly 6) service each way per day, and the timetable warns it can change with road conditions on the ER 105.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 12 (12.5 km, 5 h, moderate, 830–1323 m) and its restriction to km 3.5
- Visit Madeira open/closed list: partially open, Boca da Corrida to km 3.5
- Rodoeste line 6 timetable (Funchal 07:35 → Encumeada 09:25; return 16:00 → Funchal 18:00)
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 trailsVereda da Encumeada
The mountain traverse from Pico Ruivo west to Encumeada. Half of it is currently closed.
- 11.2 km
- 5 h
- Moderate
- One way
Caminho do Norte
Three kilometres downhill from the Encumeada pass to Ribeira Grande in São Vicente.
- 3.2 km
- 1 h 30
- Moderate
- One way
Levada do Barreiro
A high levada from Poço da Neve, near the Areeiro road, down to the Casa do Barreiro. Partly passable at the moment; check the IFCN.
- 6.7 km
- Easy
- One way