Santana
Pico Ruivo, the highest point and the one with no road
The short answer
Pico Ruivo is the highest point in the Madeira archipelago and the third-highest in Portugal. No road reaches the summit. Every approach is a Classified Walking Route requiring a paid SIMplifica booking, and the shortest of them is still an hour and a half on foot each way.
Trail fee, per person over twelve
€4.50
Booked as a dated timeslot on the SIMplifica portal. Free for ages twelve and under, who still have to be on the booking.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Altitude
1,862 m
The highest point in the archipelago.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Santana |
|---|---|
| Type | Viewpoints |
| How long | 1 hour 30 minutes each way at minimum |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Cost | €4.50 via PR1.2 |
| Best season | Year round, clearest in summer and early autumn |
| Permit | Yes — book before you go |
Reaching it
The summit stands at 1,862 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. Every route to it is a Classified Walking Route, so every route to it is a paid, timed booking on SIMplifica. The shortest is PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira at €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, which is 2.8 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 each way.
The other approaches are PR1.1 up from Ilha and the one-way ridge from Pico do Areeiro on PR1. Both are longer and both need transport arranged in advance.
What the summit looks out on
From the top the view runs down into Curral das Freiras, across Câmara de Lobos, and over the São Jorge and Ribeira Grande valleys on the north side. The Desertas and Porto Santo appear when the air is clear.
The summit sits above the cloud base as often as it sits below it. That is the reason people go at dawn, and the reason plenty of them see nothing.
What is not perfect about it
There is no road to the summit and no shortcut to it. On good days the Desertas and Porto Santo are visible; on bad days the reward for the climb is the inside of a cloud, and the fee is not refunded for weather.
Questions people actually ask
How high is Pico Ruivo?
1,862 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. It is the highest point in the Madeira archipelago and the third-highest in Portugal.
Can you drive to Pico Ruivo?
No. The nearest road end is Achada do Teixeira, and the shortest walk from there is 2.8 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 each way on PR1.2.
What does it cost to reach the summit?
€4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 on PR1.2, booked as a timeslot on SIMplifica. A full PR1 ticket covers it instead.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Pico Ruivo. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/santan Read August 26, 2026.
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.