B&Boff route
430 m
Casas de Campo do Pomar
Santana, Sítio do Lombo do Curral 54-56
Small group of rural-tourism country cottages in a large garden, in the Lombo do Curral neighborhood, about 1 km from…
Elevation profile
750 m1,000 m1,250 m1,500 m1,750 m2,000 m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 kmPico Ruivo (refuge) 1,790 m
| Waypoint | Altitude | Km |
|---|---|---|
| Pico Ruivo (refuge) | 1,790 m | 0 km |
| Boca das Torrinhas | 1,437 m | 4.3 km |
| Boca da Encumeada | 1,007 m | 9.9 km |
The route
The PR1.3 Vereda da Encumeada leaves Pico Ruivo heading west and follows the watershed, between the Curral das Freiras valley to the south and the ravines of the north coast. The path, often a balcony above the void, crosses tree-heath moorland and goes over the Boca das Torrinhas pass.
It then drops nearly 1,100 m to the Boca da Encumeada pass (1,007 m), crossed by the São Vicente road and served by Rodoeste buses. You sleep at the hotel on the pass or at the Chão dos Louros camping zone, 700 m away, in a beautiful laurel forest.
Current closure: the Boca das Torrinhas – Encumeada section of the PR1.3 remains closed, with no reopening date (IFCN, November 9, 2026). Only the Pico Ruivo – Boca das Torrinhas section has reopened, on June 18, 2026. No detour is official: you can descend via the PR2 to Curral das Freiras or Boaventura, then reach Encumeada by bus or taxi, or leave Pico Ruivo via the PR1.2 (Achada do Teixeira) or the PR1.1 (Ilha).
Practical tips
- Entering a closed trail can lead to a fine of €250 to €2,500: respect the no-entry signs.
- The PR1.3 is included in the full PR1 ticket, but the PR2 is paid for separately (€4.50).
- The descent is long and steep: poles recommended, and save some energy for the end.
- Buses to Encumeada and Boaventura: Rodoeste routes 304/305 and 306/307 (renumbered in March 2026), a few departures a day.
Water points and tricky sections
1 water point listed on this stage. Springs can run dry in late summer: ask in the cafés along the route and treat the water if in doubt.
| Km | Point | Type | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8 km | Fontaine | Water point | 1,573 m |
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL), points less than 150 m from the trail. Fountains and springs are not tested: treat or filter the water.
Variants on this stage
- PR 1.1 – Vereda da IlhaMoyenne · 7 km · 40 m ascent
- PR 2 – Vereda do UrzalMoyenne · 9.5 km · 1,140 m ascent
Stage map
Where to stay on stage 3?
Accommodation along the stage, at the finish or on its variants, in walking order.
Santana 4 places to stay
Gîteoff route
385 m
Centro de Juventude de Santana (ex-Pousada de Juventude)
Santana, Rua Tenente Domingos Cardoso (Barreiro)
Public youth hostel run by the Region, in the town of Santana: the cheapest accommodation in the area, with…
Hoteloff route
435 m
Hotel O Colmo
Santana, Avenida Manuel Marques da Trindade 42 (center)
3-star hotel with 50 rooms right in the center of Santana, with a restaurant, indoor pool and spa. The most convenient…
Hoteloff route
265 m
Quinta do Furão
Santana, Achada do Gramacho, Estrada da Quinta do Furão (clifftop)
4-star hotel among vineyards, on top of a north-coast cliff, about 2 km from the center of Santana. It is far from the…
Curral das Freiras 3 places to stay
Hoteloff route
1,025 m
©Eira do Serrado Hotel & SPA
Eira do Serrado (viewpoint above Curral das Freiras)
4-star hotel (a former Estalagem) with 26 rooms perched at the Eira do Serrado viewpoint, above the Curral das Freiras…
B&Boff route
635 m
Valley of Nuns Holiday Apartments
Curral das Freiras, Estrada Cónego Camacho 12 (village center)
Two Alojamento Local apartments (93816/AL and 94152/AL) in the center of the village of Curral das Freiras, at the…
B&Boff route
610 m
Danny's Rural Suite
Curral das Freiras, Colmeal (Fajã Escura), north of the village
Very highly rated rural apartments (one-bedroom T1 for 3 people, two-bedroom T2 listed separately) in the farming…
Achada do Teixeira 1 place to stay
Gîteoff route
1,592 m
Mountain Spot Lodge (Achada do Teixeira)
Achada do Teixeira, parking lot at the end of the ER218, start of the PR1.2
Lodge at the Achada do Teixeira parking lot, at the start of the PR1.2: 2.8 km of trail up to the Pico Ruivo hut…
Pico Ruivo 2 places to stay
Refugeto be confirmed
1,760 m
©Casa de Abrigo do Pico Ruivo
Below the summit of Pico Ruivo, junction of the PR1 / PR1.1 / PR1.2 / PR1.3 · Madeira Crossing km 37.7
Stone mountain hut, renovated and reopened in August 2019, a few minutes below the summit, at the trail junction. Its…
Campground
1,790 m
©Zona de acampamento do Pico Ruivo
Pico Ruivo, near the Casa de Abrigo (access on foot only) · Madeira Crossing km 38
Camping zone on the ridge, at the junction of the PR1, PR1.1, PR1.2 and PR1.3 trails, a stone's throw from the hut and…
Encumeada and Chão dos Louros 3 places to stay
B&Boff route
Casinhas da Laurissilva
Sítio da Ribeira Grande (Rosário), on the ER228 between the Boca da Encumeada and São Vicente · Madeira Crossing km 47.8
Small houses deep in the laurel forest on the north side, about 3.3 km by road (ER228) below the Boca da Encumeada…
Campgroundoff route
805 m
©Zona de acampamento do Chão dos Louros
Parque Florestal do Chão dos Louros, on the ER228 below the Boca da Encumeada (north side) · Madeira Crossing km 47.8
Large forest park by the road, about 700 m as the crow flies from the Boca da Encumeada, on the São Vicente side. It…
Hoteloff route
900 m
Valley View Hotel Encumeada
Feiteiras, Serra de Água, below the Encumeada pass (south side) · Madeira Crossing km 48.7
3-star mountain hotel about 650 m as the crow flies below the Encumeada pass, on the Serra de Água side. It is the…
Serra de Água 5 places to stay
B&Boff route
Old Aqueduct Village
Serra de Água (village), Ribeira Brava valley, below the Encumeada pass
Small Alojamento Local property (studios) in the village of Serra de Água, about 5.5 km by road (ER104) below the Boca…
Innto be confirmed
560 m
Pousada dos Vinháticos
Fajã dos Vinháticos, Serra de Água, on the Encumeada road
Historic pousada, opened in 1933 according to Visit Madeira, in the Serra de Água valley, about 2 km as the crow flies…
B&Boff route
Villa Rústica – Casa da Lurdes
Serra de Água, on the village's main road
120 m² holiday home (2 bedrooms, 4 people) in the village of Serra de Água, about 5.5 km by road below the Boca da…
Refugeoff route
1,224 m
Casa Anexa do Lombo do Mouro (IFCN)
Lombo do Mouro, Encumeada – Paul da Serra road, next to the Casa do Lombo do Mouro
Small annexe of the Casa do Lombo do Mouro (4 people maximum), rented separately by the IFCN. Same access: a 10-minute…
Refugeoff route
1,224 m
Casa do Lombo do Mouro (IFCN)
Lombo do Mouro, Encumeada – Paul da Serra road (10 min on foot from the road)
IFCN forest house rented as a whole (10 people maximum), a 10-minute walk from the Paul da Serra road, about 3 km from…
São Vicente 5 places to stay
B&Boff route
Solar da Bica
Sítio dos Lameiros, Rua da Bica 17, on the slopes of the São Vicente valley
Family-run agritourism house (two restored old houses) on a slope of the São Vicente valley, on the edge of the laurel…
Hoteloff route
Estalagem do Vale
Sítio das Feiteiras de Baixo, Rua Dr. Gregório Dinis 37, São Vicente valley
4-star hotel with 41 rooms at the bottom of the São Vicente valley, about 8.5 km by road from the Boca da Encumeada…
B&Boff route
Gardens Guest House
Sítio do Passo, Estrada da Furna 23, São Vicente valley
Budget guesthouse in the São Vicente valley, with private rooms (some with a shared bathroom), a shared kitchen and a…
Hoteloff route
Quinta Vale Vitis
Sítio do Passo, Estrada D. João V no. 160, São Vicente valley
Renovated quinta in the heart of the São Vicente valley, a few minutes from the town and about 8.6 km by road from the…
Hoteloff route
Estalagem do Mar
Juncos, Fajã da Areia, on the seafront about 1 km from São Vicente town
Seafront hotel facing the Atlantic at Fajã da Areia, about 1 km from São Vicente town and 11.7 km by road from the…