Vereda do Pico Ruivo vs Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Both are graded hard, so the grade alone will not separate them. Vereda do Pico Ruivo climbs 317 m more, 585 m against 268 m. Distance pulls the other way: Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is the longer walk at 8.0 km against 5.6 km.

Allow about 1h 30m for Vereda do Pico Ruivo and about 2h 30m for Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, one way and at a walking pace. That is roughly 60 minutes more for Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, before any stops.

Both are regulated IFCN trails, so both need a ticket at EUR 4.50, bought through the SIMplifica portal.

Vereda do Pico Ruivo

Choose Vereda do Pico Ruivo if you are here for Out and back, Viewpoint, Summit, or if you want the shorter day.

Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Choose Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço if you are here for Endemic flora, Out and back, Viewpoint, or if you would rather not climb.

Which of the two is better on a given morning is a different question, and the numbers above cannot answer it: cloud, wind and closures change hourly and they change differently on the north and south coasts. Levadas scores both live and tells you which to drive to today.

For today's official open, closed or part-walkable status on any classified trail, see the Madeira trail status page