Is PR1 open today?

Sold out? PR1 slots gone on SIMplifica

PR1 has capacity limits and 30-minute entry slots. Morning windows go first. In order of what actually works:

1. Try weekday, mid-morning slots. Everyone fights for sunrise. 09:00–10:30 midweek is often available days after dawn slots are gone — and you skip the parking chaos.
2. Re-check the SIMplifica booking page the evening before. Cancellations get released back. Rescheduled bookings free up slots with no notice.
3. Book through an IFCN protocol operator. Licensed guides hold their own allocation and handle the permit for you (their trail fee is discounted to €7 on PR1). Costs more overall, solves transport too.
4. Do the summit anyway — from the other side. PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira reaches Pico Ruivo (1,862 m, the island's highest point) in about 45–60 min each way. Standard €4.50 fee, its own booking, usually far more availability.

Closed? Your booking isn't lost

If IFCN officially closes the trail (weather, rockfall, works), you're entitled to change — but there's a procedure:

1. Contact the SIMplifica call centre before your scheduled date. Not IFCN — they don't manage the portal.
2. You can move to a different date or time on the same trail freely.
3. You can switch to a different trail only if yours was officially closed by the authorities. A change of plans on your side doesn't qualify.

Open alternatives that don't feel like a consolation prize:

• PR1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo — the summit without the ridge. Moderate, family-doable.
• PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde — tunnels, waterfalls, green canyon. Bring a headlamp.
• PR11 Vereda dos Balcões — 3 km, nearly flat, big valley views. The easy win on a foggy summit day.

Three things people find out too late

• PR1 is one-way now (since the April 2026 reopening): Areeiro → Ruivo only. You finish at Achada do Teixeira — plan your ride back before you start.
• No cash, no kiosk for PR1. Booking is online-only. Rangers check tickets; fines run up to €250.
• Summit weather ≠ Funchal weather. It can be 10–15°C colder at 1,800 m, with fog while the coast is sunny. Check the mountain forecast, not the city one.