Achada do Teixeira Live Webcam - Madeira
Experience Achada do Teixeira through our live webcam. Monitor weather conditions, mountain views, and the gateway to Madeira's highest peak at 1,592 metres altitude.
Live view of Achada do Teixeira plateau, offering a unique perspective of this mountain gateway to Pico Ruivo.
Achada do Teixeira is a mountain plateau. It sits at 1,592 metres altitude. This is the gateway to Pico Ruivo. Pico Ruivo is Madeira's highest peak. Our webcams show the plateau. You can see the 'Homem em Pé' rock. The PR1.2 trail starts here. Hikers favour this location.
Planning a hike to Pico Ruivo? The trail is 2.8km long. The difficulty is moderate. Check weather conditions first. Our webcams show current views. The plateau has excellent facilities. Parking is available. Toilets are on site. The Abrigo da Heidi restaurant serves meals.
Experience Madeira's high mountains through cameras. Watch clouds move around peaks. See endemic heather vegetation. Achada do Teixeira offers easy access. The summit route is simplest from here. The 'Homem em Pé' rock is striking. It's made of basalt. Several trails meet at this plateau.
Achada do Teixeira Information
- • Elevation: 1,592 metres above sea level
- • Located in Santana municipality
- • Accessible by paved road (ER 218)
- • Parking, toilets, restaurant available
- • Famous 'Homem em Pé' rock formation
- • Starting point for PR1.2 trail to Pico Ruivo
Activities at Achada do Teixeira
Hiking to Pico Ruivo
The famous PR1.2 trail offers a moderate 2.8km hike to Madeira's highest peak at 1,862m, taking approximately 1.5 hours each way.
Rock Formations & Views
Visit the iconic 'Homem em Pé' basalt rock formation and enjoy panoramic views of Madeira's central mountain massif, including views towards the north and east coasts.
Explore More Mountain Locations
Mountain Guide & Pico Ruivo Trail Information
Alpine Ecosystem & Endemic Species
The Pico Ruivo summit region (1,862m) hosts one of Europe's most unique alpine ecosystems. At this extreme elevation on a subtropical Atlantic island, plant and animal life displays extraordinary adaptation to challenging conditions: intense UV radiation, fierce Atlantic winds, rapid temperature fluctuations, and dramatic precipitation variations.
Laurissilva (ancient laurel forest) transitions to stunted, low-growing alpine vegetation above 1,600m. Endemic plant species like Madeira's heather, unique rockroses, and rare ferns survive through deep root systems, waxy protective coatings, and low growth profiles that minimize wind exposure.
Flora & Specialized Plant Adaptations
The Pico Ruivo summit hosts remarkable floral diversity despite harsh conditions. Madeira's endemic cushion plant (Azorina vidalii) forms dense, wind-resistant mats barely 5cm tall. Alpine roses, specific to this summit region, bloom with surprising vibrancy in spring, their low-profile growth reflecting centuries of adaptation to Atlantic alpine conditions.
Lichens and mosses carpet the rocky summit plateau, forming intricate biological communities that store water during dry seasons and provide microhabitats for numerous invertebrate species. These 'living stones' create ecological networks that support the alpine food chain despite the apparent barrenness of the rocky terrain.