A recording apparatus includes recording heads mounted in a carriage which can move in a direction vertical to a main surface of a recording medium, a guide rail which guides movement of the carriage, and a recovery unit which recovers recording characteristics. The carriage has a regulating section which regulates vertical upward movement of the carriage. A regulating section distance between the guide rail and regulating section is switchable between a first distance and a second distance which is smaller than the first distance. The regulating section distance is set to the second distance when the recovery unit performs a recovery operation.