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I was wandering through a labyrinth of black basalt, fingerprints trailing along the walls with green-electric lichen, boots crunching over rubble as dark as coal. The landscape of Pico, one of the nine islands that make up the Azores, was wild, rugged – and increasingly attractive to curious hikers looking to delve into the remote North Atlantic archipelago’s past. .
It is often necessary to walk single file; The old Pico trails only needed to be wide enough to drive cattle to pasture, or mules and oxcarts loaded with goods going between the breakwater coast and remote communities in its volcanic interior. Through the sea mist, I followed the bobbing ponytail of Inês Neto, guide with Futurismo Azores Adventures. Her voice echoed on the howling wind: “The history of this island can really be summed up by the two W’s: winemaking and whaling. And when you go hiking here, you’re basically going back in time. That is the best way to understand the life of the early settlers.”
This walk of ours, the five-mile Vinhas da Criação Velha, was a testament to this – weaving through the honeycomb of single stone walls tumbling over Pico’s northern and eastern rims. They may be the strangest vineyards in the world. Discovering a tough life here in the late 15’sth century, about 1,000 miles from mainland Europe, the first Portuguese planted vines directly into volcanic rock crevices and created these stone structures – known as curras – to protect grapes from the elements.
“Pico’s currage is one of mankind’s greatest constructions; if they were extended, they would circle the equator twice,” explained Filipe Rocha, co-founder of the Azores Wine Company, which has restored more than 100 hectares of these Unesco-listed vineyards. A sleek, low-slung structure of concrete and glass – housing a winery, fine-dining restaurant and hotel – it’s the island’s most luxurious place to lay down after a day of hiking and sampling the distinctive volcanic bays. Mineral, salty and slightly smoky, they have graced the cellars of Thomas Jefferson and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
The next day, as Inês and I hit the coastal road from Santana to Lajido, she pointed out further evidence of Pico’s hardy ancestors. “These are called rolla-pipas,” she pointed to deep nostrils carved into the basalt. “The place where barrels of wine were rolled down to the boats.” Vigia are perched above the rugged cliffs – watchtowers used by whales, before pods of the Azores’ resident sperm whales were protected – and tidal wells on the shore show how resilient islanders collected rainwater for drinking.
Its lava fields (lajido in Portuguese) turn the clock further back still, into deep time. The volcanic eruptions that created this dramatic landscape are writ large in swirling patterns, jet-black ridges, as if the magma had only recently cooled, and the towering, omnipresent cone of Mount Pico. The Donkey Trail (O Caminho dos Burros), which runs through the rugged interior and originally provided a livelihood between villages on the north and south coasts, passes high-altitude crater lakes, called calderas, ringed with endemic species of juniper and blueberry, statuesque, yellow-blooming Mediterranean spurge or old-growth laurissilva forest.
There are no Pico conservation hiking trails; six of its Azores neighbors offer multi-day “highways” that go 20 miles more, as well as easier yet equally scenic hikes, whether it’s meandering hot springs or meandering along hydrangea-lined country lanes past curious cattle. Across the archipelago, around 80 trade and pilgrimage routes have been restored by Walking Paths in the Azores in recent years, with distinctive red and yellow poles clearly marking the route. If ever there was a time to visit – to walk these storied paths and discover their remote swans – now is definitely the time.
Fundamentals
Estella Shardlow was a guest of Visit Azores (00 351 296 288 082; visitazores.com) and Azores Wine Company (00 351 918 266 989; antoniomacanita.com). Ilha Verde provided car hire (00 351 296 304 891; ilhaverde.com) and tours from Futurismo Azores Adventures (00 351 296 628 522; futurismo.pt). Direct flights from London to Ponta Delgada are operated by British Airways (May-September; ba.com) and Azores Airlines (June-September; azoresairlines.pt).
Five more great ways to walk the Azores
Mata Do Canário, São Miguel
The two lakes of Sete Cidades are the poster child for the Azores. Filled with two-wave pulsing waters – one sapphire, one emerald – it is the result of a volcanic collapse some 22,000 years ago. Although the local legend offers a more romantic explanation: the number of a pair of star-crossed lovers, a blue-eyed princess and a green-eyed shepherd, the caldera with their tears. Despite its other-worldly appearance, this natural wonder lies only 15 minutes drive from the capital of the Azores, Ponta Delgada.
One option is to complete the entire 20.1km lake circuit, Rota Circular da Lagoa das Sete Cidades. But a smarter option (that is, the best views in less time) is to pick up the trail from the viewpoint of Miradouro da Boca do Inferno and go around the edge of Lagoa Azul counterclockwise for seven miles, ending in the village of Sete Cidades . After moving on, reward yourself with a pineapple wine tasting at Herdade do Ananás – a working nursery meets boutique hotel in Ponta Delgagda – and treat tired muscles to an ayurvedic massage and hot soak tub, all cocooned within greenhouses of the property. Doubles from £77 a night at Herdade do Ananas (00 351 919 293 000; herdadedoananas.com).
Misterios Negros, Terceira
With its old-growth woodland and misty lagoons, Mistérios Negros weaves an ethereal circuit through the island’s heartland. It starts with a path flanked by common heather and Azorean blueberry, which leads to Lagoinhas do Vale Fundo. These small lakes are a sight to behold, attracting migrating seagulls and waders.
Signs of the volcanic eruption of 1761 are visible on the next stretch: the landscape is lumpen with lava hills, plants can still be found back on rocky faces. The baffled Portuguese settlers named these lava formations Mistérios Negros, which means Black Mysteries. For more evidence of Terceira’s fascinating formation, lift your eyes to Pico Gordo’s central escarpment, or peer into the 3,000-foot-long lava tunnel of Gruta do Natal (Christmas Cave) as you complete the three-mile loop. Caparica Azores Ecolodge (00 351 295 989 100; caparica-ecolodge.com) has doubles from £80 a night.
Faja Grande to Ponta Delgada, Flores
Following the northwest flank of the island, this tough route takes in rugged sea views from the historic trails. The terracotta-roofed houses of Faja Grande drop below as the cliff path climbs higher, revealing the neighboring island of Corvo across the water and fields of heather, grazing cattle and hydrangea bushes open up inland. Albernaz, the westernmost lighthouse in Europe, is a highlight on the way, and the Poço do Bacalhau waterfalls for a refreshing swim on warm days.
One of Flores’ best contenders is Rocha dos Bordões, where a series of vertical basalt columns rise 20m out of the ground – picture a great pipe organ and you get the idea. Exclusive White Villas (00 351 296 249 153; whiteazores.com) has junior rooms from £110 a night.
Lapa to Norte, Santa Maria
The oldest of the Azores in geological terms, yet to be settled first, tiny Santa Maria was called the ‘Yellow Island’ – some say because of its microclimate (sunnier and drier than its archipelago neighbours), another for the genista flowers that bloom on. its slopes. But the name is just as fitting for the champagne-colored sand on beaches like São Lourenço.
This bay makes a scenic stop on the 10-mile walk north from Lapa to Norte, arguably the most challenging stretch of the Santa Maria Highway (a five-day island detour for those who are up for it all). Vineyards, cliff top miradouros (viewpoints) and time capsule villages like Santo Espirito. A glimpse of the Norte Lighthouse suggests you’re on the home stretch, before carving back inland through meadows towards Norte. Ilha a Pé (00 351 964 474 768, ilhape.com) operates a series of hiking shelters along the Santa Maria Highway, from £137 for four nights.
Lagoa do Fogo to Cascata das Lombadas, São Miguel
“Lake of Fire” may sound terrifying but really the only scary thing about this place is the sulphurous pong that is sometimes emitted from the geothermal winds on the shore. There is an easy walking path around these calm, topaz waters, while the Glen Lombardas nature reserve on the north shore has more challenging paths. The best is Cascata das Lombadas – ascend the wooden steps through lush, flowing foliage for a satisfying view of the plunging valley.
Nourishment for tourists in these parts comes in the form of cozido, a hearty one-pot stew cooked in the earth’s geothermal heat; try it at Restaurant À Terra in nearby Spa Furnas. Octant Furnas (00 351 296 249 200; furnas.octanthotels.com) has doubles from £105 a night.
