- Self Guide or guided walks
- Walk when it suits you
- At the pace that suits you
- Easy or more demanding
- Supplied comprehensive walkers pack
- Daily walk transfers
- Activity days of your choice
Day 1 - Accommodation Transfers
Pick up from airport, (either Horta or Pico) and transferred to hotel. Familiarisation with town of hotel choice
Day 2 – North Side Vineyards Walk - 8.7km
This trail begins on the regional highway between the parishes of Santana and São Vicente and ends in Lajido. It starts with a narrow path which goes up to the Whale Watching Vantage Point which offers a unique view of the channel and the Island of São Jorge. Walk back down the path until the beginning point and then start upwards alongside the Cabeço de Santana peak and then begin descending towards the coast, crossing the regional highway at one point and then going on to the bay Baía do Gasparal.
Gasparal Bay was used for many years as a loading dock for barrels of Pico’s “verdelho” wine for export. Various signs of this activity can be found here, namely, the ruins of the former wine warehouse and the broad area of rounded stones called “rola pipas” or “barrel rollers”, as they made it easier to transport the barrels down to the boats. Here you can also see stone troughs which were for washing clothes and an old tidal well in a perfect state of conservation.
Your Walking Package.
Lajido wine interpertation centre, wine tasting is optional.
After we have taken lunch at a local bar we head for the coastal town of Lajido famous for the Pico fortified wine and fire water. We get to see the original distillary and sample some of the delights this village has to offer.
Cachorro village and its unusual twisted coastal features.
Before returning to your accommodation we get the chance to stop and take in the spectacular views of Cachorro witch translate to little dog and is named after a rock formation. This village is an amazing photographic oppurtunity. We also get a second chance to sample local licour and a traditional souvenir shop.
Day 3 - Mt Pico Crater -
Climb Mount Pico - Classified as a nature reserve since 1972, this is the highest mountain (2351m) in Portugal, which is capped by a crater, the Pico Grande, from which a small cone emerges. The trail starting point is at 1250m where every visitor is registered before the climb. Pick up from the hotel for this option is 7.00am.
Need something more gentle not a problem we can arrange a walk which most suits you..
Day 4 -Whalers Day*
Whale watching excursion; enjoy the thrill of seeing the large cetaceans where 20 or more different species of whales and dolphins are known to enjoy the waters around the Azores. After our adventure on the Atlantic we shall make time for sightseeing around the town of Lajes, where there are a number of restaurants from which to enjoy a leisurely lunch (not included in the package).Whaler’s Museum, Lajes. This is the only museum in Portugal specialising in whaling and it is the most sought out and visited museum in the Azores.
* change order of events epending on whalewatch time (morning or afternoon)
Day 5 - Caminho das Lagoas 22km
This trail is a journey through the island’s interior and its pure state.The trail begins at Estrada Transversal, nearby the forest services’ house, and ends in the parish of Ribeirinha.Along the trail, you will find the lakes of Caiado, Lagoa Seca, Lagoas do Peixinho, Lagoa do Paúl, among others. There are also some high-altitude pastures.When taking this trail, you will also go through the Caveiro Nature Reserve.In this area, there are mosses and rushes (Sphagnum sp., Eleocharis multicaulis and Juncus sp.), holly (Ilex perado ssp.azorica) and Azores Juniper (Juniperus brevifolia). As regards fauna, you will find the Western Azores Goldcrest (Regulus regulus inermis), blackbirds (Turdus merula azorensis), woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola), among others. When visibility is good it is possible to see the islands of São Jorge and Terceira. We shall take several breaks along this well beaten track for snacks and lunch which is provided on this walk
Day 6 – Criacao Velha Vineyards 8km
It is without doubt on of the most expressive landscapes and views that the island has to offer. This very old road takes you through the vineyards where the grapes are grown along the same traditional methods used on Pico for hundreds of years. Relax and have a swim at the small bay in Pocinho where we shall take a picnin for lunch. After lunch we shall head for Gruta das Torres . The largest lava tunnel known to exist in the Azores, with a total length of roughly 5km and a maximum height of 15 metres. The Gruta das Torres has been open to the public since 2005 as a Visitors Centre set up by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment, whose architecture has already been awarded. The format of the visit is absolutely pioneering in Portugal since it promotes the preservation of the lava tube, so little has been changed in the cave, for this reason you shall be escorted by a qualified guide with the necessary and appropriate equipment. This is to ensure that this volcanic cavity remains unspoilt and preserved.
Day 7 - Airport Transfers
After breakfast it is time to leave the beautiful Islands with the return transfers to the airport at Horta or Pico. For those with afternoon flights we can provide alternative transfer times.
