Famous for its lofty volcanic peak from which it derives its name, Pico Island is a breathtakingly beautiful travel destination and the second-largest island in the Azores archipelago after São Miguel.
Located in the heart of the central group, which also comprises Faial, São Jorge, Terceira and Graciosa, it is an island of stunning geological contrasts where the eastern side is quite different from the west, the latter of which is blessed with lush, green fertile pastures and meadows.
50 kilometres (30 miles) long and 14 kilometres (9 miles) wide, Pico is a magically calming place and the most obviously volcanic of all the nine islands in the Azores, with entire villages owing their existence to the lava emitted by its imposing mountain.
Its northern coast drops dramatically to the Atlantic Ocean in a series of steep cliffs, with the descent to the sea on its southern shoreline being much more gradual with a good number of quaint little fishing hamlets, hidden coves and picture-postcard grottoes to explore.
Rising to 2,351 metres (7,711 feet) above sea level, its huge eponymous volcanic cone is not just the highest peak in the Azores but Portugal as a whole. Currently dormant, its three latest eruptions occurred in 1562, 1718 and 1720, with reports indicating some mild volcanic activity as recently as 2009.
The mountain’s sheer height and gradient is best appreciated in its jaw-dropping entirety from some distance, but to reach the summit (in summer only for the more casual climber) you are best advised to go with a guide. But it’s well worth the effort because the heady views across the water to its four neighbouring islands are truly magnificent.
Where to Go in the Azores
For visitors travelling around by car, a coastal road encircling Pico offers drivers and their passengers the chance to tour the island enjoying eye-popping seascapes at every turn. For an unparalleled view of the whole island, it’s a fantastic idea to take the ferry across to the nearby town of Horta on Faial Island, a journey only takes around 35 minutes.
There’s so much to see and do on Pico island (indicated on the Google map below) besides admiring its majestic mountain, starting with a visit to Lajes do Pico, the island’s first town where settlement began around 1460. Besides an excellent whaling museum, Lajes boasts many fine 17th- and 18th-century buildings and the delightful church of São Pedro is the oldest on the island.
Madalena, the island’s capital, is a handsome little harbour town with an exquisite 16th-century church and an acclaimed wine museum. Close by lies the amazing Gruta da Torre, the longest lava tube in the Azores some 5,150 metres (16,900 feet) in length.
Besides being a wonderful place for scuba-diving enthusiasts on account of its wide variety of unique underwater activities, Pico Island is also one of the world’s premier whale-watching destinations with no less than 28 different species having been spotted in the local waters.
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, the vineyards around the north-eastern tip of Pico date right back to the 15th-century, and local producers are managing to keep the island’s wine-making tradition alive today.
And in accordance with the Guinness Book of Records, it’s a curious fact that the summit of Pico mountain represents the top of the highest underwater mountain in the world known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which measures an incredible 16,100 kilometres long and 805 kilometres wide.
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