I don’t know what I was expecting when I booked my trip to the Azores. I found the islands to be a special piece of Europe consisting of a bunch of unique islands. Especially Pico has very distinct features. I enjoyed photographing the landscape with its black volcanic rock. I will tell you a bit more about the island in this post in part to convince you to visit Pico when you’re on one of the neighbouring islands of the central group (Faial & São Jorge).
Pico Island
Pico is one of the biggest islands of the Azores. More importantly, it’s home to the highest peak of the islands. Montana do Pico has a volcano which reaches 2351 meters. You can even see this volcano from the neighbouring Faial as well. This island, unlike its neighbours, is known for its wine. Wine, you might wonder, on a volcanic island? Yes, it’s actually pretty ingenious. The wine is grown between walls made from volcanic rock (which are like most of the buildings on the island completely black). These walls protect the vines and they exude warmth at night, because they “charge” during the day.
Towns
There are many reasons to visit Pico. One of them are the gorgeous towns, because the buildings are made from black lava stones. That’s not all, the doors and windows are painted red which stands in stark contrast with the buildings itself. A perfect place for photography. One of those villages is Lajida. It’s a 15 minute drive from the harbour village Madalena to Lajida, so it’s a great first stop if you’re driving around the island.
You can find this landscape right beside the town.
Another reason to visit Lajida is to learn more about the wines and liquors that are cultivated there. You can have a tasting at “Centro de Interpretação de Paisagem da Cultura da Vinho da Ilha do Pico”, which also acts as a small museum. Try it early in the morning, I dare you 😉
Another town with beautiful buildings and delicious places for lunch is on the south side of the island and it’s called Lajes do Pico. I had lunch at the Pastelaria Aromas E Sabores, but there are plenty of other places that looked great for a visit.
Windmills
Another reason to visit Pico is to photograph the windmills. There’s something about this landscape that makes it a perfect scene for the red mills.
You can find the one below near the vineyards, it’s called Moinho Do Frade.
This one can be found along the coast in São Roque.
Hikes
Do you remember my post about whale watching on Faial? I said that there are huts everywhere where spotters keep an eye on the whales. One of those spotters can be found at Vigia de Queimada.
This is a great place to hike back to Madalena from. You will pass by all the vineyards, which by the way are on the UNESCO heritage list.
The wal takes you past the coast line where you’ll have to step over all the black rocks of lava stones. The views are gorgeous. There are also areas to swim near the harbour, just be careful of the Man ‘o Wars floating around the harbours. You can tell they’re there when you see their sails above water, they resemble plastic bags if you’re looking from the surface.
I took the ferry back to Horta the same day.
How to get there?
The best way to reach Pico is by ferry from Horta on Faial to Madelena. It’s short 30 minute crossing. This means you could visit the island like I did (on a day trip). Another option is by plane from São Miguel to Pico, which takes around an hour.
Where to stay?
As I said, I didn’t stay on the island. However, there is plenty of accommodation to be found when you browse Booking. It’s worth having a look if you have a few days to spend here.
Conclusion
As you can hopefully tell by my story and the photos, Pico is a gorgeous island to visit on the Azores. I didn’t mind visiting the island for one day, but I there’s plenty to do here if you’re planning a longer stay. I would love to hike up the volcano, or through the vineyards a bit more. The lava tubes are also on my list to visit a bit more extensively one day.
What did you think? Would you consider visiting Pico?
Please note, this post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission for purchased goods/services at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my writing!
