Pico Island in 4 Days: The Ultimate Azores Travel Guide

Discover the enchanting Pico Island, home to Portugal’s highest mountain and a UNESCO World Heritage wine region. In this 4-day guide, we’ll share must-see locations, local tips, and unique experiences — from whale watching to lava tube hikes — that make this Azorean gem truly unforgettable.

This itinerary is part of a trip to the Azores for 10 days and 5 were spent in Faial and Pico. The rest were spent in São Miguel island.

Guide for one day in Faial

Guide for five days in São Miguel

The Pico Island has to the highest mountain in Portugal. Only this is a reason enough to take a trip to the Azores and climb to the top of Portugal. However, its interest not ends with the mountain. There are also vineyards enveloped in walls of volcanic stone and the observation of whales and dolphins, their people and their nature constantly shrouded by a mist that sometimes descends from the mountain, sometimes only there but accompanies us on the horizon throughout the day.

Faial still maintains that aura of wilderness to be discovered, although it is now much easier to reach these islands in the central group and are already much more developed, offering huge options for local accommodation and activities for visitors. However, its bucolic silence and its intense colors, made up of various shades of green, the blue of the sea and the black of the rocks, merge into a sweeping voyage of senses.

We arrived at Pico Island by boat at Madalena village. We had been here for 7 years ago and the village now it’s more beautiful and developed, but it remains a picturesque. Next to the port of Madelena there are several kiosks where you can rent whale watching and we atart your journey with a whale and dolphin watching tour.

Any of the companies will provide an interesting tour to see whales and also dolphins. At the beginning, a presentation is made by marine biologists who explain the species you might encounter.

After a few hours in the sea, we return to the village of Madalena where we explore Madalena’s cozy coffee shops and the little waterfront promenade. That night, we stayed in a charming guesthouse outside town, with an Atlantic view.

But by the afternoon was dedicated to the UNESCO Protected Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard between Madalena and Areia Larga. The black volcanic stones dividing the vines are unlike anything I’d seen. We stopped at the Wine Cooperative of Pico Island. We choose to drive along the sea-side roads between Madalena and the village São Roque do Pico, knowing not only the landscape of the Vineyard but also all the small places and the small swimming pools that we found.

Near Madalena we pass by the Barca place where is the well known Cella Bar for yours magnificent architecture in wood and its small beach. The road continues with a black rock to surround us, the sea on one side and of course, the vines on the other. The road will pass through several small pools, created in the midst of volcanic rocks, small villages and hamlets. The Dog (cachorro) is one place you need to stop.

Here there is a small rock formation that gives the name to this place, but also interesting volcanic formations on the sea. Our tour continues to São Roque, where there are several points of interest and follows to the parish of Prainha where there is one of several forest parks with typical houses, playground, excellent places for snacks, viewpoints overlooking São Jorge island and some animals to see.

We kicked off day two with a visit to Gruta das Torres near Madalena village. Entering this massive lava tube with 5150m length felt like stepping into another world. The stalactites, lava ropes, and eerie silence underground left a lasting impression.

After this visit and continuing towards in direction of the Lajes we passed through São Mateus and stopped at the Recreation Forest Reserve of the Mystery of São João. This is another park of snacks located in an area of ​​the island that is more recent. The various “Mysteries” in Pico are areas where the soil has been added in a more recent eruption and the soil is more volcanic and black.

Lajes itself was full of history. At the Whale Museum, we learned about Pico’s whaling past — a sobering but important part of its identity. Near the end of the day, you bathe in the swimming pool on the village called Baía do Castelete. And we wrapped up the day with freshly grilled fish and sweet potatoes at a tiny restaurant by the harbor.

The third day was reserved for the ascent to the mountain of Pico. Fortunately, the day dawned without clouds, and the mountain remained almost all day (which is rare) without clouds. We choose to make the visit with guides, but we can do without guide. However, the number of people on the mountain is restricted, and we were informed that if we had not opted for the guide, by 5:00 am the amount of people who could climb without a guide was hit already. For this reason, the Mountain House (where the registers are made and where are given the authorization to start the climb) was full of people waiting for someone to descend to start is ascending.

After making the presentations with the guide and the group, the climb begins with a few steps and from there, it is only a path with a lot of rock and a large accumulated climb. Worth the persistence, the resilience and the landscape that surrounds us. Along the trail, we find 47 posts, which mark the route to avoid getting lost. With increasing altitude, the temperature and the weather will vary. We were fortunate to be a clean day that allowed us to enjoy the unspeakable beauty of the mountain and the island of Pico. Arriving at the crater it is time to rest, take pictures and climb to Piquinho (highest point). 

Returned to Mountain House, we drove through the central part of the island. We visited the small lagoons like the Lagoa do Capitão and Lagoa do Caiado. There are more, but we did not have the opportunity to visit them.

On this last day we could not miss the other part of the island. From Lajes do Pico to the Lighthouse of Ponta da Ilha there is a small swimming pool that will stay in our memory. You can not pass through this side of the island without going to Calheta do Nesquim and descending to the Pojas das Mujas. In this natural pool, you can also enjoy one slide that delights the little ones. The water is so transparent that we easily have the sensation of swimming inside an aquarium full of fish. Here there is also a beach support that will serve meals.

To finish our day, we cross the road in the middle of the black lava, to the Lighthouse. Nondescript landscape. It’s time to go back, pack up all stuffs and pick up the little SATA planes to São Miguel Island.

Between May and October, the weather is ideal for hiking, swimming, and whale watching. We visited in late June and had perfect conditions. The off-season can be peaceful too, but some services may be limited.

In the next list we resume the best experience that we lived in Pico Island.

• Reaching the summit of Mountain of Pico
• Whale watching off the coast of Madalena
• Swimming in natural lava pools
• Wine tasting in volcanic vineyards
• Exploring lava tubes at Gruta das Torres
• Road-tripping through tiny stone villages

If Pico Island isn’t on your list yet — it should be. This raw, beautiful island pulled me into its rhythm, and we left feeling lighter, calmer, and completely inspired.

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