Arquitetura da Água I

This linear trail starts at the Pico of Caldeirinha de Pêro Botelho, where a sinkhole opens up with a depth of approximately 37 metres. The trail circles the crater of this volcanic cone, formed by lava splashes (the so-called spatters), a formation without parallel in the Graciosa, which is therefore classified as a geosite of the UNESCO Global Geopark.

Along the way, Pico Timão stands out, at 398 metres the second highest point on the island. From the top, a wide view opens up over the Graciosa and the other islands of the central group. It was from here that the island’s last eruption occurred, less than 2,000 years ago, whose lavas reached the sea on the east coast, in the Praia area, which is why Pico Timão is also a geosite. The walk also has much to see in terms of flora: native and endemic species can be found such as Erica azorica, Calluna vulgaris and Morella faya, alongside plants of rarer occurrence such as Corema album and Platanthera pollostantha.

The name of the trail comes from the way the people of Graciosa managed to overcome the lack of water. Without easy water sources, they built tanks, cisterns, wash houses and fountains to capture and store every drop, and along the route you can still see old distribution structures, such as clay pipes that carried water to the small water containers and fountains. Near the end there is a tidal well, designed to draw water from depth in the basal aquifer, and the old Tile Factory, where various clay objects were once moulded, some of them used in this very water architecture.

Off the coast lies Ilhéu da Praia, a Nature Reserve and one of the main nesting sites for seabird colonies in the Açores. The Monteiro’s storm-petrel (Hydrobates monteiroi) deserves mention, the smallest seabird in the archipelago and a local endemic species that nests mainly on the islets of Baixo and Praia.

The trail ends at Praia, which has a pleasant bathing area and several services. It’s a good time to try the queijadas of Graciosa, the hallmark of the island’s pastry tradition.