Caminho das Voltas

This linear route starts at the Terra Alta viewpoint, located on the boundary between the parishes of Ribeirinha and Santo Amaro, and ends in the centre of Santo Amaro. Right from the start, you begin descending along a well-trodden path that crosses a forest dominated by incense trees (Pittosporum undulatum).

As you progress, you’ll come across the remains of old vineyard walls and several small bridges made of cut stone. These are signs of when this was the main link to Ponta da Ilha and testament to the importance this path once held.

Leaving the forest behind, the trail opens onto an area of small cultivated fields, increasingly taken over by the small-scale viticulture so characteristic of the Pico. Here, on the left side, you’ll find an abandoned house that was once a small local butter factory and still houses the equipment used in its production.

Near the coastal strip, it’s worth taking a short detour to Baía do Canto, a leisure spot by the sea surrounded by local wineries. Back on the main path, you continue along the coast, now on a tarmac road, heading towards the centre of Santo Amaro. Along the way you’ll pass Parque da Furada, a picnic area, and once in Santo Amaro, which was the archipelago’s former naval shipbuilding hub, you can visit the Maritime Museum of Naval Construction.