Fortes de São Sebastião

In the heart of the Volcanic Massif of Cinco Picos, this short trail follows the southeast coast of Terceira and connects a series of ancient fortifications built to defend the sea between the 16th and 17th centuries. The trail ends at the Village of São Sebastião, after passing through several of these stone strongholds.

It starts on the regional road, next to Baía das Contendas. As you go around to the right, you leave behind the Farol das Contendas and, in the distance, the Ilhéus das Cabras. The descent takes you to the Fortes da Greta and Santa Catarina das Mós, both from 1581, overlooking Baía da Mina, a cove sought after by surfers.

Back on the road, turn right, leave the greenhouses behind and, next to the Pico dos Cernos, turn right again going around the trees. A right turn descends to the Forte do Bom Jesus, from 1644, with Baía da Mina ahead. Retrace your steps and, at the fork, follow to the right towards a small woodland dominated by the endemic heather of the Açores (Erica azorica). At the geodetic marker it’s worth stopping to take in the stretch already covered and what remains to be walked.

Leaving the woods, the descent brings you to a pasture, with cliffs on one side and tamarisks (Tamarix gallica) on the other; a look back reveals the Ilhéus da Mina. Further on the tamarisks give way to reeds (Arundo donax) and the trail follows a beaten earth path that serves cultivated fields and pastures. The markers lead to a turn-off to a viewpoint overlooking the coastal edge of São Sebastião.

Returning to the main path, keep to the right, close to the sea, until you reach the Forte do Pesqueiro dos Meninos, from 1581, from where you can see the entire coastline. From here you climb up to the Village, passing by an old restored mill, the Arrabalde, where the Ribeira de Frei João once flowed. Already within Terceira, the trail passes by the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça, crosses the Largo da Fonte and reaches the Ermida de Sant’Ana; after the church the central square opens up, the end point of the trail.