Malha Grande – Biscoitos

This linear trail crosses the interior of Terceira down to the sea, starting from Malha Grande and ending at the well-known bathing area of Biscoitos. The route begins on a beaten earth path; at the first fork, take the right path, through a section surrounded by heather (Erica azorica). When you reach a cattle shelter, turn left and climb the agricultural path that follows the pastures, until you reach the Rocha do Chambre Viewpoint, the cliff face that overlooks the Crater of the Pico Alto Volcano.

Further ahead you’ll find the geodetic marker at 704 metres, the highest point of the entire route. From here, views open up over the Biscoito da Ferraria Natural Reserve and Pico Alto, with endemic vegetation filling the crater. From this point onwards, the path descends towards the Azinhal valley.

Now out of the forest, a forest path runs alongside the pastures and passes by the Gruta dos Balcões, a lava tube left by the island’s last terrestrial eruption in 1761, originating from Pico Vermelho, in the Pico do Fogo and in the Pico das Caldeirinhas. The descent continues along secondary forest paths, between pastures marked by rocky outcrops resulting from the flow of that same lava, always with the northern coast of the island in view. A detour leads into a forest of incense trees (Pittosporum undulatum) and, from there on, the route alternates between incense forests, bagacina path and old orchards, until it reaches Rua Longa.

Turn right, cross the regional road carefully and descend to Baía das Pombas, the first bathing area of the route. Here lie the military trenches used in World War II, part of the island’s coastal defence system, to which the forts also belong. Then follow Avenida do Mar, next to the Protected Landscape Area of Vinhas dos Biscoitos, where you can see the curraletas of volcanic stone linked to wine production. The trail ends at the bathing area of Biscoitos.