Morro de Castelo Branco

This circular trail runs through the southwest of Faial and takes you to Morro de Castelo Branco, a small peninsula formed by a trachyte dome. Part of the route lies within the Protected Area for Habitat or Species Management of Varadouro and crosses the Nature Reserve and geosite bearing the same name as the hill.

The starting point is the place of Lombega, by the side of the regional road. Follow this route, there is a café along the way, convenient for restocking, and, watching for the signage, turn left onto a dirt path that serves the cultivated fields and leads you to near the cliff. From there you follow the cliff edge, flanked by heather (Erica azorica), tree heath (Morella faya) and reeds (Arundo donax).

To the right appears a viewpoint, with views over the Capelinhos area, the most recent part of the island. Ahead stands Morro de Castelo Branco, born from a volcanic eruption near the coast around 30,000 years ago. It is an important nesting site for several seabirds, including the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), the common tern (Sterna hirundo), the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) and the Barolo shearwater (Puffinus baroli).

When you reach a gate, take the detour to the right towards the Morro; near the end of this branch, the view opens eastwards, with the island of Pico in the distance. Then return by the same path to the gate, where you continue to the right and, further on, to the left, along a paved road that provides access to cultivated and pasture lands. This is the route that takes you back to the regional road, where the trail ends.