Nascentes de Santo António

On the north coast of São Miguel, this trail crosses the parish of Santo António, marked by several water streams that flow down the slope to the sea. There was a time when this water powered watermills, the so-called Moinhos da Cruz or da Rocha; today it is used for public water supply.

The walk starts near the road, descending along a concrete section to the picnic area at Fonte Grande. Here it’s worth making a detour to visit the old washing troughs where local people once washed their clothes, now restored. On the way back up, the coastline opens up ahead.

The trail then continues along an earth path down the slope, the same one that once provided access to the watermills and now passes by small water collection reservoirs for public supply. The descent ends at a house that holds an old hydroelectric plant, purchased in 1908 from the Société d’Electricité Alioth in France by a local resident and industrialist, to provide energy to a new mill and some homes. Among the reeds (Arundo donax) that dominate the path, you pass a waterfall; to the left, a detour leads to a point on rounded stones, with the north coast in view and the village of Capelas to the east.

From here the trail climbs the cliff face, a section requiring care due to the risk of vertigo, and continues along it until reaching a pasture. It then descends along the cliff edge to the old fishing port of Santo António and goes around Ponta de Santo António, passing by the port towards the Rosário area. There you’ll find a bathing area for a swim in the Atlantic, weather permitting, a picnic area to rest, and the Ermida do Rosário chapel. The final stretch is along an asphalt road and ends in the centre of the parish, next to the Igreja de Santo António church, where the settlement began.