Pico Alto

Short and circular, this trail unfolds in a forested area classified as a protected zone and connects several natural viewpoints, each offering its own perspective on the different landscapes of Santa Maria. The starting point is the car park at Pico Alto.

Right at the beginning, you climb the stairway next to a military building to reach the highest point on the island, a great spot to gain perspective over Santa Maria before starting the actual walk. You then return to the car park and take a beaten earth path that heads north, through the forest. Along this section you’ll encounter large trees, such as Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), and endemic shrub vegetation, including the Azores viburnum (Viburnum treleasei) and Azores bilberry (Vaccinium cylindraceum).

The trail then descends in curves to a left turn that leads to the Caldeira viewpoint, with a breathtaking view over the island’s west coast. Back on the main path, you pass by the Casa do Guarda, where this trail intersects with the major hiking route of Santa Maria (GR 01 SMA), and continue south towards the Alto Nascente locality.

From here the path climbs again towards the starting point, along a route opened by workers responsible for reforesting the area. Near the end, you pass a monument erected in memory of the victims of the largest aviation accident ever to occur in Portugal, in 1989.