Rota da Água-Pedras Brancas

This linear trail connects the parishes of Ribeira Chã and Água de Pau. The starting point is the centre of Ribeira Chã, a locality with strong cultural identity that brings together several museum spaces: the Sacred Art and Ethnographic Centre, the Ethnographic Garden and Azores Endemism, and the Maria dos Anjos Melo Rural House, where the memory, history and heritage of the parish are preserved. At the table, the local speciality is papas de farinha de serpentina, a traditional sweet made from the rhizome of the plant they call serpentina (Arum italicum).

The walk begins by climbing the road that cuts through the locality, passing over the motorway. Further on, you turn left onto a dirt road that serves the pastures and cultivated fields. Continue until you reach the junction with PR 42 SMI – Rota da Água, between Tunnels and Conduits, where you take the left path; if you follow the right direction, you’ll reach the place called Remédios first.

From here the trail enters a forest dominated by incense trees (Pittosporum undulatum), Japanese cedars (Cryptomeria japonica) and some tree ferns (Cyathea cooperi). On the descending section, you pass by a vertical wall of trachyte, known locally as Pedras Brancas, a popular spot for climbing and abseiling. The trail continues through the forest until it reaches an asphalt road, which should be crossed carefully, then turning left onto a dirt path that provides access to pastures and cultivated land.

Upon reaching the base of the motorway, turn left and follow the markers into Água de Pau, where the walk ends. It’s worth stopping at the Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Monte Santo, built in 1931 at the site where, according to tradition, Our Lady appeared to a girl from the parish.

If the weather permits, take the opportunity to visit the geossite of the lava delta and fossil cliff of Caloura. There you can take a dip at Ponta da Galera, the southernmost point of the island, or in the beautiful fishing port of Caloura.