Caminho das Voltas - Pico PR07 PIC

This short trail begins at the Terra Alta viewpoint, between the parishes of Ribeirinha and Santo Amaro and ends in the centre of Santo Amaro. It starts with a footpath which leads down through a wood, where Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum) is the predominant species. On the way you will come across the remains of vineyard corrals and small bridges of carved stone which indicate the importance that this route once had when it was the main link to Ponta da Ilha.

After leaving the forest, you will go through an area of small fields, most of which are used for the small-scale vine growing which is typical of Pico Island. In this area, on your left, you will find an abandoned building, which was once a small local butter factory and which still houses the butter-making equipment.

As you approach the coast, turn off the main path to the Baía do Canto, a small leisure resort by the sea, surrounded by local wine cellars. Then return to the main path and follow the coast via a tarmac road leading to the centre of Santo Amaro. You will pass the Parque da Furada, a picnic area, and, in Santo Amaro (the old ship building centre of the archipelago), you can visit the Maritime Museum of Naval Construction and the Craft School.

Copyright - Gerbrand Michielsen