7 scenic hikes in the Azores - News Hack Arizona

Sandra chose these hikes when she returned to Portugal from her native Azores where she was researching the Pocket Azores travel guide.

The Azores are heaven for nature lovers and outdoors enthusiasts, with dozens of hiking trails to choose from. Well-marked official paths cut through hills, small woods and pastures, twisting up and down the rugged basalt coast. The experience of hiking in the Azores embodies the philosophy that it’s the journey that matters, not the destination, as travelers uncover the islands’ protected nature reserves, nature parks and quasi-untouched landscapes in their wildest state.

Pack your hiking boots and trekking poles because you’ll need them, even on the trails classified as easy. Uneven terrain causes many trails to be deemed moderate or hard. While most of our suggestions for hikes follow official trails, we’ve included a few that are not classified as such but remain worthy of mention because of their views or better accessibility by travelers not as accustomed to hiking.

Here are the best hikes in the Azores.

Aerial view of lush green caldera at on an overcast day with a female hiker overlooking the scene — Caldeirão crater at Corvo island, Azores. Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images

1. Caldeirão

Best for grasping the smallest island
Distance: 6km (3.7mi) one-way
Estimated time to complete: 2.5 hours
Level of difficulty: Easy

Corvo, the smallest island in the Azores, is also the most isolated, boasting only one town with a little under 400 people clustered on the lowest region near the ocean. The rest is pastures and a water-filled crater of the inactive volcano that originated the island – Caldeirão.

Estrada do Caldeirão starts at the only roundabout in Corvo – across from the post office – and snakes up the island through farmland and moss-covered hills, its inclination gently increasing the closer you get to your destination. With any luck, around you there won’t be more than an occasional farmer driving by, peering eyes of grazing cattle and the feeling you have the island all to yourself.

If you’re staying on the island, walk up to Caldeirão as early in the morning as possible before the tour boats from Flores arrive. During peak season, there can be more than a dozen people arriving in Corvo daily and they’ll all flock to the lagoon. Brave the fog and wind for a hopefully clear view of the lagoon and then walk toward town before lunch. For travelers on the island for just a few hours, hitch a ride or pay someone to drive you up (about €10/US$11 per person) and then walk back.

Paved pathway on a foggy day with windswept pines to the left and in the distance, plus a rustic fence and hills to the right. — Monte da Guia, Horta, Azores. Photo Eclipse/Shutterstock

2. Monte da Guia

Best for exercise
Distance: 3km (1.8mi) roundtrip
Estimated time to complete: 1 hour
Level of difficulty: Easy

With good weather, plenty of Horta locals park near Fábrica da Baleia de Porto Pim and walk or cycle uphill to Monte da Guia and back on a mostly flat path. Although it never truly gets busy (most tourists drive up for sightseeing purposes or hike the Entre Montes PRC08 FAI trail instead), be prepared to share the road with folks on their daily exercise outings.

Near Forte de Nossa Senhora da Guia there is a must-see viewpoint with one of the most spectacular views of nearby Mt Pico. And of course, take some time to appreciate the view over Porto Pim bay and Horta from the church at the top of the hill.

Aerial view of a dirt walking path atop a green mill with a crater lake in the distance. — Colorful crater lake view from Miradouro do Inferno overlook on the Mata do Canário hiking path. dewittbj02/Shutterstock

3. Mata do Canário

Best for iconic landscapes
Distance: 11.8km (7.3mi) one-way
Estimated time to complete: 3 hours each way
Level of difficulty: Moderate

As one of the most visited islands in the Azores, São Miguel’s iconic lagoons and viewpoints often pop up on social media as the quintessential Azorean landscapes. At the Mata do Canário trail, you can find one of those envy-inducing photo ops as you walk downhill on rough (sometimes steep) and slippery terrain, with eyes locked on the famous blue and green lakes of Sete Cidades.

You can park your rental car near the starting point, but it’s simpler to drive to Sete Cidades and hire a taxi (around €15/US$16) to drop you at the trailhead and walk just one way. The trail ends near Igreja de São Nicolau in the center of town.

Aerial view of steep green-covered mountain with a rocky beach and ocean to the right. — View of Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo along the hiking route Serra do Topo. Eefje Verbeek/Getty Images

4. PR01 SJO

Best to experience the islands’ most famous trail
Distance: 9.5km (6mi) one-way
Estimated time to complete: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: Moderate

This is the most famous trail in the archipelago and it comes with a true reward midway: São Jorge’s most isolated and hard-to-reach village, Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo. If you’re on the island in the summer (most accommodations and restaurants are closed off-season) and have time to spare, split this hike in two and spend the night at Caldeira before heading to the final stop at Fajã dos Cubres.

It’s also a good trail to do as a family if you’re traveling with older kids who can handle the walk, with plenty of resting stops along the way.

This hiking route starts at Serra do Topo via a narrow, slightly uphill dirt path lined with thick vegetation. The trail begins to go gently downhill after about 50m, zigzagging around hills and cliffs – a trekking pole and hiking boots with good grip come in handy, even more so if it has recently rained.

Double rainbow over the ocean with steep green mountain to the right. — Fajã de Lopo Vaz, Flores, Azores. imageBROKER.com/Shutterstock

5. Fajã de Lopo Vaz

Best for natural beauty
Distance: 3.4km (2.1mi) out-and-back
Estimated time to complete: 2 hours
Level of difficulty: Moderate

Ask any Azorean which island in the archipelago is the most beautiful, and they’ll tell you it’s the one where they live (of course), rivaled only by Flores. I second that, not only because Flores is my home island but also because it’s hard to beat its untouched natural beauty.

Fajã de Lopo Vaz is one of Flores’ most famous hiking trails. A very steep rock and dirt path that plunges down the island’s south coast, it’s a challenging route that offers gorgeous views, plants and flowers you won’t see elsewhere in Flores and a pebble beach where you can recharge before you go back up the same way.

Always mind your step and potential falling rocks, and be sure to download the trail map beforehand, as you won’t have mobile service along the way.

Red dirt path bordered by low stone walls leading to a red-topped windmill. — Red windmill between Criação velha vineyards, Pico, Azores. kasakphoto/Shutterstock

6. Vinhas da Criação Velha

Best to experience a heritage walk
Distance: 6.9km (4.3mi) one-way
Estimated time to complete: 2 hours each way
Level of difficulty: Easy

The landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this walk takes you to the heart of it. Set out on the trail from its official starting point in Porto do Calhau or do a shorter roundtrip version and begin at Porto da Areia Larga, in Madalena – from here to the windmill, it’s about 2km (1.2mi) one way.

Regardless of where you choose to start from, most of the path follows an oceanside road with a view to neighboring Faial and the ever-present Mt Pico inland. Mind the traffic – at the time of writing, the road had been rebuilt after a major storm and parts of it didn’t have sidewalks yet. About halfway, as you get closer to the bright red Moinho do Frade, a gravel path will take you through the unique currais, an intricate pattern of low basalt walls protecting the vines from the ocean.

After the hike, if you want to complete the vineyards experience, stop by Adega do Vulcão for a wine tasting.

Facade of a white building with "Chá Gorreana" in red letters painted on it and out-of-focus greenery in the foreground. — Chá Gorreana, the oldest tea plantation in Europe. Damian Lugowski/Shutterstock

7. Chá Gorreana

Best for tea lovers
Distance: 3.4 km (2.1mi) circular path
Estimated time to complete: 90 minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy

One of two tea farms in São Miguel (and the oldest in Europe) has its own official hiking trail. The PRC28 SMI trail starts across the street from Fábrica de Chá Gorreana, travels through small woods and pastures and finally takes travelers to the famous tea fields.

After walking around the tea farm and stopping to admire ocean views (weather permitting), follow the path back to the factory, where hikers are invited to sample a complimentary cup of the locally grown brew.

Tips for hiking in the Azores

If you’re hiking alone, let your accommodation or someone you trust know which trail you’re taking, what time you’re starting the hike and when you expect to return. Alternatively, hire a taxi to drop you off and pick you up.
If you feel uncomfortable walking the trails alone, plenty of local companies offer guided hiking tours.
The weather in the Azores can change fast, especially closer to the coast or higher elevations. Travel light but be equipped for sudden changes.
Every 500m (0.3mi), trails are marked with yellow-and-red-striped signs – or red-and-white-striped signs for a Grande Rota (Great Route or long-distance hiking trail) – but outside of peak season and during storm season some paths may appear to be neglected. Download an official trail map so you can check if you’re on track along the way.
Some trails cut across pastures. Make sure to always close gates behind you and try not to disturb any cattle; also keep your eyes peeled for cow droppings.

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