Pico
Where do you think the tallest mountain in Portugal is? How about over 1000 miles from Lisbon? How about not even on the European continent? Well, the tallest mountain in Portugal is Mount Pico, a 7713 ft tall volcano on the Azorean island of Pico. Among the slopes of Mount Pico lie dozens of UNESCO preserved vineyards and seaside villages. I visited Pico as a short layover between Sao Miguel and Tereira but it proved to be one of the best day trips I have had during my travels.
The day started with an early morning flight from Sao Miguel to Pico Airport on the Northwestern corner of the island. At the time of landing, the peak of Mount Pico was completely obstructed by clouds. Like many tall and isolated peaks, Mount Pico has an obscure weather pattern which makes seeing its peak a rarity. Nonetheless, I rented a car in search of both better weather and volcanic wineries.
My first stop was on the south coast of the island, in Lajes do Pico. After picking up breakfast, I went to explore the town’s natural pools. A boardwalk trail in the town runs over the rocky coastline, towards the natural pools and then onto a makeshift lighthouse. Luckily, as I approached the coastline, the thick layer of clouds covering Mount Pico burned off and the top of the mountain became visible.
With the mountain peak in sight, I headed towards the highlands of the island. As I continued up, the clouds continued to clear, bringing more of the mountain into sight. The landscape shifted from coastal villages towards volcanic pastures, the hallmark of Pico Island. Using lakes, vegetation and the roaming cattle, I found well framed compositions of the mountain.
After getting my mountain photography secured, I shifted my focus to the main attraction of Pico, the vineyards. Unlike typical vineyards, the Pico vineyards are intertwined within the island’s volcanic landscape. Instead of vast rows of grapes, the Pico grapes are grown in small patches separated by volcanic stone walls which provide protection from harsh atlantic winds. With this, the Pico vineyards create a landscape covered with a seemingly endless maze of stone walls on the foothills of Mount Pico.
I followed street signs up to one of the larger vineyards on the island and entered the main building. Inside, I was treated to a wine tasting and an opportunity to purchase some wine bottles. The volcanic soil gives Azorean wine a distinct acidic taste, a flavor I particularly enjoyed. I was then treated to a short tour of the winery, allowing me to walk through the seemingly endless basalt stone rows. With another layer of clouds coming in, I made sure to get some photographs of the winery while Mount Pico was still in sight. Even when the mountain became clouded over, the quaint atlantic coastline made the vineyards picture perfect. After finishing the wine tour, I made the short drive back to Pico Airport where I got ready for the short flight to Terceira Island. My day trip on Pico Island was great and left me with more reasons to plan another visit to the Azores.
