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Pico
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Home to
Portugal's highest mountain |
We also offer the islands of Faial,
Sao Miguel and
Sao Jorge
The Island
The majestic almost perfect volcanic coned mountain of Pico Alto, at
2,352 m is
 the
highest peak in all of Portugal. It dominates the island which measures
46 km long and 15 km wide. However upon closer inspection this island
inhabited by farmers, fishermen and whalers will fascinate you. The long
tradition of whaling, now ceased, leaves a whale watching industry
second to none and some fine
museums dedicated to its history. Pico has world heritage vineyards as
they were created by breaking up the hard lava covering the earth to
build rock walls then planting vine cuttings in small circles of fertile
soil. We recommend a stay of 2 nights on Pico, stay an extra night for
whale watching and another day for an ascent of Pico Alto.
The
Walking
You can take a walk on the slopes of Mount Pico Alto and explore the
effects of the volcanic eruptions and lava flows. Walk along the coast
linking Pico’s villages dotted along the coast and nestling between
bright green vegetation and vineyards. They have a unique character, the
houses are built of blocks of dark lava and colourful fishing boats
adorn the small harbours. You can walk to the top of Pico
Alto with a guide which we can arrange in advance as part of the
holiday.
Self Guided
Local transport is rare and of little benefit to a walker. Taxis to the
start and finish of each walk can be arranged by our local
representative.
Guided Walking
We do not offer guided walking on this island
When
to go
Walking is possible all year around in the Azores. Spring is early here
so April and May are good times and Autumn extends into November. Being
islands in the middle of the
Atlantic it does rain with the wettest months from October to March. The
driest are July and August. There is only a 9C variation (15 - 24C) in
temperature between the coldest and warmest months, so it is never very
cold nor are there prolonged hot days.
The hotels We feature two hotels on Pico the
3* Hotel Caravelas
and the
Whale'come Ao
Pico How to get there There is a non stop service from London
to
São Miguel, from where you can connect by flight to Pico. Also Pico
can be reached by daily flight
from Lisbon. There are flights to Lisbon from a number of UK points.
Pico is just a short ferry ride from Faial
Getting about
Self guided walkers Local transport is
rare and of little benefit to a walker. Taxis to the start and finish of
each walk can be arranged by our local representative.
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