Pico is an island in the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal, in the Atlantic Ocean. This volcanic island is the second largest of the Azores, and provides opportunities for hiking and whale-watching. The island's vineyard culture landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Understand

The village of Madalena at the western base of Mount Pico

A traditional windmill at the coast

UNESCO listed Pico vineyards

The island of Pico (PEE-koo, /ˈpi.ku/) is 17.5 km (10.9 mi) south of São Jorge and just 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Faial, in the Central Group of islands, an area that is colloquially known as o Triangulo (The Triangle). Pico is 46 km (29 mi) long, and at its maximum extent about 16 km (9.9 mi) wide, rising from its center to the west in the summit of the stratovolcano of Pico; making it the second largest of the Azores islands.

The three main settlements on the island are Madalena, São Roque do Pico and Lajes do Pico.

The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the tradition of the Portuguese poet, Raul Brandão, Pico is referred to as the Ilha Preta ("Black Island"), for its black volcanic earth, responsible for its UNESCO-designated historical vineyards that allowed the development of the island.

The island supported a substantial whaling industry until 1980. The position of the island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge means that deep water is very close. Active industries include tourism, shipbuilding and wine production.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Pico Airport (PIX  ^IATA). Direct flights from Lisbon, Ponta Delgada and Terceira. A taxi to Madalena costs about €15 (Feb 2024).  

By boat

• Atlânticoline Ferries. To Madalena: 30 min from Horta on Faial island (€3.60 per person, Feb 2024); 60 min from Velas on São Jorge island. Service also from Graciosa and Terceira. (updated Jun 2021)

Get around

• Cristiano Limitada. Cristiano offers two bus routes on the island. (updated Jun 2021)
• Taxis: usually hang out at the ferry terminal in Madalena.

It is quite easy to drive the length of the island from Madelena to Piedade and back in a day. Adding in stops like the Gruta das Torres and Mount Pico could leave you pressed for time.

See

• Former biology professor Malcolm Clarke runs a beautiful whaling museum in São João. Displays about the sperm whale and its main food, the octopus (also called giant squids). There are many unique exhibits and you can also sniff ambergris. There is another whaling museum in São Roque that is worth seeing.

Gruta das Torres

• 1 The Gruta das Torres. Nov-Apr: Tu-Sa holidays 09:00 - 12:30 13:30 - 17:00; May-Oct: daily 09:00 - 12:30, 13:30 - 18:00. A lava tube over 5 km (3.1 mi) long. 90-min tours available that take you 450 m into the tube. Reservations are required. Not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Child (up to 6) free, junior (7-14) €5, adult (15-64) €10, senior (> 65) €5. (updated Feb 2024)
• 2 Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture. The wine-growing area on the west coast of the island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. (updated Jul 2021)
• 3 Museu do Vinho (Wine Museum), Rua do Carmo, Madalena (at the west end of the island), ☏ +351 292 622 147, emailto:museu.pico.info@azores.gov.pt. Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-17:30; Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:30-17:00. A museum on the history of Pico wine making, with English explanations. 
• 4 House of Volcanoes (Casa dos Vulcões) (in Lajido de Santa Luzia, 11 km from Madalena). Nov-Mar: Tu-Sa holidays 09:00-12:30, 13:30 - 17:00; Apr-Oct: daily 09:00-12:30, 13:30-18:00. A small museum that explains the geologic history of the island, with a video simulation of a journey to the centre of the earth, and a virtual reality simulation of two earthquakes. Child (0-6) free, junior (7-14) €2, adult (15-64) €5, senior (> 65) €2, family (2 adults and children up to 14 years old) €10. (updated Feb 2024)

Do

• Swim in the largest man-made, outdoor, public saltwater pool in Madelena. It's a fantastic place to relax and cool off in the summer. The pool is deep enough for diving. Beginner swimmers should stay away from the middle, as the size is quite large.
• The island also offers good opportunities for cycling.
• 1 Mount Pico (Montanha do Pico). A stratovolcano 2,351 m (7,713 ft) above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in Portugal. Climb the mountain in the afternoon so you can see the sunset when you reach the summit. Normally it takes 2 to 3 hours to climb, more if you are not fit. Then in the morning to see the sunrise, climb a little mountain called Pico Pequenino (Little Pico) that the mountain has on top. From there you can see the islands of Faial and São Jorge perfectly. To climb Mt Pico, you must register at the Mountain House at the base of the mountain, which controls the number of climbers each day.  
• Despite some natural swimming pools, the island is less suitable for a beach holiday.
• The island is one of the centers for whale watching. It is also popular with divers.

Hiking

Popular, but demanding and strenuous, is the ascent of the Pico volcano. The Rother hiking guide Azores describes the following tours:

• From Criação Velha to Gruta das Torres (2 hours 50 minutes)
• Zona do Verdelho (3 hours 30 minutes)
• From Furna de Frei Matias to Madalena (2 hours 40 minutes)
• Montana do Pico (5 hours 45 minutes)
• Around Santa Luzia (5 hours)
• From Lagoa do Capitão to Baia de Canas (4 hours 15 minutes)
• From Lagoa do Capitão to Cais do Pico (3 hours 30 minutes)
• From Miradouro da Terra Alta to Santo Amaro (2 hours)
• From Miradouro da Terra Alta to Piedade (4 hours)
• The highland lakes of Pico (7 hours 15 minutes)
• Ponta da Ilha (4 hours)
• From Parque Florestal de São João to Silveira (3 hours)

Buy

There is a large Continente supermarket on the edge of Madelena, and a smaller Solmar supermarket closer to the centre.

There is also a local shop run by a Chinese family that sells inexpensive items of almost every variety from electronics to socks. Clothing is mainly imported, and as a result, expensive.

Eat

There are many cafes in the area and all of them offer good food for reasonable prices. Variety of food is limited mainly to bread, cheese, and beef. Vegetarians may have some trouble having a balanced meal. Even the local soups will most likely have meat or meat broth as an ingredient. If you're a vegan, be prepared for starvation.

• 1 Atmosfera, Rua dos Biscoitos 34, Madalena (at Alma do Pico hotel), ☏ +351 914 231 436. W–M 19:00–20:30, closed Tu. €20-30. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 O Cinco, Rua Carlos Dabney 5, Madalena, ☏ +351 292 623 970. M–F 08:00–23:00, Sa 08:00–00:00, closed Su. Mid-range. (updated Jun 2021)

Drink

The local cafes usually double as the local bars. Beer here is cheaper than bottled water, at about €0.50 a bottle.

Sleep

Mount Pico, Piquinho (summit)

Budget

• 1 Boutique Hostel Porto Velho, Rua Doutor Freitas Pimentel nº5, Madalena, ☏ +351 292623777. Near the ferry terminal and centre of town in Madelena, overlooking the harbour. 6-bed dorm €3/person, double room €65. (updated Feb 2024)
• 2 Retiro dos Cabritos, Travessa de Santo António, 5 (São Mateus, in front the Atlantic Ocean and overlooking the mountain of Pico), ☏ +351 917 659 073. Holiday cottage. 

Mid-range

• 3 Pocinhobay, Pocinho, Candelária, ☏ +351 292 629 135, geral@pocinhobay.com. 6-room boutique hotel with traditional stone cottages and modern decor. 

Stay safe

Towns in Pico are very safe. Crime is very low and violence is almost non-existent. However, be very aware when crossing the streets; people on this island tend to drive a bit crazy. You will frequently see cars driving at freeway speeds on cobble stone roads. Also, it's not surprising to see cars parked in the middle of a road and blocking traffic. The driving laws are loose at best.