Pico Walking Trails
by Hipólito on 03/09/09 at 3:32 am
In the Azores, for centuries, the easiest way to travel from one place to another within the same island was by sea; in fact there were not many paths and few were suitable for carriages or oxcarts. There were mainly footpaths, which the islanders used in their daily toil, accompanied by horses, donkeys and mules, of course. The paths were also used to take cattle to or from the pasturelands. Anything larger was transported by boat.
A mountain in the sea. Situated in the North Atlantic, the island of Pico belongs to the Azores islands. Green landscapes little modified by the Man, pure air and good food are its strong points.
If you like to make walked, then the island of Pico is a destination to discover. You can climb the mountain that gave the name to the island, dive in a limpid and crystalline sea or in natural pools and walk (a lot) in trails.
Walking in the trails is an amazing experience. They take you on through a wood of acacias (Acacia sp.), laurels (Laurus azorica) and Australian cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum).
You can also discover the volcanic nature of the island. From the pastureland to the beaches, volcanic rocks are always there.
Useful information
Pico has a total area of 447 Km2, is 42 Km long and 15.2 Km wide at its most, running from the NW to the SE. It is the second largest island of the archipelago, at a distance of 4,5 miles from Faial, and 11 miles from San Jorge.
Position: 28º 20′ W and 38º 30′ N. The climate is mild and has a moderate humidity. Average temperatures oscillate between 14ºC (57F) during the winter and 22ºC (72ºF) in the summer.
Trails GPS Links
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