Pico’s lava fields (lajido in Portuguese) wind the clock further back still, into deep time. The volcanic eruptions that formed this dramatic landscape are writ large in the swirling, ridged patterns of its jet-black rock, as if the magma had only recently cooled, and the towering, omnipresent cone of Mount Pico. The Donkey Trail (O Caminho dos Burros), which slices right through the rugged interior and originally provided a lifeline between villages on the north and south coasts, passes high-altitude crater lakes, called calderas, ringed with endemic varieties of juniper and blueberry, statuesque, yellow-blooming Mediterranean spurge or old-growth laurissilva forest.
Hiking trails are by no means the preserve of Pico; six of its Azorean neighbours offer multi-day “grand routes” ranging 20-plus miles, as well as easier yet equally scenic strolls, whether it’s looping hot springs or meandering along hydrangea-stuffed country lanes past curious cattle.
Across the archipelago, some 80 trade and pilgrimage routes have been recently restored by Walking Trails in the Azores, with distinctive red and yellow signposts showing the way – so, if ever there were a time to plan a visit and explore these charming, storied routes, it’s now.
Essentials
Estella Shardlow was a guest of Visit Azores (00 351 296 288 082; visitazores.com) and Azores Wine Company (00 351 918 266 989; antoniomacanita.com). Car hire was provided by Ilha Verde (00 351 296 304 891; ilhaverde.com) and excursions by Futurismo Azores Adventures (00 351 296 628 522; futurismo.pt). Direct flights from London to Ponta Delgada are operated by British Airways (May-Sept; ba.com) and Azores Airlines (June-Sept; azoresairlines.pt).
Five other excellent ways to walk the Azores
Mata Do Canário, São Miguel
The twin lakes of Sete Cidades have become the poster child for the Azores. Filled with striking, two-tone waters – one sapphire, one emerald – it’s the result of a volcano collapsing some 22,000 years ago. Although local legend offers a rather more romantic explanation: a pair of star-crossed lovers, a blue-eyed princess and green-eyed shepherd, filled the caldera with their tears. Despite its other-worldly appearance, this natural wonder lies only 15 minutes’ drive from Azorean capital Ponta Delgada.
One option is to complete the entire 20.1km lake circuit, Rota Circular da Lagoa das Sete Cidades. But a smarter choice (that is, optimal views in less time) is to pick up the trail from the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno viewpoint and skirt the rim of Lagoa Azul anticlockwise for seven miles, ending up in Sete Cidades village. Post-hike, reward yourself with a tasting of pineapple wine at Herdade do Ananás – a working plantation meets boutique hotel in Ponta Delgagda – and treat walking-weary muscles with an ayurvedic massage and hot tub soak, all cocooned within the property’s greenhouses. Herdade do Ananas (00 351 919 293 000; herdadedoananas.com) has doubles from £77 per night.