whaT TO DO IN pICO?
CLIMB the mountain
Start & Finishing Point: Mountain´s House
Difficulty: Hard & Thechnical
Extension: aprox. 8 Km (up & down, linear)
Min. Elevation: 1230m (Mountain's House)
Max. Elevation: 2351m (Piquinho)
TRAIL
With an elevation of 2351 meters, Mount Pico is the highest point in Portugal and the third largest volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. Reaching the summit is undoubtedly a challenge for most visitors, and we will be happy to guide you on this adventure, which begins at the mountain house at 1230 meters, where we register and receive a GPS tracking for our safety.
The trail is a total of 8 km, marked by 47 stakes up to the crater, along which we can appreciate various geological formations, species of fauna and flora, as well as learn about the history of the island. The terrain is constantly changing and there are slippery areas that, together with the steepness of some sections, make this trail of medium-high difficulty. It is not necessary to be an athlete, but good physical condition is important. But don't worry, we will adapt the speed to your pace!
We’ll make several stops along the way so you can rest, take photos, and enjoy some food and drinks. Once we reach the summit, you’ll experience incredible sensations, and we’ll be honored to share this moment with you! If there are few people around we can enjoy a meal up there... it will be just as delicious as what you bring! During the high season, we typically eat inside the crater so that everyone has the opportunity to experience Piquinho, as access to that area is limited. However, we’ll still get to savor our meal with a breathtaking panoramic view.
While the ascent challenges your cardio and endurance, the descent puts more strain on your knees and feet... many visitors find this the toughest part, so if you are not already a hikker or runner it is important you train to prepare for the climb!
THE LANDSCAPE IS DIFFERENT EVERY DAY
one can be inside the clouds or above them
one can see all the islands in the central group or a sea of clouds
It is not up to us, but remember
EVERY CLIMB IS MAGICAL!
The climb starts as soon as the sun comes out so we can do a more comfortable hike up in the shade of the mountain, but we will set with you on the previous day upon the forecast!
By the Rules each guide can take 12 persons but we prefer smaller groups so the guide can pay more attention to the needs of each one. The minimum is 2 persons, in case of a single person the price applied is the double.
SCHEDULE:
- 1st May to 30th September
- Duration aprox. 8 to 9 hours
- Start time set on the day before (~7am)
GROUP CLIMB:
- 2 to 9 pax per guide (10 to 75 years old)
- 70 € per person
- Big Group discounts
- [PRIVATE Day/Night climb upon request]
DAY CLIMB
GROUP
INCLUDED:
- Mountain tax
- Insurance
- Qualified guide
- Walking poles (5€ if broken or lost)
NOT INCLUDED:
- Transportation
- Personal equipment >
- Food and Water
MANDATORY:
- Good Physical Condition
- Regular sportive and/or hikker
- Personal equipment >
- Food and Water
EQUIPMENT
EVEN IN SUMMER TIME, weather forecast can be unstable! RAIN, WIND & COLD can surprise us anytime, please follow the recommended list to come prepared for all kind of conditions!
- Hiking boots/shoes with good grip
- Waterproof jacket
- Backpack, better 20lt size with hip belt
- Warm jacket, inside waterproof/plastic bag
- Trousers (not jeans nor leggings), better if you have as well some waterproof pants
- Waterproof/warm gloves
- Head cover (hat, bonnet, Buff)
- Sun screen
- Trekking poles (we can lend you)
- Backpack cover
- Water (recommend 2L per person)
- Sandwiches & high-energy snacks (dry fruits, energy bars or chocolate are good options)
- Personal belongings (like cellphone) inside waterproof or plastic bags
NOTE: If you want to bring DRONES request the permission here!
The climb may not be allowed and deposit not returned:
- if the climber doesn’t have the MANDATORY EQUIPMENT for the practice of this activity
- if the climber’s boots/shoes don´t have GOOD GRIP. Please don´t bring boots/shoes with flat sole or that haven't been used for a long time because the sole tends to dry and fall off.
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Our meeting point is at mountain's house!
As some SECONDARY ROADS ARE IN BAD CONDITIONS, the best way to get there is to use the MAIN ROADS... so we created this map with the best routes HOW TO GET THE MOUNTAIN's HOUSE, despite any other recommendation from GPS
RED ROUTE (link) | Between São Caetano and Santa Luzia follow through MADALENA
GREEN ROUTE (link) | Between São João and Calheta follow through LAJES DO PICO
BLUE ROUTE (link) | Between Santo António and Piedade follow through SÃO ROQUE DO PICO
If you don’t know these roads and once there is always a chance to get fog or find cows in the middle of the road, it is better to count on a longer duration than what your GPS predicts and as we recommend on the map.
MEETING POINT
what to do in Pico
Pico Mountain is one of the main atractions and the hardest trail (must have good physical shape), but there are much more TRAILs and THINGS TO DO IN PICO ISLAND, like: exploring CAVES, learn and taste Pico WINE, check the amazing landscapes of LAGOONS, learn and hike through VOLCANOES, see WHALES and learn about WHALERS heritage, enjoy the ocean or simply relaxe.
So upon many questions we had from our adventurers, based on our experience and research, we created this MAP of points of interest (POI) to EXPLORE in Pico:
- EXPERIENCES Cave, whale whatching, wine tasting, massages, fishing, diving, kayak, bikes, horse riding
- HISTORY & CULTURE Tourism offices, Museums, Interpretation centers, Windmills and other points of interest
- NATURE Lakes, Geosites and other points of interest
- TRAILs
- PARKs and PLAYGROUNDs
- BATHING AREAS Natural and Pools
- FOOD Restaurants, Snack-bars, Pizzerias, Bakery and cafe
- SHOPs Outdoor equipment, supermarkets and handcraft
- ACCOMMODATION
Itineraries
To explore the different points of interest in Pico Island we created 6 suggestions of SELF-GUIDED DAY TOURS (in addition to or instead of the mountain climbing day), according to your interests and available days on the island:
These routes have a general description with its points of interest and maps for optional trails (marked and easier), including links and tips. Some have common points of interest so you can choose according to your interests. If you climb Pico mountain we suggest you to book it on the first day so you can try to readjust the day in case of bad weather.
If you are a WINE lover we created 2 extra routes that include more tasting and wine related experiences, both start at Wine Museum going in different directions:
This suggestions are mostly routes, trails and points of interest, for detailed information about the island we recommend to check out our friends blogs:
- Bruno from GEEKY EXPLORER wrote a "Full Guide" and rated his "Top things to do in Pico Island"
- Inês and Chris from RANDOM TRIP wrote a "Travel guide to visit the island" including routes suggestions depending on the available days
Contacts
You can do your BOOKING REQUEST through the form bellow or our email, phone or WHATsAPP contact.
As soon as possible, we will answer to you by email informing about our availability. CHECK your SPAM BOX please if you don´t get it in 48hours.
If you have several days available for this activity, please inform us!
atipicoazores@gmail.com
(+351) 915340487 | 919991776
Rua Eng. Falcão s/n, 9930-147 Lajes do Pico
TEAM
MÓNICA, NUNO & DANIEL
CERTIFIED MOUNTAIN GUIDES | AGMA
Mónica and Nuno love to hike and since 2005 they have been doing it regularly, starting with different tracks across Portugal and deciding in 2012 to embark on a two-year backpacking adventure, "walking through" all the countries of South America. Some of the best hikes were Mount Roraima in Venezuela, the Lost City in Colombia, in the Galapagos in Ecuador, the Cordillera Blanca and Machu Picchu in Peru, Salar Uyuni in Bolivia, in the various Andean range Parks between Chile and Argentina, such as Torres del Paine, Conguillillo, Alerces y glaciares. In 2014 they returned to Pico Island where they seek to create and live in an environmentally sustainable space, in harmony with Nature, which they love to explore... especially the climb to the highest point of Portugal, where they will be pleased to guide you in a different experience.
Daniel has discovered his passion for hiking and climbing mountains when he moved from Lisbon to the Azores back in 2009, when he climbed Pico mountain for the first time. In 2016 he decided to quit his old jobs has a developer and music teacher to volunteer in communities and sustainable projects around South America for more than 2 years. During this period he did a lot of trekking and climbing in several Natural Parks and mountains all over the continent like Roraima (Venezuela), Chapada Diamantina, Aparados da Serra (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Perú), Salar Uyuni (Bolivia), San Pedro de Atacama desert, Torres del Paine, Vale de Cochamó (Chile), Ushuaia, Peninsula Valdez, El Bolsón, Bariloche, El Chaltén (Argentina), Tayrona (Colombia) and more. He came back to Pico island in 2019 to start a sustainable and ecological project choosing to go back to be a music teacher and to became a mountain guide joining atiPICO team and provide you an atypical experience climbing the highest point of Portugal.
REVIEWS
Our adventurers have been decribing their experiences with us on:
Some wrote great descriptions on their own Blogs, including other adventures in Azores and the world:
Jon from HereBeBarr, made a video on youtube
Bruno from GEEKY EXPLORER wrote a "Full Guide" and rated his "Top things to do in Pico Island"
Inês and Chris from RANDOM TRIP wrote a "Travel guide to visit the island" including routes suggestions depending on the available days
