Faial da Terra

On the southeastern coast of São Miguel, where green ravines cut deep into the volcanic massif, Faial da Terra is a small parish of the Povoação municipality that has become one of the island’s favourite walking bases. From its lanes the trails climb into subtropical forest, past water mills and abandoned terraces, towards one of the most photographed waterfalls of the Azores.

To the Salto do Prego through Sanguinho

The best known route leaves the parish road and climbs through laurel and ginger to the hamlet of Sanguinho, a cluster of stone houses abandoned for decades and now carefully recovered, its terraces slowly returning to the forest. Beyond it the path reaches the Salto do Prego, a waterfall that drops from the cliff into a dark pool above the sea, with a small settlement below it. The walk takes a good part of a day and rewards with one of the island’s most complete landscapes.

A village of mills and church bells

Back in the village, the parish keeps its church of Nossa Senhora da Graça, old water mills along the streams and the little harbour where whaling boats once worked this coast. Farming and cattle still shape daily life, and the parish’s population, once many times larger, has settled at a few hundred inhabitants — which is part of its quiet charm. The volcanic landscapes of the nearby Furnas Valley and the sea cliffs towards the São Miguel Island nordeste make natural day trips.

What to see

• The trail to the Salto do Prego waterfall
• The recovered hamlet of Sanguinho
• The church of Nossa Senhora da Graça
• The old water mills along the streams
• The old whaling harbour on the coast

Practical information

Faial da Terra lies in the municipality of Povoação, on the southeast coast of São Miguel, on the coast road between Povoação and Nordeste. The trail is steep and slippery after rain: bring proper walking shoes and a rain layer, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: Salto Do Prego waterfall by Alexandros Kellaris — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.