Mount Pico

Portugal’s highest point is not on the mainland but in the middle of the Atlantic: Mount Pico rises 2,351 metres straight out of the ocean on Pico island, more than twice the height of anything else in the Azores. For many travellers, standing on its summit at dawn, above the clouds, is the memory of a lifetime — and the climb is a serious, supervised mountain day.

Climbing the volcano

The ascent begins at the Casa da Montanha, at about 1,200 metres, where every climber registers and receives a tracking device; the route climbs roughly 1,150 metres over some four kilometres, marked by numbered posts, over loose volcanic rock. The true summit is Piquinho, the little cone inside the crater, with steam still seeping from its vents. Since 1972 the mountain and its surrounds have been a nature reserve, and the rules — daily limits, mandatory registration, no night descents — protect both the climbers and the strange, crater-dwelling plants. Below, the Pico island page opens up the vineyards and whale-watching coast; the Azores’ capital, Ponta Delgada, is the usual gateway by air.

What to see

• The summit view over the central Azores
• Piquinho, the steam-vented pinnacle inside the crater
• The Furna Abrigo shelter on the climb
• The Pico Island vineyard landscape below (UNESCO)
• Sunsets over Faial and São Jorge from the slopes

Practical information

Climb between May and September for the best conditions; a guide is not obligatory but is strongly recommended. Take proper boots, warm layers and water — the mountain makes its own weather. Register at the Casa da Montanha above Madalena, or book through licensed operators in advance.

Image credit: Montanha do Pico by José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa — Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.