Best things to do in Pico island

I wasn’t expecting it, but Pico Island completely stole my heart. As the youngest island in the Azores Archipelago, Pico has a unique vibe, as if I landed on an island of entrepreneurs, many of them connected to either tourism or wine production.

In fact, Pico Island has some of the most extraordinary white wines in Portugal, so if you’re a wine lover, it’s the right island for you.

Moreover, avid hikers like me surely recognise Mount Pico as the most challenging hike in Portugal.

In conclusion, there’s plenty of things to do in Pico Island, and down below you’ll find my favourite ones.

No time for a long article? Here’s a summary:

These are the best things to do in Pico Island:

• For animal lovers: do a Whales Watching tour, it is PHENOMENAL.
• For adventure junkies: Hiking to the summit of Mount Pico, the tallest mountain in Portugal :)
• For wine snobs: discover the best wineries in the island, they are fantastic.
• For families with kids: Make a picnic at Praínha Park.
• For a rainy day: visit Gruta das Torres (it’s a lava cave), check one of the best museums in the island and but books at the only bookstore in Pico.

If you don’t have much time in the island, you can take a Full day tour of Pico island, as you will discover places that you would never find on your own, and gain insights into the local culture.

The best things to do in Pico island in the Azores are:

Watch whales and Dolphins

I have already named whales & dolphins watching as one of the top water activities to do in São Miguel island and I suspect I’ll include it in many more articles to come because indeed, when you visit the Azores islands you will get a UNIQUE opportunity to do this activity.

There are several tour operators that drive people on catamarans / zodiacs to give you the opportunity to watch whales, dolphins and other wonderful creatures in Pico island, but the company that I always recommend first is always Futurismo Azores Whales Watching as I think they do a wonderful job.

Their tours are guided by maritime biologists and I think this makes all the difference in the world, as you will be able to learn so much from them, while at the same times having a lot of fun without disturbing the animals. Don’t hesitate to book their whales watching activity in Pico island!

If Futurismo tours are already sold out (it happens a lot!), another great option is to book your whales watching activity in Pico island with Aqua Açores.

Price: around 50/55€ per adult and 28€/kid (7 to 18 years old – this activity is not recommended for small children!).

Schedules: it depends on the tour operator you book with. Usually Futurismo “tours” start at either 8h30 or 13h30, whereas Aqua Açores starts at 9h and at 14h.

Climb Mount Pico

Hiking to the summit of Mount Pico, the highest peak in Portugal at 2,351 meters, is THE must-do adventure for outdoor enthusiasts visiting the Azores. The trail is approximately 7 km one way and typically takes 3 to 4 hours to ascend, with a similar time for the descent, making for a challenging but SUPER rewarding day hike.

The journey begins at the designated trailhead in the Pico Island Natural Park. Hikers are greeted by a mix of lush vegetation and volcanic rock formations, providing stunning views of the surrounding landscape. As you climb, the terrain becomes increasingly rugged, with a series of steep sections and rocky paths. The final stretch to the summit involves navigating large volcanic stones, requiring careful footing.

Upon reaching the top, you will be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the Azores archipelago and the Atlantic Ocean. On clear days, the sight of nearby islands such as Faial and São Jorge enhances the experience. The summit also features a volcanic crater, adding to the unique geological landscape.

To Climb Mount Pico you NEED proper hiking boots, plenty of water and layers – it gets very cold at the top!

Another thing that I should warn you about is that these days it is no longer possible to climb Mount Pico without being accompanied by a registered guide, because there have been serious accidents (including a death) involving foreign hikers.

Therefore, I highly recommend you to book your Mount Pico Climb to avoid missing out.

Practical information

• Reservations: you no longer can climb Mount Pico without a guide, so hurry up and book your Mount Pico Climb.
• Distance to cover: 7 km
• Average duration: 3/4h up, a little bit let to come down.
• Type of trail: technically it is linear, but no one is going to pick you up at the top to bring you down, so in practice it is a circular trail :P

Go for wine tasting!

The world NEEDS to know that in Pico we produce some of the best white wines in Portugal, unique in its saltiness and elegant acidity! And I will keep writing and writing about this until they get the recognition they deserve :P 

The only reference that most people who want to do a wine tasting on the island of Pico is the Azores Wine Company, but in fact this is just one of the very interesting producers on this island.

So, make sure to read my article about the best wine tastings on Pico island in the Azores, where you’ll find all the information you need to be a happy drunk.

Prices and schedules: it really depends on both the winemaker AND the wine tasting that you choose, so make sure to read the article I mentioned above.

Visit the Museum of the Whaling Industry

The Museum of the Whaling Industry is a small museum located in São Roque, a small village where the boats to São Jorge island depart from.

It is a small museum but it is really interesting as you will be able to understand all the transformation processes that were used to transform a whale into the final products (mainly, sperm whale oil, bone flour to fertilize the land and meat flour to feed the cattle). 

It is an interesting museum for the engineers among you and I, as former engineer, really think it is one of the best things to do in Pico island in the Azores 🙂

Price: 2€

Schedule: Summer (April 1st to September 30th) – Tuesday to Sunday: 10h00 – 17h30. Winter (October 1st to March 31st): Tuesday to Sunday: 09h30 – 17h00. It is closed on Mondays.

Visit the Whalers Museum

Whereas the Museum of the Whaling Industry is focused on the production processes of the oil and flours (made from the whales), the Whalers Museum showcases the lives and dangers faced by the men that hunted the whales, called baleeiros.

The visit starts with a unique video of a whale hunt, filmed in the 60s, when the whaling industry was already in decline. Yes, the video is gruesome and will make you feel slightly agonized, but it is worth watching until the end because it portrays a Portugal that no longer exists, of extremely poor men who did what they had to do to feed their families.

After the video you will be invited to visit several very beautiful rooms. One dedicated to private collections of engraving on whale teeth and personal objects made with the same material; another dedicated to the construction of boats used at the time, and finally one dedicated to the main objects of hunting, but also agriculture.

The museum is really interesting and it is located in a tiny village well deserving of your attention, called Lajes do Pico.

Price: 2€

Schedule: Summer (April 1st to September 30th) – Tuesday to Sunday: 10h00 – 17h30. Winter (October 1st to March 31st): Tuesday to Sunday: 09h30 – 17h00. It is closed on Mondays.

Check the ONLY bookshop in the Pico island

Going to a bookstore doesn’t sound, at least at first, as one of the best things to do in Pico island in the Azores but it actually is becaaaaaaause it is the ONLY bookstore in the triangle islands (Pico, Faial and São Jorge). And I found it completely by chance, on a day when I was just looking for a place to have lunch. Insane, right?!

Visiting Companhia das Ilhas’ bookstore is a great thing to do for two reasons:

• It is one of the very few places (if not the only one) where you will be able to buy books, in English, about the Azores.
• You will meet either Carolina or Rita, two amazing young ladies that can guide you through Azorean literature and explain to you all about local traditions. They are wonderful people and you need to meet them both!

Price: Free.

Schedule: from Monday  to Thursday it is open from 10h30 – 13h00 and then from 14h00 – 18h00. On Fridays and Saturdays it opens from 10h30 to 13h00, and it closes on Sundays.

Get lost at the UNESCO World Heritage’ centenary vines

Another thing that gives me great pleasure in Pico is to wander around Criação Velha, an area of walled centenary vines, a unique landscape protected and classified as World Heritage by Unesco.

There is a marked hiking trail in Criação Velha, the PR05, which connects the parishes of Candelária to Areia Larga, in the municipality of Madalena. It’s an easy trail, about 7 km, and you can do it in 2 hours.

However, I honestly think it’s a waste of time to make this hiking trail because it’s a linear trail which means that, at the end of the trail (and unless you have two cars, one at the starting point and one at the arrival point ), you will have to go all the way back, the same way.

There’s no need for that! The best thing to do is to go to Criação Velha, on foot or by car, and wander around there, until you end up by the sea. It’s what I do every time, and it fills my heart every time.

Price: free.

Schedule: you can do it anytime of the year, really. It is actually a nice thing to do when it’s bad weather (that is when you should avoid the highlands and focus on the seaside).

Explore a lava cave, one of the best things to do in Pico island

There are around 130 lava caves in Pico island, and Gruta das Torres is the most famous one. It is located in Criação Velha, but already on the slopes of the mountain.

The visit starts with a short introductory video and then proceeds with the descent of the cave over hundreds of meters. The visit is accompanied by a professional guide who will explain the geological phenomena that gave rise to the Azores.

However, I have already met many people who have visited Gruta das Torres and the feedback has been mixed: sometimes they get very good guides, other times they get unprofessional guides who speak broken English.

At the entrance to Gruta das Torres, you will be given a helmet with a flashlight, but it has low power, so I advise you to bring your own flashlight, as well as good boots (forget your sneakers, let alone flip-flops!), as well like sticks, if you have them.

I personally have mixed feelings about visiting Gruta das Torres but, despite everything, it is a good activity to do on the island of Pico on one of the (very frequent) rainy days.

Local tip: they have a very limited amount of slots at Gruta das Torres, so make sure to book in advance!!

Price: Adult (15 – 64 years old): 10€ | Senior (>65 years old): 5€ | Child (0 – 6 years old): Free | Junior (7 – 14 years old): 5€. There is also a Family ticket (2 adults and children up to 14 years of age) for 20€.

Schedule: Summer (1st April to 31st October): guided tours at 09h30 | 11h00 | 14h00 | 15h30 | 16h00. Winter (1st November to 31st March): guided tours on Tuesdays to Saturdays, at 09h30 | 11h00 | 14h00 | 15h30. Closed on Mondays and Sundays.

Make a picnic at Praínha Park, one of the best things to do in Pico island

The first thing I ever did in Pico (and I have been there multiple times!) was to visit Praínha Park, as it was close to home. It is a 5 acres’ forest that you can easily overlook when you’re driving on the main road, but it would be a mistake because a) it is gorgeous 2) it has a fantastic viewpoint called Mistérios da Praínha and 3) it is equipped with a barbecue area, with seating places overlooking the ocean.

You can either get there by car or, if you’re the active type, you can do the PR02 hiking trail which starts next to the lane of Caminho das Lagoas, in the central highlands of the island, and it ends in Baía das Canas, right in the Praínha Park. This hiking trail is around 9 km long, it takes 3h30 to complete and it is also one of the best things to do in Pico island in the Azores.

Price: Free.

Schedule: whenever you want :)

Check the volcanic lagoons in Pico island

I left this activity for last because honestly, compared to other Azores islands, the volcanic lagoons in Pico islands are really not thaaaaat interesting (I am being absolutely honest here, as always). Moreover, the road that gets you to most of the lagoons sucks, in the sense that it is narrow and worst of all, full of holes that make driving a bit dangerous.

The only reason that I included this as one of the best things to do in Pico island in the Azores is that the journey is quite bucolic – when I did it, I randomly came across groups of wild horses, rabbits and of course, lots and lots of cows :P The vegetation is also quite pretty.So go there after you have done everything else on this list of the best things to do in Pico island in the Azores and drive carefully!

You can only see the lagoons in Pico island on a clear day. Even on good days, you should try to get there very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as after 11h00 clouds form around the mountain that affect the visibility of the lagoons.

Price: Free.

Schedule: whenever you want :)