On Pico Island, we can find the famous Pico Mountain with 2.351 meters of altitude, known as the highest point in Portugal and the third highest point in the Atlantic. Pico Mountain is a stratovolcano – a cone-shaped volcano formed by the spilt magma – and in March 1972 it was considered a natural reserve – Pico Mountain Natural Reserve. It is important to point out that its last eruption took place in 1718.
For all those who like adventure, adrenaline and excitement the climb to the mountain of Pico should be one of the things to do on your trip to the island. However, although Pico Mountain can be climbed by trails it is important that you are always accompanied by a specialized tour guide who knows the characteristics of the mountain. It is a trail of medium/high difficulty with about 7600 meters. When you reach the top of the mountain observe the central crater of the volcano – Pico Grande – where the interior of the volcano is constituted by a lava cone with 70 meters of depth – Pico Pequeno or Piquinho – that emits some interesting fumaroles to be seen.
However, during the ascent of the mountain there is also a set of things that delight any person, like:
The Furna-Abrigo which is a volcanic cavity consisting of an algar with near 40 meters of depth and a gallery that served as a shelter for hikers who ventured up to Pico Mountain;
Natural habitats with rare endemism, such as Alpine and Sub-Alpine habitats subject to prolonged snow deposits, being the only place in the Azores that can observe these habitats.
The more you climb the mountain it starts to be observable that the vegetation also starts to decrease, being more scattered and in much smaller dimensions, because only a few species can survive the hardness of the climate at the top of the highest in Portugal. The combination of all this with the landscape that Pico Mountain offers is, without a doubt, an experience not to forget, where you can see all the islands of the central group if the weather conditions are favourable. Both the ascent and descent of the mountain can take between 3 to 4 hours and minors under 16 can only go on this adventure if accompanied by their parents or guardians over the age of 16.
However, before making the decision to climb the mountain it is necessary to take into account the health conditions, the necessary and adequate equipment for possible weather changes and, as mentioned before, find a guide who knows the mountain. Climbing the mountain is, without a doubt, an adventure, but it is necessary to be aware that some physical preparation and various cares are needed due to the possible difficulties that may be encountered along the way.
Regarding the recommended equipment for climbing Pico Mountain, in general, they are comfortable boots or sneakers suitable for trails, fresh and light clothes – preferably fresh pants instead of shorts -, windbreaker, food and drink – preferably water -, sunscreen and, without forgetting, a camera to be able to record every moment of the unforgettable experience of climbing the highest point in Portugal: Pico Mountain.