São Miguel

The route begins on the “Ribeira da Praia” path and develops along the southern slope of the “Serra de Água de Pau”. This trail provides connection between the municipalities of “Vila Franca do Campo” and “Lagoa”. It allows hikers to choose several trails options, according to the time availability and their physical condition.

The pedestrian route to Fajã do Mar begins and ends at the viewpoint of Vigia das Baleias, in the parish of Feteiras which, due to its wide views over the south coast of the island of São Miguel, was used as a support for the "lookouts" on land to observe and locate the whales, representing an important testimony of the history of whaling, which had economic importance in the Azores in the last century, and continues to be used today, but for the purposes of the tourist activity of "whale watching".

This small circular route develops through the village of Água Retorta, near the protected area for the habitats and species management. Begin the trail near the church of Nossa Senhora da Penha de França, built between 1871 and 1885 taking advantage of the bell tower, a reminiscence of an old chapel from the 17th c. that existed here.

This circular route through the village of Faial da Terra develops partially in the geosite of Caldeira of Povoação. Begin the walk at the center of the village and follow the marks by a road accessing agricultural fields. Along it you will cross several times the regional road, passing by the old whale watching tower, place used by the ancients to watch and locate the different cetaceans species.

This linear route connects the town of Povoação to the village of Faial da Terra, a connection between the geosites of Caldeira of Povoação and the stream valley of Faial da Terra and Fajã do Calhau. Begin the walk by the road accessing Lomba dos Pós and follow the marks until you find a dirt road, on the right hand side that formerly connected the two villages. Along the way, it is still possible to do sidewalks done in the past by the local population.

This linear route connects the place of Remédios to the village of Água do Pau, through ancient roads used by the watermen, taking the water to the parish of Lagoa. The trail crosses several resources connected to this line of activity such as old bridges, aqueducts, clay pipelines, levadas (watercourses) and some tunnels. To cross the tunnels, it is advisable the use of lanterns and before starting the trail be sure you are suitably equipped. Along the trail, it is necessary to pay special attention for the presence of animals that should not be disturbed.

This linear route connects the village of Ribeira Chã to Água de Pau. Begin the trail at the center of the locality, known for its museums, mainly the Sacred Art and Ethnographic, the Ethnographic Yard and Azorean Endemism as well as the Rural House of Maria dos Anjos Melo, where we can see all the history, culture and heritage of this place. Rich for its gastronomy, Ribeira Chã is known for its Italian Arum cereal flour porridge, a typical sweet of the village, done with the rhizome of the plant known on the island as Italian Arum (Arum italicum).

Der Wanderweg Pico das Camarinhas – Ponta da Ferraria beginnt in der Nähe des Aussichtspunkts Miradouro da Ilha Sabrina. Er wurde durch einen unterseeischen Vulkanausbruch im Jahr 1811 bekannt, der ein kleines Felseiland rund 6 km südöstlich der Landzunge Ponta da Ferraria hervorbrachte. Aufgrund der starken Meereserosion verschwand dieses Inselchen jedoch einige Monate später wieder; seine Reste liegen heute allesamt unter der Wasseroberfläche.

Dieser an der Nordküste der Insel verlaufende Wanderweg führt durch die Gemeinde Santo António, die für ihre zahlreichen, von den steilen Hängen bis zur Küste verlaufenden Wasserläufe, bekannt ist. In der Vergangenheit versorgten sie mehrere Wassermühlen, wie die Cruz- oder Rocha-Mühlen, und dienen heute der öffentlichen Wasserversorgung.

Diese kurze Streckenwanderung entlang des Wasserlaufs Ribeira da Praia führt zu Schauplätzen von großer historischer Bedeutung in der Geschichte der Industrialisierung der Insel am Ende des 19. und zu Beginn des 20. Jh., nämlich der Gewinnung und Verteilung von Elektrizität durch Wasserkraft, die durch den renommierten Ingenieur José Cordeiro (1867–1908) ihren Anfang nahm.