Serra Branca - Praia - Graciosa PR01 GRA closed trail

This small linear route begins at Pico da Caldeirinha de Pêro Botelho and continues around the crater of this volcanic cone formed by lava "spatters," a unique geological structure on Graciosa Island. The volcanic apparatus also includes a sinkhole approximately 37 meters deep. Due to its geological importance, it is classified as a geosite of the Azores UNESCO Global Geopark.

Regarding its landscapes, Pico Timão is the second highest point on the island (398m) and offers a wide panoramic view over Graciosa and the other islands of the central group. Pico Timão is the vent of the last eruption that occurred on the island less than 2,000 years ago. These lavas reached the sea on the eastern coast in the Praia area, and is also classified as a geosite. In addition to significant geodiversity, the trail features interesting elements of biodiversity, such as the native and endemic flora specimens like Erica azorica, Calluna vulgaris, Morella faya, and rarer species like Corema album and Platanthera pollostantha.

In regards to its cultural heritage, the Water Architecture represents an important testimony to the island's identity and the memory of the ingenuity and effort of the local people to cope with water scarcity. This shortage motivated the population to build systems for water collection and storage such as tanks, cisterns, washhouses, and fountains. Along the route, ancient distribution structures like clay pipes are also prominent, ensuring the transport of water to the small water tanks and fountains. At the end of the trail, it is possible to observe a tidal well that was used to collect deep water (from the basal aquifer), and the old tile factory, where various clay artifacts were produced in the past, some of which were used in the water architecture.

The islet of Praia, classified as a Natural Reserve, is an important nesting site for the main colonies of seabirds in the Azores, especially for the smallest seabird in the Azores, the Monteiro's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates monteiroi), a local endemic species that primarily nests on Baixo and Praia islets.

At Praia, there is a pleasant bathing area and various services, in which the “Queijada da Graciosa” is the ex-libris - the Graciosa cheesecakes