7 best hikes in the Azores

15.04.2024 - 05:21 / lonelyplanet.com

Sandra has just returned from her native Azores where she was researching the upcoming Pocket Azores guidebook - out October 2024.

The Azores are heaven for nature lovers and outdoors enthusiasts, with dozens of hiking trails to choose from. The well-marked official paths cut through hills, small woods and pastures, twisting up and down the rugged basalt coast. The experience of hiking in the Azores embodies the philosophy that it’s the journey that matters, not the destination, as travelers uncover the islands' protected nature reserves, nature parks and quasi-untouched landscapes in their wildest state. 

Pack your hiking boots and trekking poles because you’ll need them, even on the trails classified as easy. The uneven terrain deems most trails as moderate or hard. While most of our suggestions for hikes follow official trails, we've included a few that are not classified as such but worthy of mention for the views they offer or because they're more accessible for travelers not as accustomed to hiking. 

Here are the best hikes in the Azores.

Best walk to grasp the smallest island

6km (3.7mi) one-way, 2 hours, easy

Corvo, the smallest island in the Azores, is also the most isolated, boasting only one town with a little under 400 people clustered on the lowest region near the ocean. The rest is pastures and the water-filled crater of the inactive volcano that originated the island — Caldeirão.

Estrada do Caldeirão starts at the only roundabout in Corvo – across from the post office – and snakes up the island through farmland and moss-covered hills, its inclination gently increasing the closer you get to your destination. With any luck, around you there won’t be more than the occasional farmer driving by, the peering eyes of grazing cattle and the feeling you have the island all to yourself.

If you’re staying on the island, walk up to Caldeirão as early in the morning as possible before the tour boats from Flores arrive – during peak season, there can be more than a dozen people arriving in Corvo daily and they’ll all flock to the lagoon. Brave the fog and the wind for a hopefully clear view of the lagoon, and walk toward town before lunch. For travelers on the island for just a few hours, hitch a ride or pay someone to drive you up (approx. €10 per person), and then walk back. 

Best exercise walk

3km (1.8mi) roundtrip, 1 hour, easy

With good weather, plenty of Horta locals park near Fábrica da Baleia de Porto Pim and walk or cycle uphill to Monte da Guia and back on a mostly flat path. Although it never truly gets busy (most tourists drive up for sightseeing purposes or hike the Entre Montes PRC08 FAI trail instead), be prepared to share the road with folks on their daily exercising outings. 

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