Monday morning we caught the ferry from Madalena on Pico Island to Velas on São Jorge Island. The process of checking in, checking our luggage, and then boarding the ferry was incredibly smooth and efficient.
The ferry took about and 1.5 hours. Although the seas appeared calm, the ferry was a bit rocky!
We arrived in Velas around 11:15. Collected our luggage and meet our taxi driver without issue. We were not supposed to begin our hike until 1:30pm. We asked Antonio, our driver, if we could start as soon as possible. He had another group going as well and arranged with them to go early. He was so kind and accommodating. He dropped us at the hotel and went to get the group while we checked in. Our accommodation is a Bed and Breakfast, Casa de Antonio. Our host, Antonio, had our room ready and helped us check in and then showed us to our room. The hospitality was top notch. Our driver, Antonio, returned and off we went on our 5.6 mile hike!
The Pilgram’s Path hike is known to be one of the most beautiful on the island. It begins at Topo, one of the island’s crests, and descends down to the north coast. It was used by pilgrims to reach the wild north coast which is still very isolated.
We had been given many warnings the trail is very steep especially in the beginning. The warnings were validated as we descended! But, first – the view!
If only we were a few weeks later, we would see all the hydrangeas in bloom.
The views were incredible. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it before. It was so quiet and peaceful.
As we descended, the trail would change and close in and yet remained very rocky.
About 2/3 of the way down we stopped to enjoy our picnic lunch. Perhaps our peanut butter and crackers and an apple weren’t gourmet… but, the view certainly was!
As we continued down, we caught up with a river and a little waterfall.
Plus, at lower the lower elevation we started to see blooming hydrangeas.
We saw this roof from above and it looked tiny. Obviously, human size once we were next to it. And our first view of the island’s north coastline.
Fajā Santo Cristo is a one of a kind sight. Only accessible by foot (or now also 4 wheelers) it has a beautiful church and lagoon. This was my first time actually walking through a hamlet!
The north coast is protected and now considered a surfer’s paradise. As we climbed back up it was easy to understand why. The wave train had perfectly timed crests.
We continued our “relatively” flat climb for the second half of our hike. The dirt/ rock trail had lots of ups and downs with more amazing views.
One of my favorite pictures of the day. My mom celebrated her 77th birthday today and here she is at trail marker 77!
We made it to the finish line a bit later than we hoped. We truly “savored” the experience. I called Antonio earlier and let him know we were running late. He was so kind and understanding. We also met up with the other hikers he was transferring. They had used the extra time to swim in the lagoon. On our way home, we ran into a cow jam. The farmers walk their cows to the milking building and then walk them back to their farm. Truly happy cows make the best cheese! São Jorge is known for their delicious cheese!
We returned to the hotel, showered, and went out to dinner!
It was an amazing day. The hike was one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. I would also rate it as a moderate challenge with the amount of descent we did. As always, thanks for reading!