Pico: Giant's Island

🌋 Pico - The volcanic colossus of the Azores

The island of Pico is dominated by its majestic volcano, the highest peak in Portugal at 2,351 metres. This stratovolcano, still young in geological terms, is still breathing, as evidenced by the fumaroles escaping from its crater, signs of an active hydrothermal system that warrants constant monitoring.

Beneath the surface, Pico hides an unsuspected world: lava tunnels, some several kilometres long. These tunnels were formed when the crust of a basaltic flow solidified on the surface, while the lava continued to flow inside. Now empty, these lava tunnels are veritable geological archives, tracing the path of the flows and revealing the mechanisms of effusive eruptions.

The volcano also influences the climate. Due to its altitude, an orographic effect creates striking daily contrasts between dense fog and clear skies, sometimes on the same day. Pico thus creates a unique microclimate, where humidity and sunshine follow one another to the rhythm of the relief.

But the history of Pico is also the history of the people who have learned to live with this rocky soil. On its slopes, the inhabitants have built an exceptional wine-growing landscape: a checkerboard of low basalt walls known as currais. This ingenious system has transformed a poor soil into a terroir recognised by UNESCO. The wine bears the signature of the volcano.

From its subterranean depths to its smoking summit, Pico embodies the power of geology and man's ability to adapt to it. The volcano is more than a landscape: it is a living presence, a climate, a memory and a partner in life.