Pico da Esperança
1,053 m
Portugal
Also known as Пику-да-ЭшперансаAlso known as
Пику-да-Эшперанса
- Elevation
- 1,053 m
- Prominence
- 1,053 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: Medium (Azores official trail rating) (trails.visitazores.com)
The first third of the official PR04SJO trail: from the trailhead below Pico do Pedro (about 790 m) east along dirt tracks on the island's central volcanic ridge, past Pico do Carvão, Junça, Verde, Montoso and Morro Pelado, to a signed detour up to the crater rim of Pico da Esperança (1,053 m). About 5.5 km and 300 m of ascent one way.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +393 m
- −126 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,053 m
- Time Up
- 2h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The PR04SJO trail starts at the base of Pico do Pedro, beside the regional road across the middle of the island, on a dirt road. It passes around the north side of Pico do Pedro and follows farm and forestry tracks east along the central ridge at 800–1,000 m, skirting the cones of Pico do Carvão, Junça, Verde, Montoso and Morro Pelado among pasture and hydrangea hedges. After about 5.5 km a waymarked turn-off leaves the track and climbs steeply to the highest point of São Jorge, where a path circles the rim of the crater with its small lake. Allow roughly 1½–2 hours to the summit (estimate; the official figure is 4 hours for the whole 16.9 km trail). Return the same way, or continue on PR04SJO: back to the main track and on east past the crater lakes of Pico do Areeiro and Pico Pinheiro, then north through woods, farm roads and short tarmac sections down to Fajã do Ouvidor on the north coast (16.9 km and about 4 hours in total, 5 m at the finish). The trail is linear, so arrange a taxi or a second car. The ridge is very often in cloud. In fog the cones and tracks look alike and the wind on the crater rim can be strong; the official advice is to walk it only in good weather with good visibility. A memorial near the track remembers the 35 people killed when SATA flight SP530M flew into the mountain in December 1999.
Start
PR04SJO start (Pico do Pedro)785 m
- No public transport to the trailhead; taxi from Velas.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PR04SJO start (Pico do Pedro) → Pico da Esperança | 7.3 | 393 | 126 | 2h 37m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: PR04SJO start (Pico do Pedro)785 m
- Feature: Pico do Montoso938 m
Trail skirts the cone
- Feature: Morro Pelado1,027 m
Trail skirts the cone (not on route line)
- Summit: Pico da Esperança1,053 m
Key Passages
- Central volcanic ridge at 800–1,000 m (route-finding in fog)
- Steep detour from the track to the crater rim
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest point of São Jorge (1,053 m), a small crater with a lake on the long volcanic spine of the island. Reached by an easy walk along dirt tracks on the official PR04SJO trail, it is often in cloud, but on clear days looks across to Pico, Faial, Terceira and Graciosa.
São Jorge is a narrow island about 55 km long, and its central ridge is a chain of volcanic cones and craters at 800–1,050 m. Pico da Esperança is the highest of them, a cone in the parish of Norte Grande (Velas municipality) with a lake in its crater. Neighbouring cones include Pico do Montoso, Morro Pelado (1,019 m), Pico do Areeiro and Pico Pinheiro, several with crater lakes of their own. The ridge is covered in pasture, hydrangea hedges and patches of native Macaronesian vegetation; the summit area is protected as part of São Jorge Natural Park, the Planalto Central de São Jorge Ramsar site and a Natura 2000 conservation area.
The walk itself is easy: the official PR04SJO trail follows dirt tracks along the ridge, and the summit is a short, steep detour from the track. The difficulty is the weather. The ridge catches the Atlantic cloud and the summit is often in thick fog with strong wind, so a clear day is worth waiting for. When it clears, the view takes in most of São Jorge's fajãs, the cone of Pico across the channel, Faial, and Terceira and Graciosa to the north.
Most visitors combine the summit with the whole PR04SJO, a 16.9 km linear walk that continues past the crater lakes of Pico do Areeiro and Pico Pinheiro and drops to the lava platform of Fajã do Ouvidor on the north coast.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can do this: about 5.5 km and 300 m of ascent from the trailhead to the summit, or 16.9 km and around 4 hours for the full PR04SJO to Fajã do Ouvidor, which is mostly downhill after the summit. Wear boots for muddy tracks and carry waterproofs and a warm layer even in summer. Check the forecast and the cloud base; in fog the many similar cones and tracks are confusing, so download the official GPX before you go. There is no water or shelter on the ridge.
There is no public transport to the trailhead; take a taxi from Velas or Calheta and arrange a pick-up at Fajã do Ouvidor. Keep to the waymarked trail in the protected area.
History
On 11 December 1999 SATA Air Açores flight SP530M, a British Aerospace ATP flying from Ponta Delgada to Horta, struck Pico da Esperança in cloud, killing all 35 people on board. Memorials near the dirt track below the summit remember the victims.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Frequent fog, rain and strong wind
- Feb
- Frequent fog, rain and strong wind
- Mar
- Unsettled; muddy tracks
- Apr
- Changeable; clear days possible
- Jun
- Best chance of clear views; hydrangeas flower from late June
- Jul
- Driest months; cloud still common on the ridge
- Oct
- Increasingly unsettled
- Nov
- Wet and windy
- Dec
- Wet and windy
Access & Permits
- Rules
- São Jorge Natural Park and Ramsar site (Planalto Central de São Jorge): stay on the waymarked trail; do not disturb vegetation or crater lakes
- Getting There
Velas
São Jorge Airport (SJZ); Horta, Faial (HOR) by ferry
- Car: from Velas take the regional road east for about 9 km to the sign for 'Nortes', then follow it about 9 km to the signed dirt track to Pico da Esperança; the PR04SJO start is at the base of Pico do Pedro
- Taxi from Velas to the trailhead and from Fajã do Ouvidor back; there is no bus to the ridge
- Ferries link São Jorge with Pico and Faial
Hazards
- Weather