Pico da Vara
1,103 m
Portugal
Also known as Пику-да-ВараAlso known as
Пику-да-Вара
- Elevation
- 1,103 m
- Prominence
- 1,103 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
NoticeReported 8 Oct 2026
Only the circuit from Santo António Nordestinho is open; the approaches from Algarvia and the Graminhais plateau are closed for safety reasons. Third-party sources say the closure dates from autumn 2024; the official start date was not confirmed. Observed on 8 October 2026.
atividadesarlivre.ptWorksReported 8 Oct 2026
The official trail page warns of ongoing forestry work, with tree felling and heavy machinery, on the first part of the route; watch for traffic. Observed on 8 October 2026.
trails.visitazores.com
Routes
1Sources differ: Hard (Azores official trail rating) (trails.visitazores.com)
The only authorised route to São Miguel's highest point: a 7.3 km circuit from the forest guard house of the Atalhada reserve above Santo António Nordestinho (about 465 m), up old forest roads through Japanese cedar plantations and native heath to the trig point on Pico da Vara (1,103 m). About 640 m of ascent; 3 hours for the circuit. A free advance authorisation is required.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +650 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,103 m
- Time Up
- 2h 39m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 48m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Casa da Guarda Florestal of the Atalhada reserve above Santo António Nordestinho (about 465 m), where there is parking. Follow the waymarks through the Atalhada woods to a viewpoint over Santo António Nordestinho and Algarvia. At the fork take the left-hand road, lined with Japanese cedar; these old tracks once served charcoal burners, cattle drovers and trade between Nordeste and Povoação. Higher up, the plantations give way to native vegetation (Azores juniper, holly and heather) and Sphagnum bogs. At the next fork keep left to reach the trig point on Pico da Vara (1,103 m), about 3.6 km and 640 m of ascent from the start. On a clear day the view takes in the Povoação crater to the south, the Graminhais plateau, the Furnas crater and lake to the west and, in the distance, the massifs of Fogo and Sete Cidades. Descend by the return branch of the circuit and turn right for the guard house, where there is a garden of endemic plants. The official time for the whole 7.3 km loop is 3 hours. The summit ridge is often in cloud and the tracks are muddy and slippery after rain. Forestry work with heavy machinery was taking place on the first part of the route in 2026; watch for vehicles. The older approaches from Algarvia and across the Graminhais plateau are closed.
Start
Casa da Guarda Florestal da Atalhada465 m
- Buses from Ponta Delgada to Nordeste serve the north-coast villages; no service to the trailhead itself (about 1 h drive from Ponta Delgada).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casa da Guarda Florestal da Atalhada → Pico da Vara | 3.6 | 650 | 17 | 2h 39m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Casa da Guarda Florestal da Atalhada465 m
- Summit: Pico da Vara1,103 m
Key Passages
- Forest roads in the Atalhada woods (forestry traffic)
- Upper slopes of native heath and bog to the trig point
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest point of São Miguel (1,103 m), a rounded summit in the Serra da Tronqueira at the island's wild eastern end, inside the nature reserve that shelters the rare Azores bullfinch. A 7.3 km circuit from the Atalhada forest above Santo António Nordestinho leads to the trig point; a free authorisation is required.
Pico da Vara rises in the Serra da Tronqueira, the old, deeply eroded volcanic range at the eastern end of São Miguel, on the boundary of the municipalities of Nordeste and Povoação. Unlike the island's famous crater lakes, this is a landscape of steep, wet valleys, Japanese cedar plantations and the largest remaining stand of native laurel forest on the island.
The mountain is the core of the Pico da Vara Nature Reserve and a Natura 2000 special protection area. It is the main refuge of the Azores bullfinch (priolo, Pyrrhula murina), one of Europe's rarest birds, which lives almost only in these forests. For that reason access is controlled: walkers must register online for a free authorisation before going, and only the official PRC07SMI circuit from Santo António Nordestinho is open.
The walk climbs through plantation forest and then native juniper, holly and heather with Sphagnum bogs to the trig point. On a clear day you can see much of the island, from the Povoação and Furnas craters to the Fogo and Sete Cidades massifs in the west, but the summit is often wrapped in cloud.
Climbing Notes
The circuit is 7.3 km with about 640 m of ascent and takes around 3 hours; the official rating is 'hard' because of the sustained climb, mud and changeable weather, not because of any technical ground. Good boots, waterproofs and a warm layer are needed; start early for the best chance of a clear summit. May to September is the drier period.
Apply for the free authorisation online a few days in advance (the form is on the Azores government services site, linked from the official trail page) and carry the confirmation. The trailhead is about an hour's drive from Ponta Delgada; there is no bus to it. In 2026 forestry work with heavy machinery was taking place on the first part of the route.
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
- Wet and windy; summit usually in cloud
- Feb
- Wet and windy
- Mar
- Muddy tracks
- May
- Drier period begins
- Jul
- Driest months; start early for views
- Nov
- Wet and windy
- Dec
- Wet and windy
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Authorisation to visit Pico da VaraRequired
Free online authorisation from the Azores Regional Government, required to walk in the Pico da Vara Nature Reserve. Submit the form (date, number of people, contact details) a few days before the walk; confirmations usually arrive by e-mail.
servicos-sraa.azores.gov.pt
- Rules
- Only the PRC07SMI circuit from Santo António Nordestinho (Atalhada) is authorised; the routes from Algarvia and across the Graminhais plateau are closed
- Pico da Vara Nature Reserve and Natura 2000 special protection area: stay on the waymarked trail; habitat of the endangered Azores bullfinch
- Getting There
Nordeste
Ponta Delgada João Paulo II (PDL)
- Car: from Ponta Delgada about 53 km (1 hour) via the EN1-1A towards Nordeste, then to Santo António Nordestinho and the Atalhada forest guard house
- Buses from Ponta Delgada to Nordeste do not reach the trailhead; take a taxi from Nordeste
Hazards
- Weather