Search photos

Facts & Profile
Pico island

Pico Island (Ilha do Pico, Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈiʎɐ ðu ˈpiku]) is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the tradition of the Portuguese poet, Raul Brandão, Pico is referred to as the Ilha Preta ("Black Island"), for its black volcanic soils, which nourish its UNESCO-designated vineyards that once allowed the development of the island's economy. Pico is the second largest and, geologically speaking, the most recently formed island of the Azores, being around 300,000 years old.
The island is 17.5 km south of São Jorge and just 7 km east of Faial, in the Central Group of islands, an area that is colloquially known as O Triângulo (The Triangle). Pico is 46.3 kilometers long, and at its maximum extent about 16 kilometers wide; making it the second largest of the Azores islands. The 151.8 km coastline is slightly indented with inlets and coves. Accessibility to the sea poses no difficulties, except in sections with plunging, unstable cliffs, subject to frequent landslides (as seen in the northeast and southeast). Seabirds find favorable conditions for nesting in these habitats, in particular the species of Tern (Sterna hirundo and Sterna dougallii) and Shearwater (Calonectris borealis). The rocky substrates prevail throughout the coast (slabs that alternate with rolled pebbles), there are no sandy beaches, but there are numerous tide pools and natural inlets used for bathing.
The vine culture on Pico Island began in the late 15th century, when the settlement of the island started. The Verdelho vines found ideal conditions to grow and mature in the volcanic soil and dark stone walls (currais). Later, it was exported to many countries in Europe and the Americas, and even reached the Russian court tables. Years later, wine production is not as important of an economic activity as it used to be, despite trials to improve the varieties and incentives for the restoration of «currais». The vineyards, which mark the island's landscape and ancestral cultural practices, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 (see Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture).

Video clips

A few selected stock video clips can be licensed via the following websites:

Adobe Stock
Pond5

Important Note:

This text is based on the article Pico Island from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported (short version). A list of the authors is available on Wikipedia.