Vinhas de São Caetano

The walk starts and ends at Mata do Café, in the parish of Livramento, and follows the flat southern coastline in an easy circle. It passes beaches of volcanic sand and pebbles and fields of rough aa-type lava, with the São Roque Islet — the eroded remains of a surtseyan tuff cone — visible offshore as a geosite of the Azores Geopark.

Much of the ground cover is invasive prickly pear, though native coastal plants such as spiny rush, Azorean bellflower and sea fennel still survive here. The route passes the old vineyard pits of São Caetano, where vines were once grown in a distinctive pitted pattern, similar in idea to Pico's walled plots, for a wine trade that lasted into the 19th century, as well as the ruins of the 17th-century Fort of São Caetano and traditional fishing spots such as Ponta Grossa, Furada and Borralho that are still used by locals today.

It's an easy 3.4 km loop with very little climbing, making for a relaxed walk. The route runs through built-up sections of Livramento and São Roque for part of its length.