The largest town on Pico Island is called Madalena, located on its western coast. It is the natural administrative, shopping and tourist centre of the whole island.
Madalena is a lovely town for short walks around the small centre or the pretty coastal hiking trail, for swimming in the natural seawater pools and for accommodation if you prefer towns with full facilities.
Book accommodation in Madalena
Sights and attractions
The dominant feature of the town is the beautifully maintained church of Santa Maria Madalena, dating back to 1892. It is free to enter.
The church stands in a small historic centre near the harbour, which you can walk through in practically 2 minutes as it contains only the square and adjacent streets.
About 200 meters to the north you will also find a beautiful windmill.
However, head south for the nicely landscaped pedestrian promenade along the ocean to the vineyards of Criação Velha.
Along the way, you'll also pass natural pools created by lava deposits in the sea. The water in these pools is calm and allows for safe swimming. These pools are surrounded by concrete steps that ensure a comfortable entrance to the sea.
Wine museum and winery visit
A popular tourist attraction is the Museo do Vinho, a small museum illuminating the detailed history of wine growing on Pico Island.
The wine museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00-17:30 and admission costs 2 eur. In addition, admission is free every Sunday.
Very popular excursions also head to Pico Island's largest winery, Cooperativa Vitivinicola.
You can pay for a tour of the wine cellars with wine tastings. However, tours are only possible 2-4 times a day and therefore online booking in advance is recommended on the official website: picowines.com.
Accommodation Madalena
Madalena is the perfect place to stay if you want to have all the practical things like supermarkets, restaurants or the port close at hand.
Where is the best place to stay?
- Hotel Caravelas **** - One of the largest classic hotels on the island can be found right by the marina
- Casa-do-Mar - beautiful apartments overlooking the ocean and Faial Island in a quiet part of town
- Porto Velho Boutique Hostel - cheap hostel with shared and private rooms right in the centre of town.
Madalena is also the only sensible place to stay if you decide not to rent a car on the island, but to go on trips with organized tours (most of which are based in Madalena) or by bus.
Supermarkets - where to shop
Madalena is the centre of the island's shopping options, and unless you're eating exclusively in restaurants, you'll probably stop at one of the local supermarkets during your stay.
- SOL*MAR - map
- Daily 8:30am-8pm
- Continente Supermarket - map
- Daily 8:30-21:00, Sundays only until 20:00
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Pico.
