At Pico Matias Simão, a distinctive volcanic formation, a viewpoint with a cross and its former use for whale watching come together. Other highlights in Altares include hiking trails, a wetland with potential for birdwatching, and the parish’s cultural history and religious traditions. When planning your visit, you can decide whether to focus on landscapes and geology or on local history and customs.
Volcanic Landscapes and Hiking
Pico Matias Simão is the heavily sea-eroded remnant of a cinder cone. There is a viewpoint with a cross on the rise; in the past, it was used for whale watching. The site therefore brings together a specific geological feature, a viewpoint and a historical use. The Cruzeiro da Independência was inaugurated on December 8, 1940, at the highest point of Pico Matias Simão in the parish of Altares. This named place thus brings landscape history together with a dated event in local history.
Another way to take in the landscape is the Mistérios Negros PRC01 TER circular route. It starts beside Lagoa do Negro and the visitor building for Gruta do Natal. Along the way, it passes three small lakes known as Lagoinhas do Vale Fundo. The route also features black trachytic domes with sparse vegetation. They were formed by the 1761 volcanic eruption. The route passes through Altares, Biscoitos, São Bartolomeu and Posto Santo.
As another route option, the Grande Rota do Oeste GR01 TER passes through Raminho, Altares and São Bartolomeu. Mistérios Negros is specifically a circular route, offering named landscape features such as Lagoinhas do Vale Fundo and the black domes. For the Grande Rota, the places it passes through are the clear points of reference. These differences can help you choose between the routes based on the features described for each one.
Wetland and Birdwatching
Lagoa do Cerro offers a different natural highlight. It is a wetland of considerable landscape and biological interest, with potential for birdwatching and infrastructure intended for this purpose. This makes it a distinct highlight alongside the geological formations at Pico Matias Simão and along Mistérios Negros. Those particularly interested in birdwatching will find a relevant point of interest here; the description mentions potential and infrastructure, not specific bird species or sightings.
Cultural History and Traditions in Altares
The Núcleo Museológico dos Altares preserves the cultural and natural heritage of the parish of Altares. It is scheduled to be open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check before visiting to confirm that these hours are still in effect. Together with the Cruzeiro da Independência, inaugurated at Pico Matias Simão, the museum offers a way to explore local cultural history, while the landscape formations reveal the area’s geological character.
Religious customs are also part of the area’s character. The Irmandade do Divino Espírito Santo e da Santíssima Trindade dos Altares holds coronations from Domingo da Pascoela through Domingo da Trindade. During the Irmandade’s festivities, a procession goes from the emperor’s house to the parish church on Sunday. This is followed by a festive Mass, the coronation and the distribution of bread and wine to those present. This sequence brings the communal nature of the festival to life: the procession to the church is followed by religious observances and distribution to those present. Alongside hiking trails and nature observation, Altares therefore offers a distinct focus on cultural history.
Discover more destinations: Fonte Do Bastardo, Porto Judeu, Terra Cha, Angra Do Heroísmo, Agualva, S. Bras, Fontinhas, Biscoitos.
For the broader travel overview: Terceira.
