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Mount Pico
Montanha do Pico
View of Pico from the harbour of Horta (Faial)
View of Pico from the harbour of Horta (Faial)
Highest point
Elevation 2,351 m (7,713 ft)
Parent peak None
Geography
Location  Azores,  Portugal
State/Province PT
Parent range Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Geology
Age of rock < 230,000 Years
Mountain type Stratovolcano
Last eruption 1718

Mount Pico (Portuguese: Montanha do Pico) is a composite volcano (or stratovolcano); it is the highest point of the Portuguese island of Pico in the Azores. With an altitude of 2,351 m (7,713 ft) above sea level, it is more than twice the elevation of any other peak in the Azores, and the tallest mountain in Portugal.

Description

Montanha do Pico ao Pôr-do-sol, ilha do Pico, Açores
A view of Mount Pico at sunset
Montanha do Pico, aspectos 5 ilha do Pico, Açores, Portugal
Mount Pico

Mount Pico is at the eastern end of Pico Island. On the top of the mountain, there is round crater about 500 m (1,600 ft) in diameter and 300 m (980 ft) deep. Inside this crater (Portuguese: Pico Alto) there is a small elevation produced by a recent, in geological terms, eruption that is known with the name of Pico Pequeno or Piquinho, which is about 70 metres (230 ft) high. From the base of Pico Pequeno, volcanic smoke gets out with a strong odor of sulfur.

In winter, the top of the mountain is covered with snow. Rains are frequent the whole year.

Reserve and hiking

Mount Pico was made a Natural Reserve in 1982 to protect the mountain. The reserve (Portuguese: Reserva Natural da Montanha do Pico) has an area of about 1,500 hectares (15 km2) and is from about 1,200 m (3,937 ft) high to the top of the mountain.

There are trails for hiking and it is possible, for persons in good conditions and depending on weather, to get to the top of the mountain in around two to four hours from the beginning of the trail.

In the lower part of its slopes is the Paisagem da Cultura da Vinha da Ilha do Pico (Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture), classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage.

Images for kids

  • Weather station in crater of Pico Mountain - panoramio

    The observatory station in 2007

  • Furna vegetada na área protegida da Montanha do Pico em Açores

    Vegetated cavern on Mount Pico

  • Montanha do Pico Crater

    The pit crater rim of Pico Alto on the summit of Pico volcano

  • Montanha do Pico Piquinho

    The pinnacle of the mountain: Piquinho or Pico Pequeno

  • Mount Pico from Graciosa

    Mount Pico as it can be seen from Graciosa island (the air distance is about 70 km)

  • Vista da montanha do pico ao nascer do sol

    View of Madalena and Faial Island.

  • Pico-HortaFaial (crop)

    Snow on the mountain peak in early 2006.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Montaña del Pico para niños

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