Some trails feel like a journey through space. Others feel like a journey through time. Trilha do Sanguinho, tucked into the southeastern folds of São Miguel island, feels like both. It’s not long, but every step sinks you deeper into something old, lush, and alive.
This trail begins near the tiny village of Faial da Terra, a coastal parish that feels like it’s nestled between sea cliffs and time itself.
Traces of quiet life in Faial da Terra—washed-out walls and hand-painted tiles along Rua do Burguete
Remote and quiet, the area sits on the island’s eastern edge, well away from the more frequented hiking circuits of Sete Cidades or Furnas. There are no ticket booths or orientation signs here, just a weathered wooden post, a gentle incline, and the rustle of leaves welcoming you in.
A dense, breathing forest
The first thing you’ll notice on the Trilha do Sanguinho is the sheer density of green. The forest here is impossibly thick. Ferns fan out over the trail like lacework. Moss carpets the rocks and trees in living velvet. Roots twist into the path, forcing you to look down often, but then you’ll catch a glimpse of a ginger lily or a humming insect and be drawn upward again.
Shaded paths, mossy boulders, and ancient stone walls carve a lush and quiet route through Trilha do Sanguinho
The path alternates between narrow, well-worn soil and stretches of log stairs that seem to dissolve into the landscape.
Craggy cliffs and root-threaded mud paths mark the quiet drama of Trilha do Sanguinho’s forest route
You may pass beneath a tangle of native trees—laurel, heather, and tamujo—or over makeshift wooden bridges that hover above streams slicing through volcanic rock.
Mossy bridges and meandering streams guide your way through the rainforest folds of Trilha do Sanguinho
Everything is vibrant. Everything is humid. Everything is growing.
Ginger lilies and tropical surprises
One of the trail’s signature blooms is the yellow ginger lily. These wildflowers are impossible to miss—tall stalks crowned with vivid spires of yellow and orange. Though they’re technically invasive, they’ve woven themselves into the forest’s rhythm, forming electric glades amid the dense green.
But they’re not alone. You’ll also encounter bursts of red canna lilies, and delicate, unfamiliar flowering vines. Some sections of the trail feel like you’ve entered a botanic garden. Others feel entirely primeval.
Flame-hued canna lilies and spiky green seedpods punctuate the dense jungle palette along the trail
The flora shifts quickly here, from delicate ferns to towering trees with exposed root systems clawing at the soft ground.
The waterfall detour
Though the trail can be walked as a loop or extended into a longer route, many visitors choose to hike the Salto do Prego route to a beautiful waterfall that fans out into a shallow plunge pool. The approach is sudden—you’ll hear it before you see it—and the clearing where it reveals itself feels like a reward.
Steps toward Salto do Prego, where a waterfall awaits
You can swim here. The water is cold and clear, and the sound of the falls silences everything else.
A swimmer in the plunge pool at Salto do Prego, surrounded by the dense forest that defines the trail
Even if you choose not to swim, sitting beside it on the surrounding boulders or wooden benches offers a moment of cool calm before turning back.
Trail mood and terrain
This is not a treacherous trail, but it is not flat either. There are sections of steep incline and decline, especially if you complete the loop back via the hamlet of Sanguinho itself.
Along the banks of the stream, lush understory plants thrive
The village was once abandoned and is slowly being restored, its terraced gardens and volcanic stone houses a reminder of the island’s deep agricultural past.
Cobbled lanes and wild gardens lead to Faial da Terra, a quiet village nestled where the mountains taper into the sea
What makes this trail stand out isn’t its challenge. It’s the atmosphere. The light filters in like mist. Everything drips, glows, unfurls. The narrow passageways and twisting trees evoke something almost cinematic—like the forest is watching, but not unkindly.
When to go
Trilha do Sanguinho is beautiful year-round, but it becomes especially rich in spring and early summer, when the vegetation is at its thickest and the ginger lilies begin to bloom. After rainfall, the trail becomes slick and the streams more active. Good hiking shoes are essential. So is time—this is not a walk to rush.
Getting there
The trailhead is accessed from the village of Faial da Terra, which can be reached by car or via bus routes connecting from Ponta Delgada or Nordeste. The village itself is worth a short wander: cobbled lanes, local gardens bursting with banana trees and hydrangeas, and an air of deep island quiet.
There’s limited infrastructure, so bring water and snacks with you. And don’t expect crowds. This is one of São Miguel’s more secretive paths.
A trail of intimacy
Unlike the wide, expansive vistas of Sete Cidades or Lagoa do Fogo, Trilha do Sanguinho pulls you in close. It’s about detail: the curve of a leaf, the gleam of rain on bark, the movement of tiny creatures in the undergrowth.
Dark canopies and electric ginger lilies along Trilha do Sanguinho
Even in its brevity, this trail offers something unforgettable. Not a panoramic conquest, but an immersive encounter with an ecosystem alive at every scale. A place where the island breathes in shade, in scent, in saturated green.
