We’ve always heard that hiking on Ilha Terceira is an absolute must-do. Heck, we heard that much from our outdoorsy friends early in our Azores planning process. But we had absolutely no idea when we started planning that, in a single day on Terceira, we would venture through dense, tropical forest; walk long, megalithic roads; and hike along steep ocean cliffs. Where else on earth can you have such varied experiences in less than 12 hours? Alongside our expert guide, and now friend, Juca from Trilhas Tours, we had one hell of an amazing, exhausting day hiking two of Terceira’s most famous trails: the Misterios Negros hike and the Baias da Agualva.
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What exactly is the deal with this Misterios Negros hike?
Good question. TL;DR: the Misterios Negros, or Black Mysteries, are a series of hills turned completely black and devoid of life by one of the island’s more recent volcanic eruptions. (Don’t worry, y’all, this happened well before Portuguese explorers discovered the island in the Middle Ages.) But what these explorers found as they began to go further inland was an entire landscape turned entirely and, to them, inexplicably black. So… Black… Mysteries. No one said explorers were creative namers…
“What a muddy, mossy, tropical rock scramble” (or, What it’s like to hike Misterios Negros on Terceira)
On the morning of our tour, we woke to mid-50s (F) temps, cloudy skies, and light rain in Angra do Heroismo, which isn’t exactly unusual for late winter and early spring on Terceira. When Juca picked us up for our two-hike day, he mentioned that the weather on the whole island wasn’t exactly sterling for the morning, and we’d probably have a bit of rain no matter where we went.
So, raincoats zipped and waterproof hiking boots double knotted, we decided to try all ~6km Misterios Negros first.
Juca parked us just across from the Gruto do Natal entrance, at the trailhead for Misterios Negros, and off we went… to immediately run into some pretty deep mud puddles. In some places on the trail, we simply had to find some less soggy moss or brush to walk on if we didn’t want to risk a shoe getting left behind. In other places – likely the most flood- and mud-prone spots – short logs have been laid across the path a few feet apart to act as a very slippery bridge through the mud. On our first traverse, Juca was very clear about reminding us of one key thing: never, ever put your foot parallel on a log or a protruding root, because that’s how you slip and hurt yourself. Always step with the ball or middle of your foot perpendicular to whatever you’re stepping on.
He also stopped us at a few small lakes which are only present near the trail in the rainy season (winter), and tried to take a few photos despite the glare in the clouds. But despite the lack of pretty photos (because of the light quality, the threat of rain, and also the fear of klutzing out and dropping a camera in the mud), the rest of hike involved pleasant conversation and a whole lot of up, down, over, and around as we scrambled across challenging volcanic rock masses and tall tree rooms covered in moss and shrubs. The plus side of all that moss is that, even though I slipped once and had to catch myself with a hand, that hand went directly into a very spongy patch of green. It’s a strange, soft-but-firm landing that fluffs a very organic smell up to you. More importantly, it’s a whole lot better than smacking down on packed dirt or rock.
From scrambles to brambles… okay, they were trees. Fine.
As we got further in, the trees got bigger and the branches got thicker… which meant we had to be even more careful to keep on eye on what was ahead of and above us, as well as what was happening at our feet. For much of the middle of the hike, having our heads on a swivel was pretty necessary to avoiding a fall or a thunk on the head.
We hit a few spots of patchy rain as we went, until we got through the scramble and emerged higher up. At that point, as we all breathed a small sigh of relief because things were about to get easier… that glaring light dulled, the clouds opened, and we got completely drenched by extremely cold rain. Thank god for good rain jackets and quick-dry pants!
The rest of the hike buzzed along fairly quickly. By the time we hit one of the more famous viewpoints, the rain had been replaced by an eerie, bright white fog, so we unfortunately didn’t get to experience one of the rewards for battling through the hike. Regardless, we stopped for some fun playing around with photos and perspective under some shockingly tall trees, and ended the hike with a very low-key walk down a paved road back to the van.
Our thoughts on hiking Misterios Negros
Our favorite hike at home in Virginia is Old Rag. Its most unique feature has to be the rock scramble across the top third of the mountain. It’s athletic, fun, fairly challenging, and incredibly satisfying to complete. So, while we love to get pampered or just take it easy, we don’t exactly rank as pushovers when it comes to hiking. This ranks right up there with some of our more challenging hikes, because it makes up for its lack of major elevation change with constant brain and body work to get over and around those rock scramble elements without having a painful “whoops” situation.
We loved it, and would really value doing it again when the weather isn’t quite so horrendous and view-obscuring.
So, who should hike Misterios Negros?
- Hikers who love rock scrambles
- Folks looking for stunning scenery
- Visitors in decent-to-good physical condition
- People who have a local or otherwise familiar guide
“I’m literally laying on the wind right now” (or, What to expect from hiking the Baias da Agualva trail)
First off, some good news for the non-Portuguese speakers amongst us. Baias da Agualva means pretty much what it sounds like: Bays of Agualva. Seriously, not creative in the naming department here. But, from everything we read, the views on this hike are some of the best on the island. Plus, with the trailhead located only a few moments outside of Praia da Vitoria, the convenience of getting to the trail can’t be beat. So, after we finished the Misterios Negros in the morning, we grabbed lunch at a neighborhood spot with Juca and Marisa (his wonderful wife, and our new Portuguese mom), then headed outside of Praia to get to the Agualva trailhead.
The first thing Juca told us was that he always prefers to park near the end of the trail, rather than at the beginning. Reason being, you have about a quarter of a mile or more of two-lane road between the trail’s beginning and ending (i.e. it’s not a perfect loop), and it’s better to walk that when you’re fresh than it is to trudge it when you’re exhausted from the rest of this 4km hike.
So, dodging the occasional car and with a seabreeze twisting through our (read: my) hair, we made our way to the beginning. Tall stone walls abut the road, and we could tell it was early spring because the rocks were covered top to bottom in climbers. And many of the exposed rocks actually had tiny lizards sunbathing on them, which Juca told us are the only reptiles endemic to the island.
Those views, though!! 😻
From there, the trail starts with a long, VERY steep, gravelly descent, to the point where Juca had to tell us more than once where to put our feet so we wouldn’t slip and roll. Happily, it leveled out and we made our way forward, through a large treed area, past the maintenance house for purifying local spring water, and finally alongside a large farmstead of sweet potato plants and more native stone walls.
And that’s when we got it: our first baia, and our first solid glimpse of the trail’s ocean views. When the waves are less hectic and the tide is low, you can rock hop on some of the shore’s giant boulders to get up close. But the wind was far too strong when we visited, and we decided not to take our lives in our hands. From there, we picked our way up a very steep dirt path surrounded on both sides by scrub and flowering plants. And when we came out at the top, we were at one of the most beautiful viewpoints I’ve seen in awhile, on Terceira or anywhere else. Sure, the ocean’s the ocean, but sitting on a low stone wall, dangling your feet with no danger, watching and – more importantly – listening to the waves crash and seabirds cry is deeply soothing, and just… indescribable, honestly.
From there, the path along the top of the cliffs was well-maintained and fairly easy to walk, with viewpoints that let out at each of the baias so you could experience them as closely as possible. The Baias da Agualva, themselves, look almost like tiny fjords, in that they’re jaggedly, beautifully sliced into the surrounding cliffsides. They’re absolutely breathtaking.
Hold on to your hats… and your glasses… just, hold on.
Now, remember how I described that crazy wind before? Obviously, it got worse the higher we climbed and the more exposed we got. Even inland, they were experiencing 40-50mph gusts that day. Standing on top of a cliff next to the ocean, we were all able to lean a good portion of our bodyweight into the wind. Last time we saw wind like that was in winter at Dyrholaey, on Iceland’s South Coast, where a wind gust actually knocked my feet out from under me. Friends of ours actually completed the Baias da Agualva hike the next day and said it was MUCH calmer, though.
Just keep an eye on the weather before you go, and/or make sure you work with an experienced Terceiran guide. Also considering that some portions of the trail get a bit steep or tricky and often don’t have a lot of the safeguards that American trails might, working with a guide if you’re not an experienced hiker would be a good idea.
Since two moderate-to-challenging hikes in a day was a fair bit for us, so by the end of the Baias da Agualva trail, we were absolutely ready for a shower, some rest, and something fabulous to eat. And then go through all of our fabulous pictures from the day 🙂
Our thoughts on hiking Baias da Agualva
This is supposed to be one of the easier hikes on the island, and in many ways, it is. But it has its challenging moments and its spots where you could make some… interesting errors, shall we say. That said, the views are absolutely unparalleled and are an amazing reward for your hard work. Definitely take your time on this hike and really enjoy the (what we hope for you is just a) sea breeze, the landscapes, and all the lovely vegetation surrounding you. You really can’t go wrong, and we can’t wait to go back at a time when we don’t have to (half) worry about getting blown off a cliff!
So, who should hike Baias da Agualva?
- Hikers who love an amazing view
- Visitors in decent physical condition
- Pretty much anyone!
“Thank god I brought this” (or, What to pack for hiking on Ilha Terceira in winter)
- Waterproof or water-resistant pants (quick-dry pants work, too, but then you risk also having wet undies that AREN’T quick-dry, and that’s for real not awesome)
- Waterproof hiking boots. Approach shoes would also fill the bill, but ankle support is never a bad idea, and waterproofing is an absolute requirement. Taller boots also help when trudging (sometimes accidentally) through puddles and mud, as you’ve got to work a little harder to get the wet stuff into your shoes when they come up higher on your ankle.
- Lightweight insulation layer up top. I prefer my Patagonia Nanopuff for literally EVERYTHING.
- Waterproof and windproof outer layer (The high got to about 55-60F, so not cold, but the wind is a kicker. And don’t get us started on the rain.)
- Water-resistant or waterproof backpack for cameras, snacks, water (ironically), and anything else you think you’ll need.
Pin the adventure!
This Seat’s Taken interview series: Nat & Dave of Natpacker
Love reading your descriptions and re-living the trip 🙂