Madalena

Madalena is the main town on the western side of Pico, the island in the central group of the Azores dominated by Portugal's highest mountain, and it is a good introduction to the island's life. The town faces Faial across a narrow channel, only a few kilometres wide, and from its waterfront the neighbouring island rises on the horizon while Pico's own volcano towers behind. Ferries link Madalena with Horta, and the harbour is a base for whale-watching boats, fishing vessels, and small yachts. Behind the harbour lies a modest historic centre with white houses, dark basalt trim, and a small parish church of Santa Maria Madalena, built in the 19th century.

Wine is the town's special claim. Pico's vineyards are among the most unusual in the world, and in 2004 they were listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape. Farmers here planted vines in a harsh environment of black lava rock, with little soil and constant wind and sea spray, and they built thousands of small enclosures, the currais, from stacked basalt stones, to shelter each vine from the weather. Mapped from above, the walled plots form an extraordinary pattern running down to the sea. In earlier centuries the island's wine, especially Verdelho, was exported to royal courts in Europe, and the trade made the island wealthy, until disease devastated the vines in the 19th century.

The local wine museum, housed in the former convent of the Carmelites in Madalena, tells the story. It displays presses, barrels, and tools used in the harvest and winemaking, and explains how the vineyards were created and how the wine was made and shipped. A visit gives context for tastings elsewhere on the island, and the building, with its thick walls and cloister, is a pleasant setting. Opening days are generally Tuesday to Sunday, with reduced hours, and admission arrangements vary, so check locally.

Around the town there is a good deal to do. Natural swimming pools in the black rock offer bathing close to the centre, whale-watching trips leave from the marina, and the vineyards and wineries are a short drive away, with tastings of the local white wines, which have a distinctive mineral, salty character. The walk along the shore gives views of Faial.

Madalena suits wine lovers, nature enthusiasts, and travellers using it as a base for the mountain and the whales. A day is enough to see the town and the museum.