Serreta: Nature Trails and Pilgrimage

Serreta on Terceira can be explored through two distinct themes: the Serreta PRC3TER, a circular trail through protected landscapes, and the religious significance of the Festa da Serreta. This distinction is helpful when planning your trip: the route offers specific connections to nature and the landscape, while the festival shows the place as a destination for a pilgrimage from across the island.

Church and Pilgrimage in Serreta

On May 7, 2006, Bishop D. António Sousa Braga elevated the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres da Serreta to the status of a diocesan shrine. This date provides a specific reference for its ecclesiastical standing. The Festa da Serreta brings pilgrims from across the island together in Serreta; they come on foot or by car. The shrine and the festival thus highlight both a permanent ecclesiastical landmark and a recurring occasion for pilgrimage.

If you would like to include religious traditions in your travel plans, the Festa offers a different way to experience Serreta from its hiking trails. Pilgrims reach the town in different ways, on foot or by car.

The Serreta PRC3TER and its Landscape

The Serreta PRC3TER is a 6.8 km circular trail. It passes through the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of the Central Plateau and Northwest Coast, as well as the Serra de Santa Bárbara e dos Mistérios Negros Nature Reserve. The route therefore crosses two named protected areas. Its location in a protected landscape, as well as its length, is characteristic of the trail.

Approximately halfway along the route is Lagoinha, a small lagoon surrounded by a cedar forest. About ten different fern species grow along the trail in damp, moss-covered sections. These details give the circular trail a distinct natural profile: the lagoon marks an approximate point along the route, while the mosses and ferns describe the vegetation in the damp sections of the trail.

From a geodetic survey point on the Serreta PRC3TER, you can see the island of Graciosa when visibility is good. In the final section, the trail passes through the slopes of Ribeira do Além, where pumice deposits can be seen. In several places, black stone with sharp edges is also scattered on the ground or mixed with pumice on the slopes. The views, vegetation and volcanic landscape offer different points of interest along the same route.

Hiking Trails by Route and Length

The Grande Rota do Oeste (GR01 TER) is a linear route of approximately 31.2 km. It connects the Reserva Florestal de Recreio da Lagoa das Patas with the Reserva Florestal de Recreio da Mata da Serreta. A 9.3 km stage of this route connects Pico Negrão with the Reserva Florestal de Recreio da Mata da Serreta. These two figures describe the Grande Rota at different scales: one is the full linear route and its endpoints, while the other is a stage with its own endpoints.

By comparison, the PRC3TER is a 6.8 km circular trail. The lengths and route types are distinct: a circular trail, a stage and a linear route are different things and should not be confused when choosing your hike. The Grande Rota is identified by its stated endpoints, while the PRC3TER is defined by its circular shape and the approximate location of the lagoon halfway along the route.

Mata da Serreta as a Landmark in Its Own Right

Mata da Serreta is considered Terceira’s oldest recreational forest and the first place on the island with recreational facilities. It is also the endpoint of both the approximately 31.2 km Grande Rota do Oeste and the 9.3 km stage from Pico Negrão. Mata da Serreta therefore features in two contexts: as a recreational forest with a place in history, and as the destination of the hiking routes mentioned above. Together with the circular trail, the church and the pilgrimage, it gives a picture of Serreta that places natural and cultural experiences side by side.

Discover more destinations: S. Bras, Vila Nova, S. Sebastiao, Raminho, Santa Barbara, Porto Judeu, Fontinhas, Fonte Do Bastardo

For the main travel overview: Terceira.