Salto do Prego and Sanguinho: A Forest Loop from Faial da Terra

Salto do Prego supplies the waterfall stop; Sanguinho gives the return a different character. The official loop climbs beside a stream, detours to the falls and returns through a small village above Faial da Terra. Choose it for that combination, allowing enough time and attention for the steep paved descent after the village.

The Azores Trails description of PRC09SMI lists 4.6 km (2.9 mi), medium difficulty and an average of 2 hours. Those figures describe the loop, not two hours including your journey across São Miguel and a long waterfall break.

From the village to the falls

The published start is near the bus stop in Faial da Terra. Find the initial trail panel before setting off. The route first follows the asphalt road uphill, then continues straight onto a dirt track beside the stream at the first fork. Orchards occupy both banks; the official guidance asks walkers not to pick the fruit.

After crossing the stream on a bridge, climb to the fork and take the marked right-hand branch for Salto do Prego. The waterfall is the outward destination. A connection to PR11 is a different route: do not follow that continuation simply because it appears beside the waterfall path.

Leave room in the day to stop here. A plan built only around continuous movement misses the reason for taking the detour. Access to the water is not a promise that swimming is permitted or suitable in the conditions you find.

Return through Sanguinho

Retrace the waterfall branch, then follow the signed turn toward Sanguinho at the second fork described by the operator. The village adds houses, small farms and the buckthorn associated with its name. It is a useful change of scale after the wooded stream: look at the way the buildings sit above the valley before beginning the descent.

The way down is a winding paved road. Azores Trails explicitly warns about its slope and slippery surface. This is the practical limit to the appealingly short distance. Wear footwear suited to wet stone and allow an unhurried descent; if you are uncomfortable on steep paving, reconsider the full loop before starting. Returning by the outward trail would be a separate out-and-back choice, not the published circuit or its distance.

The descent rejoins the first fork near the stream. Follow the main road down to the initial panel, completing the return to Faial da Terra.

Keep the return in the same village

Arrange your ride back from the trail's starting area. A bus stop in the route description confirms a landmark, not a useful departure at the time you finish. If relying on public transport, obtain the actual return departure for your travel date before choosing an arrival. Otherwise, agree a pickup in Faial da Terra before setting out.

Recheck the official page and trail alerts after heavy weather. For help matching the walk to the ride home, use the point-to-point logistics guide; here the advantage is that the published route brings you back to the same village.