Sanguinho and Salto do Prego Trail (PRC 09 SMI)

The Sanguinho trail, coded PRC 09 SMI in the official Azores network, is a small circular route in Faial da Terra, a village on the south coast of São Miguel in the municipality of Povoação. The Azores trails service gives it a length of 4.6 km, medium difficulty and an average time of two hours. It starts and ends at the information panel beside the village bus stop.

From the panel the route climbs the paved street and continues on a dirt track along the left bank of the stream. The vegetation soon closes in, and orchards belonging to small family farms line both banks; walkers are asked not to pick the fruit. After a bridge the path climbs to a fork and follows the waymarks to the right as far as Salto do Prego, where it is possible to explore the base of the waterfall or take a path up to the higher part of the stream.

The way back turns off towards Aldeia do Sanguinho, an old village now being restored, with typical houses, small farm plots and several specimens of sanguinho, Frangula azorica, the plant endemic to the Azores that gave the place its name. From the village a winding cobbled path drops steeply back to the stream. It can be slippery, so take it slowly.

According to the official leaflet the trail crosses protected land belonging to the São Miguel Natural Park, in an area set aside for the management of habitats and species, and walkers are asked to help conserve it. Wear shoes with a good grip, since the ground is often damp, and check the alerts published by the trails service before leaving, as trails in the network can be closed temporarily.