The Pico Island Vineyard Culture landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Pico Island, part of the Azores archipelago in Portugal. This area is famous for its arrangement of basalt stone walls and vines grown in rectangular areas called currais. Wine has been made in this region since the late 1400s, and traditional methods are still used today.
Background
Designated as a UNESCO site in 2004, the area includes 987 hectares and a surrounding buffer zone of 1,924 hectares. This zone covers much of the island’s western, northwestern, and southwestern coasts, with most of the land located in the municipality of Madalena and the rest in São Roque do Pico, near the base of Mount Pico.
The landscape features long, spaced black basalt stone walls that run parallel to the coast and extend inland. These walls were built to protect grapevines from wind and salt spray. The vines grow in thousands of small rectangular enclosures called currais. The area also includes buildings such as manor houses, wine cellars, warehouses, homes, and churches, along with pathways, wells, ports, and ramps. These structures were created by generations of farmers to support wine production. Viticulture on Pico began in the late 15th century, introduced by Portuguese settlers, including Franciscan and Carmelite monks, who adapted to the island’s volcanic terrain. By the 19th century, Pico’s wines, particularly the Verdelho variety, were known worldwide. Over 500 years, this landscape has remained well-preserved and authentic in its setting, materials, use, traditions, techniques, and management systems.
The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre, which teaches about the region’s culture and history, is located in the village of Lajido de Santa Luzia.
Gallery
- Walls used for protection and winery buildings made from basalt stones in the western part of Pico Island
- Grapevines grown in soil made of basalt rock near Madalena, Pico Island, Azores
- Wines produced on Pico Island
- A vineyard and surrounding walls