PR1 COR – Cara do Índio (Vila do Corvo – Corvo), Hiking, Trekking, Walking Trails, Tracks, Pedestrian Routes, Portugal

The van stopped halfway up the road between the village and “Caldeirão” (Caldron). This was the last afternoon spent in Corvo Island because in the next morning, after four fantastic days, we had the flight to the continent booked at the lunch hour.
We couldn’t return without visiting “Cara do Índio” (Indian Face), the famous stone that gives wings to our imagination. Hiking this “PR1 COR – Cara do Índio” trail was also the farewell of Corvo Island tracks, leaving a few more to hike on the next visit.
On a previous hike we had already walked on part of this marked trail through the village and we would now discover the rest of it.
Our friend Luís, owner of “The Pirates’ Nest“, suggested, and very well, to start this hike next to the board with the information “Cara do Índio – 1.4 km” on the asphalt road that goes to “Caldeirão”. So we did it, starting in a dirt road flanked by walls of black stone and blue and white hydrangeas. On our left the ocean landscapes and on the right the hills and green pastures scratched by black stone walls. A patchwork of lush green shades on a landscape that seems to remained untouched by man over time. Here at Corvo, as well as the Azores in general, we feel this sense of respect for what nature offers to men to look after.
We made a small detour to discover the old facilities of the Butter Factory “Corvense” Agricultural Cooperative, now abandoned. As a curiosity, attached to the factory building there is still a WC in the open that served for workers. It would probably be the WC with the best views in Portugal.
We returned to the assigned trail to further turn out northwards to discover “Fajã da Madeira”. In a good time we did this detour to discover the magnificent landscapes of the west coast of the island. Abrupt scarps end in a crystal blue while cattle feeds in the most unlikely places. We crossed some small streams that flow from the mountain to the sea and found some curious holes, almost hidden by hydrangeas that awaken our imagination.

Here at Corvo, as well as the Azores in general, we feel this sense of respect for what nature offers to men to look after.

We have reached a kind of viewpoint where we can see “Fajã da Madeira” as we hear the stories that Luís has to tell us about the importance of this “fajã” and the wood in ancient times in Corvo Island. We returned by a trail further west allowing us to observe the coast from another perspective. Faraway the lava “fajã” where lies the village penetrates the sea as if it were a stone tongue (see picture above).
We arrive now to the official start of the hiking trail (and I think of what I miss if I started here) where we find the information panel. Between walls, fences for livestock and hydrangeas the trail develops zigzagging between grazing land. We arrive soon to the viewpoint where we can observe the famous “Cara do Índio”, a black stone sculpted by nature that resembles a human face, the Indian was the figure chosen to represent it. Using a bit of imagination we can distinguish the nose, eyes and mouth in the sharp edge of the cliff. If you look a little more to the side, another set of rocks draws our attention, this time in the form of a cow lying in a small rocky plateau.

It’s time go through the last section of the hike, making the proper goodbyes to this landscape that I already missed. Then Luís show us his secret spot and because it’s secret I will not describe it here, I just say that it’s the place with the best view of Corvo Village and you may easily walk next to it without discover this spot.
Later we find the main road that leads us to the village where we completed the hike with about 9.4 km long.