Another P144 peak, Pico da Coroa, catches my eye on the map. The southern route from Maroços seems like the easiest and most obvious way to reach the summit. I’m practically celebrating the convenient starting point when I hit a snag – literally. Google Maps’ “easiest route” turns out to be a concrete walking trail, complete with stairs! Undeterred, I consider parking my car and hiking the 3 kilometers with 500 meters of elevation gain. But parking presents a bigger challenge. The narrow road is barely wide enough for one car, with a meager 4-meter turning circle at the end. To top it all off, two eagle-eyed ladies from a nearby house are watching my every move. Faced with a dead end (stairs) and the watchful eyes of the locals, I decide on a strategic retreat. With a sigh, I opt to tackle Pico da Coroa from the west side instead.
Following the map, I drive a few kilometers to Stio do Prado and turn onto an unpaved forest road leading towards Pico da Coroa. The first few meters are already a tell-tale sign – water puddles welcome me like a muddy moat. After a few hundred meters, I meet off-road vehicles coming the other way. They stare curiously at my tiny rental car, clearly not built for this terrain. A few more watery mud patches test my resolve, and finally, I hit a deep mud pit. Speeding through might be an option, but the risk of losing a bumper or worse isn’t worth it, especially with a rental car and potential company disputes. With a sigh, I decide to turn around and find another route.
Looks like my rental car isn’t a fan of mud baths (who can blame it?). But hey, gotta give Pico da Coroa a shot! So, with a strategic retreat and a few clicks reversed, I find myself on Caminho da Fajã dos Rojos, or “Path of the Red Fajãs”. Paved road becomes dirt road, but hey, at least my tiny car isn’t part of the scenery anymore! Although, gotta say, these giant ferns lining the path are giving me serious “lost in the jungle” vibes. Maybe I should’ve sprung for the all-terrain upgrade on the rental…
After a 15-minute drive, I find a parking spot marked on the map as a “picnic area.” Sure enough, two hikers are enjoying a pre-hike meal at a table. With a quick hello, I confirm with them that this is the trailhead for Pico da Coroa. They point me towards the starting point, suggesting I leave my car here and begin the hike.
The initial ascent leads to a saddle between two peaks. Turning right, I’m pleasantly surprised to find a good trail! It seems the map wasn’t entirely misleading after all. However, the right branch of the trail is somewhat obscured by branches – perhaps intentionally to avoid confusing long-distance trekkers who might mistakenly take this shorter route.
The trail steepens for a bit before becoming more gradual. Along the way, there are one or two spots offering breathtaking views towards the northeast cliffs and the vast Atlantic Ocean. Soon, I reach a point marked as the summit on my peakbagger app. While tempted to stop here, I decide to continue eastward for another 160 meters. The extra effort pays off! My GPS confirms that the eastern bump is a few meters higher, and it even boasts a sturdy concrete marker. These two factors strongly suggest it’s the true summit, but I choose to visit both peaks for good measure.
On my descent, I encounter the two hikers again, enjoying their post-hike dinner. As we chat, a surprising revelation strikes – we’re neighbors from Žižkov at Prague! This chance encounter reinforces the notion of how small the world can be.
To my surprise, this peak seems unreported by other peakbaggers on my app! This unexpected bonus adds to the satisfaction of reaching the true summit. With five peaks bagged today and a gorgeous day unfolding before me, there’s still plenty of time to explore further. Next on my list is Penha d’Águia, a majestic, standalone rock formation a few kilometers north. Fueled by the day’s success, I hop back in the car and head towards this new objective.
