Camping on Pico: the Lajes, Madalena and Santo António campsites, and a night on the mountain

Pico has three campsites, one in each of its municipalities: Lajes do Pico on the south coast, Madalena on the west by the ferry port, and Santo António, in the municipality of São Roque do Pico, on the north coast. All three are municipal or parish sites, small and cheap. Only Lajes publishes its season, facilities and prices, so for the other two you will be phoning ahead. Pitching anywhere else is not an option: the official Azores trail leaflets state that wild camping is not allowed. The one legal night under canvas outside a campsite is in the crater of Mount Pico, with a permit.

The municipal campsite sits in the middle of Lajes, next to the Ermida de São Pedro, the first church built on Pico, on Rua Engenheiro Arantes de Oliveira. The municipality's page, checked in October 2026, gives the season as 1 June to 30 September, with reception open from 11:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 20:00.

It takes up to 150 tents. There is a kitchen with a stove and a wood-burning fireplace, a covered porch with four tables seating 40, outdoor sockets, two toilet blocks with eight hot showers between them, a beach volleyball court and some shade. The page also promises a view of the mountain and of the lava platform the town is built on.

Prices on the same page, per day:

• Each person over 12: €1.97. Children 6 to 12: €0.99. Under 6: €0.66.
• A tent for up to three people: €2.42. For four: €2.65. Larger: €3.94.

So two adults with a small tent pay about €6.36 a night. The page is not dated, and it says the official fee table takes precedence. The newest table we could find online is the one for 2018, with slightly lower figures and a charge for renting a tent from the municipality as well as pitching your own. If you are travelling without a tent, ask whether rental is still offered.

The Maré bathing area is about 150 metres away, but the campsite page says it was under repair when we checked. Lajes (Maré) is still on the list of official bathing waters for 2026, with a season from 1 June to 30 September, so ask at reception whether it is open. Lajes is Pico's whaling town and the base for whale-watching trips, which is the main reason to stay here. Phone: +351 292 679 700.

The Madalena campsite is on the Estrada Longitudinal (ER 3-2), just inland of the town. On the map it is under a kilometre from the ferry port and the Areia Larga bathing area. The official tourism board describes it in one line, as a campsite with a great view of Mount Pico, and lists only the town hall's contacts: +351 292 628 700 and geral@cm-madalena.pt. We found no season or price on any official page in October 2026.

It is the practical choice if you arrive on the boat from Horta, or if you plan to climb the mountain: the Casa da Montanha, where every climb starts, is in the municipality of Madalena, and out of hours the GPS trackers are handed out and returned at the Madalena fire station. Madalena's town bathing water has a 2026 season of 15 June to 30 September.

The third site is in the parish of Santo António, above the natural pools of the Furna. São Roque's municipal website describes it as attached to the Jardim das Furnas and a children's playground. The pools themselves are cut into black lava, with ladders, a deck and a bar, and deep, clear water. Furna de Santo António is an official bathing water with a 2026 season of 15 June to 15 September. Because the coast faces north, a northerly swell can close the pools for days.

The PRC20PIC Garajau trail starts and finishes at the pools: a 7.8 km loop of about three hours that climbs on old ox-cart tracks and comes back down to the sea.

Contacts disagree, so try both. The tourism board gives +351 926 449 655 and parquecampismosa@outlook.com. Explore Pico, the island's tourism site, gives the same number and furna@outlook.pt. Neither lists a season or prices.

The mountain has its own overnight category, and it is the only legal way to camp in the wild on Pico. Climbs that start between 16:00 and midnight from June to September, or between 14:00 and midnight from October to May, and come down after 08:00 the next day, count as overnight. Only 32 people a day are allowed. Book at least 24 hours ahead. On the 2026 price list, the overnight costs €10 on top of the €15 crater fee or €25 for the summit cone, the Piquinho. A tent, a sleeping bag and a torch are mandatory. For the permit, the GPS tracker and the rules, see climbing Mount Pico.

• Phone first. Outside Lajes, no official page gave a season or a price when we checked in October 2026, and island campsites can change hands or hours from one summer to the next.
• Plan on a car. The three campsites are at opposite corners of the island and buses are thin; see getting around Pico.
• Bring warm layers and a waterproof. The mountain makes its own weather, and nights by the sea get cool even in August.
• Buy food and gas in Madalena or Lajes before you settle in for the evening.

Can you wild camp on Pico? No. The official trail information says wild camping is not allowed in the Azores. Use one of the three campsites, or book an overnight permit for the crater of Mount Pico.

When are Pico's campsites open? Lajes do Pico is open from 1 June to 30 September. Madalena and Santo António publish no season, so phone before you go.

How much does camping on Pico cost? At Lajes, two adults with a small tent pay about €6.36 a night on the prices published in October 2026. The other two sites list no prices. A night in the crater costs €10 on top of the climbing fee.

Which campsite should I pick? Lajes for whale watching and the south coast, Madalena for the ferry to Faial and an early start on the mountain, Santo António for swimming on the north coast.