Getting around Pico: car hire, buses, taxis and the ferry ports

Many visitors reach Pico on the half-hour boat from Horta, walk off at Madalena with a bag and then realise the island is bigger than it looked from Faial. Pico is 46 kilometres long and about 445 square kilometres, with its three towns, Madalena, São Roque do Pico and Lajes do Pico, spread around the coast and a 2,351 metre mountain in the middle. The decision to make before you arrive is whether you hire a car, and if so where you pick it up.

You can fly in or come by boat, and the two put you in different places.

Pico Airport (PIX) is on the north coast, about 8 kilometres from the centre of Madalena, between the parishes of Bandeiras and Santa Luzia. Azores Airlines flies to Lisbon and SATA Air Açores to Ponta Delgada and Terceira. It is a small terminal.

Atlânticoline runs the ferries, and two ports on Pico matter to a visitor:

• Madalena, on the west tip, facing Horta across the channel. This is the port of the Linha Azul to Faial, the crossing that runs all year and takes roughly 25 to 30 minutes. In 2026 an adult non-resident one-way ticket costs 8.20 euros.
• Cais do Pico, the port of São Roque on the north coast. In summer it is a stop on the longer inter-island lines. In 2026 the Linha Branca called there on Mondays and Fridays on its way between Horta, Velas on São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira.

The Linha Verde links Pico, São Jorge and Faial. Madalena or Cais do Pico to Velas cost 17.30 euros one way for an adult non-resident in 2026. In summer 2026 the Linha Lilás also ran from Madalena to Angra do Heroísmo on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Ferry timetables change twice a year, and the summer 2026 timetable ends with September. In the winter of 2025/26 the Faial crossing dropped to four return sailings a day, and the Linha Verde ran twice a day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and once on other days. The summer-only lines stop altogether. Expect a similar pattern in winter 2026/27, and check the Atlânticoline timetable for your dates. For the crossings in detail, see our guide to the ferries from Faial to Pico and São Jorge.

For most visitors, a car is the answer. The island's sights are spread out: the vineyards south of Madalena, the whaling museums in Lajes and São Roque, the lakes on the central plateau, the Casa da Montanha where the climb starts. None of these sit on a frequent bus route.

Car hire desks are at the airport. Hertz, for example, lists its Pico Airport desk as open daily from 07:00 to 21:00 (checked September 2026), with after-hours returns: you park in the marked bay, leave the papers in the car and drop the keys in a box. If you arrive by boat, ask the rental company before you book whether they can hand the car over at the Madalena terminal, because a desk at the airport is 8 kilometres from where you step off.

Book early for July and August. There are not many hire cars on a small island, and in high season they go.

A few things to know about driving here:

• The main road circles the island along the coast. Allow more time than the distances suggest, because it passes through village after village.
• The road over the middle climbs from Madalena to the central plateau, where it is often in cloud by late morning. Drive it early if you want to see the lakes and the mountain.
• If you are taking the car to Faial or São Jorge, check first that your rental contract allows it. The ferry wants vehicles at the port at least 30 minutes before departure.

Pico does have public buses. They are run by Cristiano Limitada on two routes, one along the south coast and one along the north, and the company publishes its timetables and fares on its website.

They are useful for getting from one town to another and much less so for sightseeing. The service is thin, runs to the needs of people who live on the island, and does not go up to the mountain or across the plateau. If you are staying in Madalena without a car, a bus to Lajes or São Roque for the day can work, as long as you have checked the return time before you set off. Check the current timetable on the spot, because the ones posted online are not always the latest.

Taxis fill the gaps. Fares are metered on the regional tariff, and the towns and the airport are where to look for one. A taxi is the practical choice from the airport or the port to your accommodation, and up to the Casa da Montanha at about 1,200 metres for the climb, which no bus serves.

For an early start on the mountain, book the taxi the evening before and agree a time for the pickup on the way down, because the Casa da Montanha is a long way from the nearest town. Our guide to climbing Mount Pico covers the registration and opening hours that decide when you need to be there.

Yes, if you choose your base and accept a smaller trip. Madalena is the best base without a car: the ferry to Faial leaves from there, and the vineyards of Criação Velha are within walking distance. A realistic car-free week is Madalena and the vineyard coast on foot, one bus day to another town, a taxi to the mountain and a day across to Horta.

You give up the plateau and the smaller villages, and you lose the easy way to change plans. On Pico that matters, because bad weather can close the mountain or cancel the Faial crossing at short notice.

Do I need a car on Pico?

For most visitors, yes. The buses connect the towns along the coast but do not serve the mountain, the plateau lakes or most viewpoints. Without a car, stay in Madalena and use taxis.

How far is Pico Airport from Madalena?

About 8 kilometres. The airport is on the north coast, between the parishes of Bandeiras and Santa Luzia.

How much is the ferry from Faial to Pico?

In 2026, 8.20 euros one way for an adult non-resident on the Horta to Madalena crossing, which takes about half an hour.

Can I take a rental car on the ferry to Pico?

Atlânticoline carries cars, and they must be at the port at least 30 minutes before departure. Whether you may take a hire car across is up to the rental company, so ask before you book.