PRC1 TER - Serra de Santa Bárbara Loop

The trail starts at the summit road parking area on Serra de Santa Bárbara, reached by car from Angra do Heroísmo or Biscoitos; there is no public transport to the summit and no permit is required. The loop covers 3.5 km with about 150 m of cumulative elevation gain, rated easy, circling the twin nested craters at the top of Terceira's highest point (1023 m). The path is packed dirt and short boardwalk sections through low cloud-forest vegetation, with minimal exposure since the trail stays back from the crater edges behind protective barriers at the main viewpoints. Shade is limited, as the summit vegetation is low scrub and heather shaped by constant wind. Landmarks include the radar station near the trailhead, several miradouros looking down into the inner and outer craters, and, on clear days, island-wide views stretching to Angra do Heroísmo and the north coast. Because the summit sits above the cloud line for much of the year, visibility can change rapidly, and hikers should be prepared for the viewpoints to be obscured even when the coast below is clear. There are no refuge huts or water sources at the summit, though the short distance means most hikers do not need to carry more than a litre. The loop can be walked in either direction, and there is no meaningful turn-around point shorter than the full circuit given its brevity.