Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture
A UNESCO site of basalt walls and traditional vineyards.
On Pico Island in the Azores, Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site protects a unique vineyard landscape shaped by centuries of adaptation. The area is defined by long, spaced-apart walls of black basalt stone that run parallel to the coast, built to shield vines from wind and salty sea spray. Inside these walls, thousands of small rectangular enclosures, known locally as *currais*, hold the grapevines. The site also includes manor houses, wine cellars, warehouses, homes, churches, pathways, wells, ports, and ramps—all built by generations of farmers to support wine production.
Viticulture here began in the late 15th century, introduced by Portuguese settlers, including Franciscan and Carmelite monks, who worked the harsh volcanic terrain. By the 19th century, Pico’s wines—especially the Verdelho variety—had gained international fame. The landscape has evolved over 500 years and remains exceptionally well-preserved, with its original materials, functions, traditions, techniques, and management systems still in use.
The site covers about 987 hectares, with a buffer zone of 1,924 hectares stretching along much of the island’s western, northwestern, and southwestern coasts. Most of it lies in the municipality of Madalena, with the rest in São Roque do Pico, at the base of Mount Pico. The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre, located in the village of Lajido de Santa Luzia, offers more information on the region’s culture and history. The officially demarcated wine region is known as Pico IPR.
- field
- Viticulture and Cultural Landscape
- nationality
- Portuguese
- known_for
- Basalt stone walls and currais enclosures for wine production
- unesco_inscription
- 2004
- site_area_ha
- 987
- buffer_zone_ha
- 1924
Lore & Background
The landscape was shaped by Portuguese settlers, including Franciscan and Carmelite monks, who introduced viticulture to Pico Island in the late 15th century. They adapted to the harsh volcanic terrain by constructing an extensive network of long, spaced-apart black basalt stone walls that run parallel to the coast and penetrate inland. These walls were built to protect the vines from wind and salty sea spray, and the vines are planted in thousands of small rectangular enclosures known locally as currais.
Reader's Guide
The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture represents a living cultural tradition that has evolved over 500 years. Its significance lies in the exceptional preservation of its setting, materials, continued use, function, traditions, techniques, and management systems. The site covers approximately 987 hectares, with a buffer zone of 1,924 hectares extending through most of the island's western, northwestern, and southwestern coasts, primarily in the municipality of Madalena and part of São Roque do Pico, at the foothills of Mount Pico. By the 19th century, Pico's wines, especially the Verdelho variety, gained international renown. The landscape includes not only the walls and currais but also manor houses, wine cellars, warehouses, conventional houses, churches, pathways, wells, ports, and ramps built by generations of farmers. The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre, located in the village of Lajido de Santa Luzia, teaches about the culture and history of the region.
Did You Know?
- The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
- The landscape covers approximately 987 hectares with a buffer zone of 1,924 hectares.
- Viticulture on Pico began in the late 15th century, introduced by Portuguese settlers including Franciscan and Carmelite monks.
- The Interpretation Centre is located in the village of Lajido de Santa Luzia.
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