Adega do Fogo
ILHA DO PICO / HOME / WATCHLIST
On a wild Azorean island known for its traditions, flavours & history, Adega do Fogo, can be found on Ilha do Pico. Restored from a two-hundred-year-old former distillery, once used by the local community to produce liqueurs & brandy, the project’s creator Benedita Branco was instantly drawn to the abandoned property for the energy it transmitted. Perhaps unsurprising when you consider that Pico Volcano, Portugal’s highest peak looms above & the swelling waters of the Atlantic below.
Having opened Lava Homes - a successful hotel on the same island - in 2018, Benedita turned her hand to reviving the buildings, keeping the original façade & giving a new lease of life to the existing structures; restoring ceiling beams, stone window surrounds & wooden floors. Six bedrooms, a dining room & a fully usable kitchen give the space unique characteristics that revive its legacy while the white walls with their black stone indents from the original building are reminders of its DNA & history.
The stills, too, have been restored & not just for decorative purposes. Between November & February, guests can home-make their own águardente in different flavours using ingredients from the island such as Pico bananas, pineapple, strawberry & sweet potato. The gardens of the house are lush & delicious too, filled with plants brought back to life by Benedita’s mother, who saved them from various places on the island where they were at risk & gave them a new home.
Room Service
Location: Pico Island, Azores.
Price: From 2,000€ per night for whole-house rental with a minimum stay of five nights in the summer & three in the winter.
Sleeps: Twelve people in six double bedrooms.
Highlights: The view of Pico volcano, of course, as well as the warming sauna, welcomed on cooler days & located in another re-purposed room in the original building.
Services: The house is self-catered but an incredible mix of add ons can be mixed into your stay. Foray into food experiences prepared by cooks steeped in Azorean traditions, butter-making & cornbread-baking ‘workshops’. Try a spot of deep-sea fishing or take bike rides & walks along the island’s footpaths before relaxing into personalised massages with essential oils from the archipelago itself.
Designed by owner Benedita Branco & Ana Trancoso on interiors.
Photography by Francisco Nogueira.
The Neighbourhood: With an incredible view of Portugal’s highest peak, Pico Volcano, the house is located in the area of Cabrito, in the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, a UNESCO classified site since 2004.
Things to know: The Azores have a unique microclimate meaning the weather is often, quite frankly, all over the place. As long as you’re prepared it’s not an issue, but try to avoid visiting in December through February. It’s best visited in the Spring, Summer & early Autumn when temperatures are moderate & rainfall isn’t completely torrential…
The Map
Adega do Fogo is located on Pico Island in the Azores islands of Portugal. Fly to São Miguel Island & take a small plane, using the ferry system to island-hop while you’re there.
Other Azores Stays…
Pink House / Home / Ilha de São Miguel
Lava Homes / Guesthouse / Ilha do Pico
Azores Wine Company / Hotel / Ilha do Pico