This trail follows across the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats and Species of Tronqueira and Planalto dos Graminhais, Pico da Vara Nature Reserve and the public forest perimeter on the island of São Miguel, allowing access to Pico da Vara, the highest point of the island, with 1105 meters of altitude.
It starts next to the Casa do Guarda da Reserva Florestal da Atalhada (Atalhada’s Forest Reserve Guard House), in the parish of Santo António Nordestinho. The walker must follow the signs passing through the forest of Atalhada until reaching the viewpoint overlooking the parishes of Santo António de Nordestinho and Algarvia. Once you reach a bifurcation you should take the right path, surrounded by cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica). Upon reaching a dam, you must cross it and follow the signs to Bardinho, where you must climb through a forest of Criptoméria towards the Planalto dos Graminhais, named after its undergrowth mostly composed of grasslands. When you reach this area, from where you can already see the south coast, you should take the path on the left, heading towards Pico da Vara.
Along the way, you will see two landmarks that signal the fall of an Air France plane in 1949 and the Portuguese Air Force plane in 1943. At the bifurcation you should take the right path towards the Pico da Vara geodesic landmark, where you can contemplate the wide views over the caldera of Povoação (to the south), the Planalto dos Graminhais, the Furnas caldera and its lake (to the west) and the north coast with the volcanic complexes of Fogo and Sete Cidades in the background.
During your return, you should go down the trail and turn right towards Casa de Guarda Florestal.

Authorization for Protected Areas: Fill in the authorization form at https://servicos-sraa.azores.gov.pt/doit/mdls/fill.asp?id_modelo=1451.