Сан-Роке-ду-Пику: Муниципалитет и гражданские приходы острова Пику

the civil parish

São Roque do Pico (sɐ̃w ˈʁɔkɨ ðu ˈpiku) is a municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, occupying most of the northern side of the island of Pico. As of 2021, it has 3,221 inhabitants spread through five freguesias (civil parishes) in an area of 142.36 km². The municipality is bordered by the Atlantic to the north, Lajes do Pico to the south and east, and Madalena to the west.

While the first incursions into the island occurred in the 15th century, the region that would become known as São Roque occurred later. The first colonizers of Pico came to occupy the area of Lajes, coming from the lands of the north of Portugal, because there were few anchorages in other parts of the island. This influence of Faial would continue for much of the island's history, becoming integrated into the Captaincy (colonial administration) of its neighbour.

The climate of the municipality is mild and humid, with median temperatures oscillating between 14 °C (57 °F) and 22 °C (72 °F), with a regular level of precipitation throughout the year. The municipal seat of São Roque is the primary urban agglomeration along the northern coast, organized around two principal poles: in the west, the historic village of São Roque and Cais do Pico in the east, which grew from the activities associated with the sea, whaling and fishing after the middle of the 19th century. These two areas form the nucleus of the civil parish of São Roque, but the municipality of São Roque do Pico extends over one third of the island of Pico, along the northern coast, encompassing five civil parishes, that consist of:
Prainha The second settlement founded on the northern coast of the island; the settlement was for centuries the center of production of the verdelho wine. It is located relatively close to a lava field resulting from a volcanic eruption in 1572, and overlooked by a small bucolic lagoon, Lagoa do Caiado. Santa Luzia Includes the seaside villages of Lajido and Cabrito, but extends to many typical buildings constructed from basaltic volcanic rock, including the Lajido do Meio and the area around Ribeira Nova. Santo Amaro A parish recognized for its contribution to manual shipbuilding on the island, it settlements extend along the coast from the main village to heights of Terra Alta. Santo António Named after the Portuguese born saint, the parish includes the small villages of Santana and Sao Vicente. São Roque A relatively old town and commercial port (Cais do Pico) connected with the whaling industry and the site of the only whaling processing factory in the municipality.

Due to its location at the northern foothills of Mount Pico and the Achada Plateau, São Roque has a unique micro climate, receiving more precipitation than any other municipality in Portugal. Averaging between at the coast and surpassing in the mountains. Twice as much as in the neighboring municipality of Madalena or in the remaining islands of the archipelago. According to the Köppen climate classification, the coastal areas of São Roque have a humid subtropical climate, but with significant Mediterranean influences. Winters are very mild and wet and summers are warm and drier. Humidity is around 80% year round.