Caldeira — Local services in Horta

Descent into the Caldera do Faial

A very interesting trekking experience with Pedro: well trained, passionate about his land, nice and informal guide.

The descent is rather demanding and takes place on a trail-not-path that descends on mixed terrain, at times very impervious, from the edge of the caldera to its bottom. In the midst of a lush and spectacular nature. of which Pedro knows practically everything. Listening to him you will learn lot of things about the endemic species of the Azores, the weeds and the volcanic morphology of the islands in general. If you are interested he will explain the evolution of the Calderia over the years and rudiments of Faial and of the archipelago history. Listening to him, for us, was really interesting. He speaks excellent English and also a few words of Italian.

There were three of us. He picked us up at the hotel, escorted us on the hike and then brought us back to the hotel with a scenic ride overlooking Horta Bay.

Icing on the cake: the photographic reportage that Pedro made us: a lasting memory of the day!

The tour lasts five to six hours. And it is certainly challenging and requires clothing suitable for passages between high and humid grass, slush, stones and, in some places, brams. But it's absolutely worth it. Almost impossibile to repeat this experience in...

This is one of the top sights and most visited places on the Faial island. When the weather permits you will experience a sight like few others. You can reach the very edge of the crater by car from multiple directions, taking you through picturesque farmland on unpaved dirt roads, with cows grazing nearby or actually crossing the road in front of you. We took the western road from Capelas as it seemed less crowded and indeed we met only one another car. Due to the high altitude of ~1000m ASL and frequent wind gusts, pack some extra layers of clothing. The temperature can easily drop by 10°C compared to the sea level. There are various hiking trails nearby, including a trail going around the crater. The views are astonishing, including the views into the crater, as well as around the island with the green pastures and the infinite ocean surrounding them. A must-visit place when you...

While visiting family all over the island, we decided to stop at a place my mom grew up loving to visit. Caldeira is essentially a huge crater at the top of the island. Although it is typically incredibly foggy up top, there view is still incredible. The ride up is about 10-15 minutes and very rocky and bumpy, but well worth it. Many years ago, people were able to fish here since there was water at the bottom. A very interesting and amazing place to...