Capelinhos and the Caldeira, Faial: eruption centre and rim walk

The western half of Faial holds two volcanic sights: the Caldeira, a crater two kilometres wide at the top of the island, and Capelinhos, the ash field left by the eruption of 1957 and 1958. The decision is how to fit them together. You can drive to both in a day and walk the Caldeira rim in the morning, or you can walk from one to the other on the Ten Volcanoes trail and finish at the interpretation centre. Weather decides more than fitness here, so read the rim section before you commit to a date.

On 27 September 1957 an eruption began in the sea off Ponta dos Capelinhos, the western tip of Faial. It built a new islet, and by 12 November an isthmus of ash had joined it to the coast. It went on, with pauses, until 24 October 1958, thirteen months in all, and it was the first submarine eruption documented from beginning to end.

When it stopped, the eruption had added 2.4 square kilometres to the island. Ash had buried fields and houses in the parishes of Capelo and Praia do Norte; about 300 houses were destroyed and some 2,000 people were evacuated. Nobody was killed.

The longer consequence was emigration. In September 1958 the United States passed the Azorean Refugee Act, sponsored by senators John F. Kennedy and John Pastore, which opened 1,500 visas to families displaced by the eruption. It was the start of a much larger movement: more than 175,000 Azoreans settled in the United States between 1960 and 1980, and Faial lost close to a third of its population.

The Capelinhos lighthouse shows how close the eruption came. It was lit on 1 August 1903 and went dark on 29 November 1957 as the eruption closed in; by 1958 the ash stood seven metres deep in its courtyard. The tower still stands at the edge of the grey slope.

The Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre opened in August 2008. The architect, Nuno Ribeiro Lopes, built it underground so that it would not alter the ground it explains, and the old lighthouse is part of the visit.

• Exhibitions on the 1957-58 eruption, on how the Azores formed, on well-known volcanoes elsewhere in the world and on the history of Azorean lighthouses.
• An auditorium and a display of rock and mineral samples.
• The climb up the old lighthouse, with a view over the land the eruption made.
• Guided tours of about 60 minutes. The park recommends booking at least 72 hours ahead.

The European Museum Forum nominated the centre for its European Museum of the Year Award in 2012.

These are the Faial Nature Park's published hours and prices as of 2026. They change, so check before you go.

• 1 November to 31 March: Tuesday to Saturday and public holidays, 09:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays, Sundays, 1 January and 25 December.
• 1 April to 31 October: every day, 10:00 to 18:00.
• Last admission is 60 minutes before closing, and the management may close the centre in bad weather.
• Full ticket in 2026: adults (15 to 64) €10, juniors (7 to 14) €5, over-65s €5, a family ticket for two adults and children up to 14 €20, and free for children up to 6.

Note the Sunday closure in winter. If you are on Faial between November and March, plan Capelinhos for a weekday or a Saturday.

The Caldeira sits at the centre of the island, a crater about two kilometres across and around 400 metres deep, built by eruptions and quiet spells over the last 400,000 years. The road from Horta ends at a viewpoint on the rim, and a short tunnel through the crater wall takes you to the first view down inside, where the floor holds native Azorean vegetation in a near-untouched state.

The rim circuit, PRC04FAI, starts at that viewpoint.

• 6.8 km, circular, about two and a half hours, graded easy.
• It stays between roughly 840 and 1,040 metres the whole way round and passes Cabeço Gordo, at 1,043 metres the highest point of Faial.
• One descending stretch is steep and uneven and needs care.
• Along the way you pass endemic plants such as Azores juniper, Azorean heather and the Azorean blueberry.

The trail register asks you to walk it only on a day of good weather and visibility. Take that seriously. The rim is often in cloud, and in cloud you see nothing of the crater and have a drop on one side of the path. Look at the top of the island from Horta before you drive up: if the summit is in cloud, the rim will be too. How the weather runs through the year is in the best time to visit Faial.

You cannot walk down into the Caldeira on your own. A regulation limits visits to the crater floor to daylight hours, always with a Faial Nature Park guide, up to 40 visitors a day and no more than three hours inside. The descent itself is a 3 km circuit graded hard, about three and a half hours, between 574 and 908 metres. Arrange it through the Nature Park well in advance if it matters to you.

The Dez Vulcões trail, PR06FAI, links the two sights on foot. It starts at the Caldeira viewpoint, follows the volcanic ridge of the Capelo peninsula westwards past a line of cones, and finishes at the car park of the Capelinhos interpretation centre, near the Costado da Nau cliffs.

• 19.3 km, one way, about five hours, graded hard.
• It begins between 800 and 900 metres and loses close to a thousand metres on the way to the sea, so the knees work harder than the lungs.
• Part of it follows the Levada trail near Cabeço dos Trinta, and there is a road crossing near Capelinhos that needs care. The Levada and Faial's other official trails are compared in walking on Faial.
• Like the rim walk, it is only worth doing on a clear day.

Because the trail is linear, sort out the return before you set off: a taxi from Capelinhos back to Horta or to your car at the Caldeira, or a second driver. Taxis and car hire are covered in getting around Faial. Finishing at the centre has a practical upside, since you can visit the exhibition and climb the lighthouse before the ride back, as long as you arrive at least an hour before closing.

• Clear morning, no long walk: drive to the Caldeira, walk the rim, then drive west to Capelinhos for the afternoon.
• Clear day and fit legs: walk the Ten Volcanoes route and end at the interpretation centre.
• Cloudy day: skip the Caldeira and go straight to Capelinhos, where the exhibitions are underground and the lighthouse view is lower down.
• Winter Sunday or Monday: the centre is closed, so swap the order of your days.

Is the Capelinhos interpretation centre open every day?

From 1 April to 31 October it opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00. From 1 November to 31 March it opens Tuesday to Saturday and on holidays, 09:00 to 17:00, and is closed on Mondays and Sundays. These are the 2026 hours; check before you go.

How much is a ticket to Capelinhos?

In 2026 the full ticket cost €10 for adults, €5 for juniors aged 7 to 14 and for over-65s, and €20 for a family ticket. Children up to 6 go free.

How long does the Caldeira rim walk take?

About two and a half hours for the 6.8 km circuit, which is graded easy. Only start it when the top of the island is clear of cloud.

Can I walk into the Caldeira crater?

Only with a Faial Nature Park guide. Access is limited to 40 visitors a day, in daylight, for no more than three hours.

How big is the Caldeira on Faial?

About two kilometres across and around 400 metres deep. The rim path stays between roughly 840 and 1,040 metres and passes Cabeço Gordo, at 1,043 metres the highest point of the island.