Caldeira do Faial

The Caldeira Viewpoint offers one of the most beautiful views of Faial and is localized on the Caldeira do Faial Nature Reserve.

Located in its central part, Caldeira (caldera) is the most relevant natural element of the island. It has a diameter of about 2 kilometres and an average depth of 400 metres, covered with exuberant vegetation of Laurel Forest.

This caldera resulted from successive reduction phases of a 410 thousand years old volcano whose last eruption occurred only 1000 years ago, covering about 75% of the island's surface with incandescent pumice.

At the bottom, there is a cone resulting from this latter eruptive phase, which is very similar to the shape of Faial island.