393 m

Caldeira

Furna da Caldeira

Portela

Canada Longa

Pedras Brancas

Limeira

Luz

Carapacho

Ponta daEngrade

Ponta do Enxudreiro

285 m

GRACIOsA

PRC2 GRAVolta à Caldeira - Furna do EnxofreDifficulty: Easy Extension: 10,8 km Time Average: 3:00h Category: Circular

MAIN ROADSOTHER TRAILS

TRAIL COURSE

PeakHighlightStarting Point Geosite39° 2’ 8.54” N; 27° 59’ 14.16” O

Natural Monument

Natural Park of Graciosa

Protected Area for the Management of Habitats and Species

Saúde

Alto do Sul

Restinga

Caldeira W

Caldeira E

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ELEVATION PROFILEELEVATION (m)

DISTANCE (km)2 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 114

Environmental Center

TRAILS OF THE AzORES

WALKING TRAILS GUIDE

This trail starts at the beginning of the path that leads to the interior of the Caldeira but that also allows you to bypass this volcano.

The path lies on rocky terrain that resulted from a pahoehoe lava flow that filled the interior of the Caldeira, forming a huge lava lake some 12,000 years ago that overflowed at two different points of the ridge. In one of these plac-es, the lava flow created the Furna da Maria Encantada (Enchanted Mary’s Cave) and the well-defined layout of this rocky terrain.

You will reach a fork where you should first choose to visit the interior of the Caldeira or its outer perimeter. Your decision may depend on the opening hours of the Visitor Centre of Furna do Enxofre. We suggest leaving the visit to the cave and to the interior of the caldera to the end. So, at this fork, turn right into the forest path Caminho Florestal das Furnas.

The rocky outcrops clearly visible on the right and the presence of caves in the vicinity are evidence of the aforementioned volcanic event that led lava to the south, covering much of the land where the Village of Luz now stands. The first of these caves, the 168-metre-long Furna do Abel, features two huge skylights by the path. A sign indicates the entrance to the cave, which you can visit. By continuing on, you will find on the left a reservoir called “Furnas”, which is partly fed by the underground springs inside the 30-metre-long Furna d’Água, which is located a few metres above but is closed to the public.

Now begin to hike around this massif by turning left to the forest path Caminho Florestal da Caldeira, which starts out as a dirt path. Soon after, you will find a sign telling you to climb and visit the Furna da Maria Encanta-

PRC2 GRA Volta à Caldeira - Furna do Enxofre

WALKING TRAILS GUIDE

da (Enchanted Mary’s Cave). Climb about a hundred steps and, at the top, en-ter and traverse the lava tube and feel the wind blowing out. You will find the Caldeira at your feet, featuring a crater that is 1,6 kilometres wide (maximum diameter at the top) and 402 metres deep. It is decorated by a great variety of tree species planted by the Forest Service, which keeps a pleasant picnic park and some nurseries inside the crater. You can also see some pastures in the background and in some spots along the ridge.

Outside the cave, before you start descending, move your eyes from left to right, as this will allow you to travel from the Village of Luz to Pedras Bran-cas, having the hills of Serra Branca, Pico Timão and Serra das Fontes as the backdrop. You will also be able to see several of the traditional windmills of the island of Graciosa; some are in ruins but others still have their domes painted in the traditional bright red colour.

Back to the forest path Caminho Florestal da Caldeira, you will be surprised by the magnificent view over the Village of Praia, which is at first hidden behind the hill Pico da Ladeira do Moiro, featuring the prominent Chapel of Senhora da Saúde, but then comes into view. The Ilhéu da Praia stands out in the sea in front of you. The dirt path is paved with asphalt in some parts, and although common, the species on the sides of the path and on the slopes are sometimes big enough to provide shade, which makes them even more valuable. Further south, other islets emerge from the sea: the Ilhéu dos Homiziados (the largest) and the inaccessible Ilhéu de Baixo (its neighbour), both of which are guarded by the Restinga Lighthouse.

In the sea, in the distance, the islands of Terceira and São Jorge help inte-grate Graciosa into this archipelago. Further along, you will be able to see the buildings of the spa and bathing area of Carapacho. To the west, you will find the lookout point of Luz; opened in 2012, it affords a panoramic

PRC2 GRA Volta à Caldeira - Furna do Enxofre

LEGEND OF THE ENCHANTED MARIA

Maria and her husband were a well-to-do couple. They had lots of animals including a rooster that was a joy to hear in the morning. One day, at odd hours, the rooster started crowing repeatedly and in a different way as if say-ing, “Run! Run! Run!” Maria thought it was a warning sign and urged her hus-band to get out of there. He refused and they ended up staying. A few days later, the earth trembled and a great eruption formed a volcano with a huge caldera and a cave appeared where Maria’s house once stood. The whole family disappeared with the exception of Maria, who had believed the warn-ing and forever after stayed there enchanted, herding her animals. Maria also had chickens... which were the seagulls. Dressed in rags and with dishevelled hair, she scared children away. At times, when the weather was good, one could see up in the hills the clothes that Maria had hung out and, when she baked bread, the smoke covered the whole Caldeira with fog.

WALKING TRAILS GUIDE

view over the centre of its namesake village. The path Caminho da Caldeira comes to an end soon after.

Walk down the asphalt road to the aforementioned fork and, this time, turn right to enter the Caldera, a site that different entities have listed as a pro-tected area. It is currently listed as the Natural Monument of the Graciosa Caldera, as a Geosite of the island of Graciosa and as a Ramsar Site (since 2008). You reach the Caldeira through a tunnel opened in 1953. Once inside, go straight to the Furna do Enxofre, with trees and large stone blocks fallen from the rocky slopes standing out in the landscape.

You will reach a small parking lot. Leave the path and go down the almost 200 steps that will take you to the Visitor Center of Furna do Enxofre. This building opened on April 5, 2010, and besides being the gateway to the cave and being prepared to receive and inform visitors, it also hosts the Centre of the Biosphere Reserve and the headquarters of the Natural Park of Graciosa. Visiting this spectacular volcanic cave is a must, as this Natural Monument is deemed to be a unique site in international volcano speleology.

In the final phase of the aforementioned eruption, the lava descended into the main conduit, leaving behind this cave. Experts say that this vaulted cave may have been formed by a pocket of fluid lava, with its current shape re-sulting from the readjustments that followed the drainage of lava.

The cave sits at an altitude of 98 metres and, to reach it, you need to go down the 183 steps of a spiral staircase located inside a 37-metre-high tower opened in 1939. Guided tours are only available when the necessary safety requirements are met. Sometimes the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere inside the cave is too high, which prevents people from visit-ing it. This huge cave formed by the last eruption witnessed by this Caldeira features several secondary formations and elements of the volcanic activity that shaped this island. Besides the 194-metre-long, 40-metre-high vaulted ceiling, there are small lava stalactites, a cold fresh water lake of consider-able size and, next to it, a degassing field consisting of a mud fumarole and of dry gaseous emanations from the ground of the cave. You can also see columnar jointing on the ceiling and walls. This cave has been visited by il-lustrious scientists since the 19th century, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Ferdinand Fouqué and George Hartung.

Take the same route to leave the Caldeira. Before leaving, however, you will find a path that heads down to the forest park on the right near the tunnel. This path has no markings, but you will certainly enjoy this pleas-ant short walk that leads to a picnic area where you will find some ani-mals and where the Forest Service keeps its nurseries. Finish this trail by returning to the starting point.

PRC2 GRA Volta à Caldeira - Furna do Enxofre

WALKING TRAILS GUIDE