Capelinhos Volcano

In September 1957 a submarine eruption began off the western tip of Faial and continued for thirteen months, building an island that then joined itself to the coast and added about two and a half square kilometres of new land. Ash fell across the western half of the island, burying farms and blocking wells; the Farol dos Capelinhos, a lighthouse built in 1894, was buried to the level of its upper floors and left standing in a grey desert. Around two thousand people emigrated, most to the United States under a special act of Congress passed for them, which is why so many Azorean-Americans in New England trace to Faial. The area today is a moon-like landscape of ash cones and eroding tuff, with an underground interpretation centre built into the ash, paths across it, and the lighthouse open to climb.

What you actually see

• The buried lighthouse - the 1894 Farol dos Capelinhos in ash to its upper floors.
• The new land - about two and a half square kilometres added by the 1957 eruption.
• The ash landscape - cones and eroding tuff, grey and largely bare.
• The emigration story - two thousand people who left, mostly for the United States.

When to go

Year-round. Two to three hours. The interpretation centre is closed on some days; check before travelling.

Honest expectations

Fierce, constant wind - the ash blows and gets everywhere. Nothing grows, so there is no shade or shelter. Ash and tuff underfoot is loose and paths are eroding; cliff edges are unstable. The interpretation centre and the lighthouse are ticketed separately from the free outdoor area.

Nearby

Horta and the marina are east; the Caldeira do Faial is in the island's centre.