Termas do Carapacho

Carapacho sits at the foot of the caldera on the southern shore of Graciosa, where thermal water rises at around thirty-eight degrees, mineral-heavy and warm, and has been used since at least the nineteenth century. The bathhouse is small and modest - indoor pools fed by the springs, changing rooms, basic treatments - with a swimming pool alongside, and directly beyond it the shore has natural rock pools filled by the sea that are free to use and where most people end up. The setting is the appeal: black volcanic rock, the caldera cliff behind, the Atlantic in front, and almost nobody there, Graciosa being the least visited of the central Azorean islands with a population of about four thousand. The Furna do Enxofre cavern is inside the caldera above. Flights and ferries to Graciosa are limited and weather-dependent.

What you actually see

• The bathhouse - small indoor thermal pools fed by springs at around thirty-eight degrees.
• The sea pools - free natural rock basins on the shore beyond the building.
• The setting - black volcanic rock under the caldera cliff with the Atlantic in front.
• The emptiness - the least visited of the central Azorean islands.

When to go

May to October. Two to three hours. The bathhouse has seasonal hours and closes for parts of the year; the sea pools are always accessible.

Honest expectations

The bathhouse is basic and closes out of season. Sea pools are affected by swell and can be dangerous or unusable. Getting to Graciosa needs a flight or ferry, both frequently cancelled. Almost no facilities at Carapacho beyond the baths.

Nearby

Furna do Enxofre is up in the caldera; Santa Cruz da Graciosa is on the north coast.