Visiting Caldeira Do Faial

The volcanic crater in Faial is a natural spectacle. The time to see it is when there are no clouds as otherwise it will hidden in fog.

In the morning we prepared for my friend's birthday BBQ and other ex-pats were invited. It was a great way of getting to know people who lived on the island. We lit up the charcoal in the BBQ and cooked up burgers, chicken and tilapia.  

After people had left, we sat back and relaxed. It was a good time. Then my friend tells us to visit the caldera. The sky was clear so visibility will be good. We got into the car and took a scenic ride up 1,040m with stunning fauna along the way. It was like we were driving through a botanical garden!

We arrived at the top of the caldera and walked through a short tunnel. Then I did something I'm not proud of as a tourist. Completely awestruck by the huge caldera before us, I belted out the words "OH MY GWAD" in my thickest Aussie-ocker accent. So loud and cringeworthy,  I must have cleared out all the birds in the area. 

The caldera has a circumference of 8km and a drop of 400m. You can't go in without being guided by a ranger. In the center was a small lake and everywhere else was covered with greenery. It was like another world. Quite possibly a different eco system.

At the top of the caldera there is a hike you can take all the way around. Here is a little shrine. 

More hydrangeas, a symbol of the Azores.

On the other side of the caldera. The clouds and rain were coming in. Some cloud crept slowly into the crater like an aurora. In a matter of minutes, it reached us and it was time to head back.

In the evening we fired up the BBQ again and finished off the leftovers under the stars. We saw the moon and it's own craters through a telescope.