The Azores were born of volcanic violence. The great spreading rift at the centre of the archipelago, the Terceira rift, is about 36 million years old and steadily moves south, 345 miles long and the planet’s slowest-moving plate. You can still see the scars of millennia of eruptions and quakes, making these islands more interesting and beautiful than most.
Sao Jorge’s famous active volcanic fissure of Manadas last erupted in 1808. In 2022 on Sao Jorge island there were around 1800 small earthquakes in less than 48 hours, leaving experts fearing stronger tremors or even an eruption. The sudden flurry in seismic activity reminded people of the earthquake ‘swarms’ seen before the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain’s La Palma island erupted in 2021, 870 miles from the Azores. Luckily it didn’t happen. As it turned out the quakes were of tectonic origin, down to movements of the earth’s vast tectonic plates rather than volcanic activity.
The archipelago’s central group includes the popular tourist destinations of Faial and Pico too, both also volcanic. Here’s our guide to 3 destinations in the Azores to see the best volcanic drama, yours to marvel at on Sao Jorge, Pico and Failal islands.
Sao Jorge island – Site of 2022’s swarm of tectonic quakes
Sao Jorge island is stuffed with hiking trails leading to natural wonders. The island’s most famous hike is probably the Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo, remote and a challenge to access. It connects you with the equally awesome Fajã dos Cubres, the site of more of the island’s amazing picture-postcard views.
Head for the Urzelina area where snorkelers can see a lot more than endless fascinating sea life. The great caves and recent geological formations weave the dramatic tale of the island’s volcanic past.
Kick off at Ponta dos Rosais to see the dizzying cliffs and ancient underwater volcanic formations, eroded by the waves and studded with vibrant volcanic deposits. This is where you can clearly see the violent fissure volcanism responsible for São Jorge’s creation.
The Central Volcanic Cordillera reveals clear signs of historical eruptions and the spooky depths of Algar do Montoso, the Azores’ largest cave, are an amazing sight, created by ancient geothermal activity. Then there are the island’s unique fajãs, basically huge eroded, collapsed cliffs creating flat areas of fertile land at sea level. Fajã do Ouvidor has gorgeous natural pools, Poça Simão Dias reveals yet more of the volcanic landscape.
In Urzelina itself you can still see signs of the 1808 eruption, including a wrecked church tower and spooky coastal caves. The eruption caused 30 deaths and left a vast basalt lava field behind, the last above-ground eruption in the Azores. Since then most eruptions have happened under the sea, with the most recent, the 1998–2001 Serreta eruption, taking place wholly underwater.
The summit of Pico da Esperança is the highest point on São Jorge island at 1053m high, with awesome views of Pico island, Pico mountain and Failal island.
More volcanic wonders on Pico island
Pico is the second largest island of the Azores and while it’s the fourth most-populated, it’s also made up of 80% solidified lava, basically a massive rock. This is home to Portugal’s highest point, the 2351 metre high Piquinho, also called Pico Mountain.
This is the youngest Azores island, just a quarter of a million years old. Santa Maria is 6 million years old, a big difference. The island features four separate zones of recent volcanic activity and has the biggest lava tube in Portugal, Gruta das Torres. You can go inside and explore if you like. Being inside this stunning space helps you make sense of the rest of the island and understand how it was made.
The best time of year to climb Pico Mountain is spring and summer but it can get very crowded in July and August and there are limited numbers of permits for the climb. You’ll want to book in advance to avoid disappointment. The route takes you past 47 wooden stakes marking the way, which can get very challenging indeed. This is definitely an Azores destination for the fit and well!
You’ll climb a total of 1121 meters from the Casa da Montanha, itself 1230m up, and the walk totals 5 miles – two and a half miles up and the same back down again. The terrain is often rocky and slippery underfoot, sometimes very steep indeed.
A daytime trip takes you up and down in daylight, starting off as early as 7am depending on the weather and time of year, and you’ll need to set aside around 9 hours in total. You can also climb the peak at night, setting off in the early hours to see the sun rise from the summit. You’re back down again by noon, perfectly timed for a tasty lunch and Azorean wine. The whole experience takes around 10 hours total.
There’s also an overnight hike where you set off at around 4pm, climb to the top, admire the sunset at the crater edge then head down into it to camp overnight. Then you go back to the summit for sunrise and make your way back down to civilisation in time for lunch. It’s a tough climb made tougher by the weight of your camping gear – which you need to carry with you – and you’ll need to set aside 20 hours for your adventure.
Failal island’s vast volcanic complex
The Capelinhos or Little Cape volcano sits on the west coast of Faial Island, part of a much bigger volcanic complex called Capelo with its twenty curious scoria cones and huge lava fields leading downwards from the Caldeira Volcano’s huge crater.
In 1957 there was a 13 month long eruption on the island. The fresh lava extended the island by an impressive 2.4 square kilometres and caused 300 separate seismic events. It sent ash spiralling half a mile into the air, flattened 300 houses in Capelo and Praia do Norte and almost completely buried a lighthouse. Afterwards the volcano went dormant. The Azorean Refugee Act was signed in 1958 by JF Kennedy, permitting 2000 local people to emigrate to the USA and Canada.
These days all is peaceful and the Capelinhos site is a very popular attraction. You can while away time in the amazing underground Visitors Centre, find out the science behind the eruptions, and see how it affected the community. Add the legendary cliffs, black sand beaches and other-worldly landscapes, and you can see why it’s such a popular Azores destination for eye candy.
The 10 Volcanoes Trail is yours on the island, a brilliant full-day activity where you walk a total of 13 miles totally immersed in Faial’s volcanic past. The Caldeira and Capelinhos Volcano are on the menu along with eight in-between volcanoes, lush Azores native forest, incredible views and fascinating wildlife. The hike starts high up and end at sea level offering outstanding geological insights along the way, a challenge that’s worth the effort in every way.
There’s more, of course, since the entire archipelago is volcanic in origin. The islands offer a total of 26 active volcanoes, 8 of which lie under the ocean. Portuguese settlers recorded the first eruption seen by humans between 1439 and 1443 when the Furnas Volcano blew, and the only island without an active volcano of its own is Santa Maria. While there hasn’t been an eruption for a very long time, there’s always a chance it’ll happen!
This place is where dreams are made. We hope you find it magical.
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