DESCRIPTION
VULCÕES E LAGOAS | VULCANOS AND LAKES
Volcanoes are a permanent mark on the Azorean landscape, especially on São Miguel island. Most of them are dormant or have low activity, but there are several volcanological units that we can visit on this island of enormous natural beauty. Some of the most beautiful and important São Miguel lagoons are located in the island's volcanic complexes.
1st stop - Gruta do Carvão
Located on the west side of Ponta Delgada, in a region of São Miguel island called "Complexo Vulcânico dos Picos", the Gruta do Carvão has a current extension of 1912 meters spread over 3 sections, one to the North (Paím) with an extension of 880.2 meters, an intermediate one (Secadores de Tabaco, Rua de Lisboa), with a length of 701.8 meters and one to the South (João do Rego) with 300 meters. However, old documents and field observations indicate it’s much larger and may have reached 5 km in length, from the coast to Serra Gorda, in Arrifes. For more information and reservations, visit http://grutadocarvao.amigosdosacores.pt
2nd stop - Lagoa do Fogo
This lagoon is part of the volcanic complex of Serra de Água de Pau, located in the central area of São Miguel island. Lagoa do Fogo is surrounded by dense and lush endemic vegetation and has clear blue waters, which gives it a truly unique beauty. Occupying an area of 1360 hectares, the volcanic crater is the youngest on São Miguel island, assuming that it was formed around fifteen thousand years ago. The current configuration results from the last collapse that occurred approximately five thousand years ago. The last eruption took place in 1563. It is the highest lagoon on São Miguel island - 949 meters - and its walls can reach 300 meters. The maximum depth of the lagoon is 30 meters. In its perimeter there are several species of endemic plants, such as Azores juniper, bay leaf, heather or frangula azorica.
3rd stop - Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa das Furnas is located in the area of Caldeira das Furnas, where we can see other manifestations of secondary volcanism, such as fumarolic fields and thermal springs. It is on the south shore of the Lagoon where the Cozido das Furnas is made, cooked with the steam that comes deep from the volcanic soil. Its unique and unmistakable taste makes it a world-renowned dish that attracts thousands of tourists from every corner of the planet to Furnas every week.
4th stop - Furnas
Furnas, established as a parish in 1791 and currently with 1439 residents, is one of the most beautiful locations in the Azorean archipelago, known as the “Azores Visitor's Room”. Its name is related to the volcanic activity in Vale das Furnas, called fumaroles or “boilers”. However, some say that the greatest wealth of the Furnas is found in the diversity of mineral and thermal waters of its springs, considered the largest hydropolis in the world. These justified the construction of public and private bathing facilities in thermal waters, due to their therapeutic properties and once was used to cure diseases.
5th stop - Sete Cidades
The Sete Cidades crater has an approximately 5km of diameter and a depth of 400m. The highest point of the volcano is 845m above sea level. Its edges called Cumeeiras das Sete Cidades (large and small) serve as a pedestrian trail that surrounds the ridges of the Sete Cidades crster, one of the largest volcanic complexes in the Azores, with four lagoons inside - Lagoa de Santiago, Lagoa Rasa, Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde (blue lagoon and green lagoon), these last two are linked together. The blue and green lagoon are the postcard of Azores Tourism and one of the 7 natural wonders of Portugal in the category of non-aquatic marine areas. The famous legend of Sete Cidades is behind the colors that give the lagoons their name. It’s about the love of a blue-eyed princess and a green-eyed shepherd, but in fact, the difference in colors is due to the fact that Lagoa Verde (green) has more closed hillsides and, therefore, it gets more reflection from the surrounding vegetation, while the blue one, being bigger, receives more reflections from the sky.
sources: visitazores.com | visitpontadelgada.pt | cm-povoacao.pt | grutadocarvao.amigosdosacores.pt
