Van Tours: Tour of the Volcanoes

About the Experience

The volcanoes tour intends to make known the island of São Jorge, to its visitors, in its most natural state, visiting cliffs, caves and volcanic cavities, mountain ranges, Pico da Esperança, some lakes that formed in the craters of dormant volcanoes and also the largest Algar in the Azores – Algar do Montoso.

Our Tour will start with a visit to Ponta dos Rosais, in the extreme northwest of the island of São Jorge, with high coastal cliffs, about 260 m high and some islets, which show the shape of an underwater volcanic mountain range.

Here, marine erosion has uncovered the island's internal structure, and it is possible to observe drains, slag in different shades, from black to red, volcanic cones, various lodes and a volcanic chimney.

All this shows the fissure volcanism that gave rise to the island.
Ponta dos Rosais is a geosite of the Azores Geopark.

From Ponta dos Rosais we continue through Santo Amaro, where we can visit Algar das Bocas do Fogo (eruption of 1580) on the way to the Central Volcanic Cordillera – «Serra». Here we can see the Caldeirinhas, resulting from the 1808 eruption that affected Urzelina.

Continuing along the central volcanic mountain range of the island, we find numerous volcanic cones, resulting from fissure volcanism. Some of these cones have small lakes like the one we are going to visit at Pico da Esperança, the highest point of São Jorge, at 1,053 m above sea level.

Other cones display volcanic algae. This is the case of Algar do Morro Pelado, or Algar do Montoso which, at 140 m deep, is the largest cave in the Azores.

Lunch included at a local restaurant.

The fajãs, ex-libris of São Jorge, in particular the lava ones, resulted from the flow of magma from volcanic eruptions. Examples are Fajãs do Ouvidor and Ribeira da Areia, which are included in this tour. Fajã do Ouvidor, associated with the drains emitted from Pico Areeiro, is known for its bathing area, marked by numerous puddles and natural pools, among which the Poça Simão Dias stands out. We dive into its translucent waters and appreciate the curious prismatic disjunctions on its cliffs, which seem to have been carved “by hand”.

Refreshed by the ocean waters, the next stop is Urzelina.

Here we find many marks of the last volcanic eruption (terrestrial) in São Jorge – 1808.

A church tower, spared by the volcano, and numerous caves, which decorate the coastline of this parish, are examples of recent volcanic activity on the island.

Terms and Conditions

Cancellations only up to 14 days prior to activity.