Caldeira at Faial
⇚ Monday, September 3, 2018 / Stephanie / Exploration ⇛
- Tags:
- sailingdetour
- sailing detour
- rode trip
- azores
- Horta
- Faial
- caldeira
- sail azores
- caldeira faial
- hike azores
I wouldn't have imagined that a caldeira hike would really be entertaining, 'round a circular trail keeping the same view for the entirety, but the caldeira at Faial proved me wrong. The view was not only stunning, but it did change as we moved 'round the caldeira; shapes morphed as if we were flipping through the pages of a pop-up book.
During the morning, the caldeira was laden with fog. The fog lifted as the hours passed and for the majority of our hike we were beneath brilliant sunshine. Chirping, little songbirds (LBB) sang us a merry tune as they flitted about their nature reserve.
The 6.8km (4.2mi) trail is rated as easy, with the highest elevation of 1050m (3444ft), but this being our second trail after having spent 3-weeks at sea, our wobbly legs were grateful for the scenery as a distraction to keep us moving forward!
During the morning, the caldeira was laden with fog. The fog lifted as the hours passed and for the majority of our hike we were beneath brilliant sunshine. Chirping, little songbirds (LBB) sang us a merry tune as they flitted about their nature reserve.
The 6.8km (4.2mi) trail is rated as easy, with the highest elevation of 1050m (3444ft), but this being our second trail after having spent 3-weeks at sea, our wobbly legs were grateful for the scenery as a distraction to keep us moving forward!
2 Comments
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From Stephanie Grandjean on Sep 03, 2018
Paula, I wish I'd some better photos of the hydrangeas! We caught them near the end of their season, but still in shady areas found brilliant blue blossoms. The hydrangeas line the roadways and pastures like fences. They are stunning! Faial received the nickname of "blue island" because of the abundance of hydrangeas. I've read they are not actually native but I'm still researching a bit; they may actually have been brought from Nantucket (many whaling ships made the Azores their first stop to pick-up crew). So much to learn, and much distraction from all the lovely scenery! -
From Paula Sundstrom on Sep 03, 2018
It's amazing to see hydrangeas growing along the trail. I have only seen them in gardens before and never knew their native habitat. Loved your description "flipping through the pages of a pop-up book". I've seen lots of those books lately when looking for presents for a one year old. Hey, maybe you should make a pop-up book based on this hike. The the caldeira at Faial truly seems like a magical place.