The Faial, with an area of about 172 km², was our last stop in the Azores Triangle. Located in the central group, this island has earned the nickname of Blue Island because of the color of the hydrangeas that line the sides of its roads.
Although it is one of the smallest islands in the archipelago, it is one of the best known and most visited. One reason for this is, of course, that it has one of only three airports in the Azores where commercial flights from the mainland land.
In our case, since it was our last stop before heading home, we only stayed on the island for about a day and a half. Even so, we managed to visit and see the main sights!
Horta
The beautiful city of Horta, considered the capital of Faial. It is undoubtedly where most of the island’s residents live and where you’ll find the widest selection of accommodations and businesses.
Here you'll find an impressive marina full of sailboats and offering a stunning view of Pico Mountain. Next to the marina, take a look at the Santa Cruz da Horta Fort, which has now been converted into a guesthouse.
Next, take a stroll through the streets and visit the main church of Horta, the Church of the Holy Savior. While you're still in town, you'll find the Horta Museum, focused on the history of the island; the Florêncio Terra Garden overlooking the imposing Clock Tower; the Carmo Church (and the Museum of Sacred Art) and the former Convent of St. Francis, where the Santa Casa da Misericórdia is now located.
Now that we’ve explored the city of Horta, it’s time to tour the island. In our case, we started in the north, but you can obviously go the other way around.
East Side of Faial Island
Almoxarife Beach, St. Matthew’s Church, and the Ponta da Ribeirinha Lighthouse
Heading toward the east coast, you’ll come to the town of Almoxarife Beach. It shares its name with its most striking feature: the black-sand beach. With a camping site nearby (Bearsu Nature Almoxarife) and being a beautiful, sheltered beach, it is one of the most popular beaches on the island.
Since it was January and the weather wasn’t suitable for the beach, we continued on our way. 10 minutes later, you’ll come across the imposing São Mateus Church. It’s impossible to miss it: a church that has been completely destroyed, with little more than the façade and its tower remaining (which is unusually located in the center). This church was destroyed during the 1998 earthquake, and although there are plans to rebuild it, it still lies in ruins.
From here, you’ll need to head further away from the main road, toward the Ponta da Ribeirinha Lighthouse. The road, which is made of dirt and stones, is passable by car, although extra caution is required.
The Ribeirinha Lighthouse is another example of the effects of the 1998 earthquake. All that remains of this structure are its tower, the walls of the auxiliary buildings, and the white tiles on the wall.
North and West of Faial Island
Back on the main road, you’ll pass through small villages with a few sights to see.
Here will appear several viewpoints, such as Porto do Salão and Porto de Eira, with views of the neighboring island of São Jorge. In Salão, it’s worth stopping by the windmill, so typical of the island of São Jorge but less common on Faial.
Further ahead you’ll find the so-called Black Rock Castle, in Cedros. This is the site of the ruins of what was once a noble residence belonging to the Lacerda family. In 2021, the Government of the Azores designated it as a property of public interest.
A little further on, you’ll come across a place worth stopping at for lunch: the Aldina Restaurant and Bar. There are also other restaurants in the area that are undoubtedly amazing.
Continuing along the highway, you will pass by the Empire of the Holy Spirit of Cascalho, another of the island’s iconic landmarks. Further ahead, on your right, you’ll see the Cascalho Windmill and the Faial Dairy Agricultural Cooperative, known for several cheese brands, including Ilha Azul ( Blue Island) (More information here).
More beautiful views of the ocean follow, along with a few places of worship and many lookouts. But we only stopped at our final destination: the Capelinhos Volcano.
Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Center
The Capelinhos Volcano, on the western tip of the island, is one of the island’s most visited sites. The result of a recent eruption (which began in September 1957 and lasted 13 months), it was a widely documented event. As a result of this eruption, the island expanded, forming the Capelinhos Volcano.
Although it is not possible to walk on the volcano itself, you can hike along the surrounding cliffs and visit the Capelinhos Lighthouse, which survived this eruption. Facing the lighthouse, underground, the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Center was built, a site dedicated to volcanic history, with a focus (obviously) on the volcano that gives it its name.
This Interpretation Center features various types of exhibits, so you can choose to visit just one or two sections rather than the entire Center. You can check out the Schedules and prices here. You can also learn more about this point of interest here in more detail.
As you continue your journey, you can take the opportunity to stop at the Capelo Handicraft Center, run by the Friends of the Capelinhos Lighthouse Association. Here, with free admission, you’ll find a variety of handicrafts created by more than 30 local artisans. The building itself is impressive—a fully renovated structure dating from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Castelo Branco: Ponta do Morro
Continuing south along the island, drive toward the town of Castelo Branco, where Horta Airport is located.
When you arrive, head to the Morro do Castelo Branco lookout point, which involves a short walk to the edge of the hill. Alternatively, you can take the PRC05 trail—Toward Morro de Castelo Branco—a 3.7-kilometer loop (More information here).
As you approach the airport, you’ll come across the Castelo Branco Natural Pools, offering a view of the hill. Since they’re so close to the airport, visitors using these pools can watch planes take off and land up close.
From here, we continue on towards Horta.
Monte da Guia and Porto Pim Beach
As the last rays of sunlight fade on the horizon, head toward Monte da Guia and stop along the way at the Porto Pim Beach. This beach is the most famous on Faial, stretching for about 350 meters of dark sand.
At the far end of the beach, you'll find the Porto Pim Whale Factory, which we unfortunately didn't have time to visit, but you can find out here in more detail.
Sigam em direção ao imponente Monte da Guia, uma área protegida com 74 hectares. Aqui, além das paisagens de cortar a respiração, encontra-se ainda a Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia e as ruínas do Forte de Nossa Senhora da Guia (oficialmente denominado Prédio Militar nº 004/Horta). No ponto mais afastado do monte, encontram o chamado de Miradouro do Neptuno, que obteve o seu nome devido a uma famosa fotografia tirada em 1986 durante a maior tempestade conhecida a atingir a ilha.
No Monte da Guia podem ainda fazer um trilho, o PR08, com cerca de 3,4km circular (panfleto aqui).
Peter Café Sport e Peter Museu
Regressando à cidade da Horta, recomendamos que terminem o dia no famoso Peter Café Sport. Pela nossa experiência, quando falamos do Faial às pessoas, uma das primeiras respostas ou perguntas tem a ver com este icónico café.
Com mais de 100 anos de história, este negócio familiar localiza-se junto à Marina da Horta. Devido à sua localização, tornou-se conhecido entre os velejadores e iates, ganhando a fama que hoje tem.
Com o crescimento do negócio, foi fundado em 1986 o Museu de Scrimshaw do Peter. Este é um museu dedicado à antiga arte do scrimshaw, a arte de gravar em dentes e ossos proveniente de cachalotes.
Com um custo de entrada de 3,5€ (em 2024), podem encontrar aqui centenas de obras de arte, feitas por alguns dos maiores nomes dos Açores.
Interior da Ilha do Faial: a Caldeira
Depois de explorarem a ilha em redor, recomendamos deixarem o mais impressionante para o final: a sua grandiosa boiler. Esta caldeira tem cerca de 2km de diâmetro e 400 metros de profundidade.
Junto à caldeira encontram um parque de estacionamento gratuito onde devem deixar o carro. Daqui, seguem a pé por um pequeno túnel que vos leva frente a frente a este espetáculo da natureza.
À vossa direita surgirá um pequeno local de culto, a Ermida de São João, e, pela esquerda, o acesso ao trilho que permite rodear a caldeira, o PRC04, com 6,8km circular (More information here).
A descida à caldeira é condicionada, sendo feita por um trilho íngreme e estreito, sendo por isso considerado difícil. Por todos estes motivos, aos quais acrescente a sensibilidade do ambiente, a descida tem de ser feita por um guia certificado, existindo um limite de visitas diárias e tendo um custo considerável. No nosso caso, cansados da subida ao Pico, não considerámos de todo esta aventura.
No regresso, e se tiverem tempo, podem ainda visitar o Jardim Botânico do Faial. Este tem cerca de um hectare e meio e, entre as várias plantas, destaca-se a coleção de cerca de 5.000 orquídeas. A visita ao jardim tem o custo de 5€ / adulto (em 2024) e podem confirmar os preços e horários atualizados aqui.
Trails
Como é natural nos Açores, existem vários trilhos marcados. No total, são nove pequenas rotas e uma grande rota com diferentes comprimentos e níveis de dificuldade:
- PR1 – Cabeço do Canto, com 2,6km circular
- PR2 – Rocha da Fajã, com 5km circular
- PR3 – Levada, com 7,6km linear (e um dos favoritos!)
- PR4 – Caldeira, com 6,8km circular
- PR5 – Rumo ao Morro de Castelo Branco, com 3,7km circular
- PR6 – Dez Vulcões, com 19,3km linear
- PR7 – Caminhos Velhos, com 17,5km linear
- PR8 – Entre Montes, com 3,4km circular
- PR9 – Ribeirinha, com 8,3km circular
- GR – Faial de Costa a Costa, com 36,8km linear
Onde dormir no Faial
Apesar de não ser uma ilha muito grande, existem bastantes alojamentos disponíveis. No nosso caso, ficámos no Porto Pim Azores Guest House, a apenas uns metros da Praia de Porto Pim.
Sendo na zona principal da ilha, junto à cidade da Horta, tem obviamente um pouco de tudo em redor. Se preferirem um sítio mais afastado, existem opções de alojamento um pouco por toda a ilha.
Costs (2022)
A grande pergunta no final de uma viagem destas: então, quando gastámos? No nosso caso, os dois dias passados no Faial totalizaram cerca de 190€ / pessoa. Aqui não está contabilizado o voo de entrada nas ilhas, uma vez que voamos para São Jorge e depois seguimos de ferry para o Pico, recorrendo novamente ao ferry para seguir para o Faial. Fizemos depois o voo de regresso a partir do Aeroporto da Horta.
Os custos mais pesados aqui são, obviamente, o voo do Aeroporto da Horta para o Aeroporto do Porto (195,81€ para duas pessoas), o aluguer do carro e combustível (65,93€ total), o alojamento no Porto Pim Azores Guest House (36€ para duas pessoas) e compras e restaurantes (cerca de 40€ total, uma vez que optamos sempre por fazer uma refeição em casa).
Ao nível de atividades, gastámos apenas 16€ / duas pessoas na visita ao Centro de Interpretação do Vulcão dos Capelinhos e 24,5€ no Centro de Artesanato do Capelo.
Deslocações e Aluguer de Carro no Faial
Getting around the islands: a topic that gave us such a headache before our trip. When traveling between islands, the answer was simple: Atlântico Line, the ferry company that operates between the islands. But the problem was within the island. To visit a destination like São Jorge, you must have a car or you won't be able to enjoy your trip! Also be aware that rented cars are not normally allowed to travel between the islands.
But even when renting a car, you need to pay close attention to detail. This is because many car rental companies require you to block a deposit on your card - so far so good. But we were going to three different islands and sometimes it can take several days for credit card deposits to be unblocked. With amounts ranging from €1,200 to €2,000 per car, and for three different islands, this was a problem.
No nosso caso, a solução passou por alugar o carro diretamente com a empresa Ilha Verde (tanto no Pico como em São Jorge) que, adquirindo o seguro com cobertura total, não necessitou de caução. Não tendo qualquer caução bloqueada no cartão, conseguimos chegar ao Faial e alugar carro pela empresa Autoeurope, com uma caução de 1.000€ (bloqueio obrigatório mesmo com seguro contra todos os riscos).
Destacamos este acontecimento por um motivo simples: poucos bancos aceitam atribuir cauções de mais de 3.000€ em cartões de crédito e, para quem visita mais do que uma ilha, isto pode ser um problema. Então recomendamos mesmo que confirmem sempre a existência de caução e que optem pela cobertura total – as estradas das ilhas têm muitas vezes pequenas pedras soltas que saltam e podem causar danos no carro – não vale o risco.
Also pay attention to the minimum age that the driver has to be and the minimum length of license required. Take every precaution to avoid being barred when the time comes to pick up the car.
