Private Half Day on Faial: Castelo Branco, Varadouro, Capelinhos

Three to four hours, private, built for people who have a short stop on Faial and do not want to spend it choosing what to skip. The route runs west along the southern coast from Horta to Capelinhos, with several stops on the way. The Morro de Castelo Branco is the white volcanic rock most people have already seen from the plane on the way in. Varadouro was where the wealthy families of Horta spent their summers; today it is residential, with natural pools that are well used in season. Capelinhos is at the western tip. The eruption there ran from September 1957 to October 1958, and it was the last land eruption anywhere in the Azores. The way back takes a minor road high above the villages. The last stop depends on the weather: either the Caldeira do Cabeço Gordo, two kilometres across and 400 metres deep, or the viewpoints above Horta. The meeting point is in front of the Casa da Baia tourist information building.