The Volcanic Caves of Terceira and the Furnas do Enxofre

Read this part first, because it changes what you are buying. The Algar do Carvão is closed at present for maintenance work, and the itinerary substitutes a lava tube that fewer people know about. The rest of the day runs as it always has. Pick-up from your hotel in an off-road vehicle or a van, then the drive out through forest and the hydrangea fields that line the roads here. The route takes back lanes to the Guilherme Moniz crater, at 640 metres, where the caves of Terceira are. Inside there are stalactites, openings in the roof and a hidden pond, with holly, moss and laurel growing wherever the light reaches. The guide explains how the caves were made. Furnas do Enxofre comes next, where fumaroles push sulphurous steam up through the crust. The drive back uses the island's main roads, so Terceira gets seen from the window as well. Four hours in total, ending at your hotel.