Gruta Natal

Explore the beauties of Terceira Island, visiting mountains, hills, craters, volcanoes and caves. This tour is in the afternoon, and you are going to visit all the center of Terceira island (places where the public bus does not reach). Pick-up at your accommodation is at 14:00 p.m. The first place where you are going is to the top of the biggest crater of the island. From there you can see a beautiful green landscape composed of agricultural fields. From there we will go the interior of the island, where you'll visit Gruta do Natal (Christmas Cave) a lava tube that formed as a cave. After that you will be amazed with the fumaroles field (Furnas do Enxofre), Algar do Carvão. It's the highlight of the tour, because it's an empty volcano you can go inside of, learning all about the formation of this natural wonder.

Algar do Carvão is closed for construction of the new visitor center. Expecting opening on April 2025. The Caves are open on afternoon (2 - 6pm summer / 2:30 - 5:30pm winter). Between October and April close on Sundays, Mondays and Thursday. In this tour, guided by a geologist, we will visit Gruta do Natal (Christmas Cave) and Algar do Carvão. From here in the center of the island, depending on the weather you can choose to taste our famous local cheese while learning some of the region’s history or visit a local organic farm where coffee trees grow side-by-side with tropical fruits (banana, papaya, passion-fruit...). You will be able to meet the farm owners and learn from them while trying the locally produced coffee and other delicacies according to the season. If you'd like to take a dip in one of our natural pools along the way, bring a towel and a swimsuit. The experience is a fully customizable private tour custom-made according to your personal needs and wishes.

The Tour starts by picking you from your hotel in Angra do Heroismo and going to the center of the island to a zone insert in the Natural Park of Terceira Island. It´s a hard difficulty walking trail with an extention of 5 kms, that has as one of the highlighs Lagoa do Negro, located exactely in front of Gruta do Natal´s support house. You´ll also pass on some magical places fill with endemical trees and small lakes who are known as the Lagoinha do Vale Fundo. By continuing the track you will pass on some vulcanic formations and you´ll get to know why this area is called Misterios Negros. Since it´s a circular trail, the tour ends in the same starting point where you´ll be brought back to your hotel.

Algar do Carvão is closed for construction of the new visitor center. Expecting opening on April 2025. The Caves are open on afternoon (14:00 - 18:00 summer / 14:30 - 17:30 winter). Between October and April close on Sundays, Mondays and Thursday. On this full-day tour, guided by a geologist, we will visit the most scenic points of interest, which just so happen to coincide with some of our most interesting geological features. We'll have the opportunity to explore concepts like vulcano-stratigraphy or polygenetic volcanoes. Along the way, we'll also discuss history and cultural heritage. Bring your swimsuit if you want to take a dip in one of the island’s famous natural swimming pools (weather permitting). And of course, we'll visit Gruta do Natal and Algar do Carvão. By the end of the day, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of the geological history and geodiversity of Terceira Island. The experience is a fully customizable private tour, custom-made according to your personal needs and wishes

Discover the volcanos and volcanic caves of Terceira Island on this geology lover's guided tour. Visit Algar do Carvão, Furnas do Enxofre and Gruta do Natal with an expert guide. Meet your guide and driver for pick-up at your hotel and head to the first stop on the tour — the inactive Algar do Carvão. Visit it from the inside and discover its small lake and fascinating geological formations. Next head to Furnas do Enxofre, a small strip of land with 20 fumaroles expelling white vapor into the air. You'll also see native flora like the Azores juniper and the Azores blueberry. Top off your tour with a visit to Gruta do Natal (Christmas Cave), a system of caves known as a lava tube, full of spectacular volcanic formations.

The Tour starts by the Afternoon where you´ll be Picked up from your hotel and then you´ll go to the center of Terceira Island. On this tour you´re going to see a lot of secret spots known by the locals. You´ll visit an inside of a Lava Tube with 700m of extention. The Tour ends at Algar do Carvão, wich is Vulcano that you can actualy visit the inside.

Discover the fascinating geological history of Terceira Island, a jewel of the Azores shaped by the power of volcanoes over millennia. Explore breathtaking landscapes, from majestic volcanic calderas to impressive lava tubes that tell the story of this island's creation and transformation. Be enchanted by the natural pools of Biscoitos, formed by basaltic lava, and savor the wine that springs from this volcanic land. Dive into the depths of the Earth by descending into Algar do Carvão, one of the rare visitable volcanoes in the world. Walk along roads that wind between volcanic mountains and plains and feel the primal energy of this piece of paradise. Terceira Island is not just a destination; it is a journey to the Earth's pulsing heart.