CAPELINHOS

It's the island's landmark. Capelinhos is a volcano that emerged just over 60 years ago on Faial, between 1957 and 1958, revealing a grandiose, lunar landscape. In the middle of this landscape, the imposing silhouette of the old lighthouse, half-buried in ash, is magnificent. It used to stand on the water's edge, before a new piece of island emerged from the depths of the ocean. Caught in the middle of this fire- and ash-spewing land, it will be completely destroyed. The ruins of this lighthouse, the old whaling port and a few houses also destroyed by the eruption accentuate the dramatic character of a landscape truly unique to the Azores. The Volcano Interpretation Centre is located beneath this former lighthouse, a must-see if you want to learn more about the volcano's history, but also a true architectural feat. Leaving the museum and heading down the road towards the ocean, you come to the old port, Porto do Comprido. From the ^19th century onwards, this port was used for whaling. In its heyday in the 1940s, some 20 whaleboats and speedboats came here from Faial, Pico and São Jorge, run by the Azores' most famous masters and harpooners. The harbor has been transformed into natural pools with soft, crystalline waters, perhaps still heated by the dormant volcano. Certainly the best place in the Azores to dive into the ocean.