capelinhos

Loved learning about the volcanoes and how the islands were formed. Very informational. Everyone that comes to Faial, needs to come here.

This is a very well done interpretive center. After seeing the devastation done by the 1957-58 eruptions this made both the causes and effects much clearer. Inc in the admission charge is the opportunity to climb the lighthouse most of which survived the eruptions (the base is buried). They also had a snack counter, nice seating, a children's play area and clean w/c.

After driving past all the lush greenery of Sao Miguel it was a shock to arrive at the stark, lunar landscape of this new addition to the island. The volcano eruption added 2 kilometers of land and the Interpretive Center has videos, scale models, and all the information needed to understand and appreciate this wonder of nature. Something to see and much to learn makes this a must stop!

The views were incredible and the story of the volcanic eruption and its aftermath even more so. The interpretive center is excellent - we simply did not have enough time to fully explore it. I wanted to go back for another visit, but we didn't have time. I highly recommend a visit to this site!

This was an amazing place to visit. How Capelinhos came about and what happened to the villagers in the surrounding areas as well as the efforts made to educate on the events were fantastic. A few tips you may find helpful:-- Remember that attractions like these (museums, etc.) are typically closed on Mondays-- if the weather is particularly windy that day, be prepared that the museum and lighthouse may be closed to the public. This happened to us this week where there was literally a basalt sandstorm of big, coarse particles hitting us (eyes, legs, face, etc.) at very high speed. Slight ouch. The entrance was sealed off by plastic covering and tape, and when we knocked, a museum worker popped open the door and we saw that all the artifacts inside were individually wrapped and taped up to avoide damage by the wind and basalt sand-- One thing to do when you get back to the carpark area is to keep going down the road for another 100 meters. On your left you'll see a small sign board attached to the ground that explains what happened to the villagers who lived here in 1957. If you look at the"ridges" in front of the information board, you'll notice orange roof tiles that are the top of the houses which were buried by the volcanic eruption more than 50 years ago

This award winning museum and exhibition centre deserves all the accolades it has gathered. Firstly the scenery around it is jaw-dropping! What a landscape. The interactive exhibits, the 3D films, the photos, are all top notch. And then we walked up the 130 steps up to the top of the lighthouse for some more spectacular views. This is a must see!

Almost surreal to walk around here. Great views and such different terrain compared to the rest of the island! A must see on Faial!

Two months after our visit to the Azores this is one of the enduring memories.The very good, very professionally produced and free brochure produced by the Regional Tourist Office contains fabulous pictures and explanations of how the Capelinhos volcano and new addition to Faial island was created between September 1957 and May 1958. It says that Capelinhos is still the only volcano born underwater and later growing on land to have been continuously observed and studied (The first eruption in the sea was seen by a whaling lookout at 7 in the morning of September 27, 1957). The leaflet also correctly suggests that “The Capelinhos volcano is one of the greatest tourist attractions in the Azores, indeed, it is one of the major tourism features to be found anywhere in the Atlantic”. It is hard to disagree that the very recently created and nearly virgin land does not represent a strikingly beautiful landscape. I have only seen anything like this before in the Galapagos.Anywhere else in the world this fantastic attraction would be inundated with people yet when we visited there was less than a dozen people there. It is amazing as well that there is no fee to visit. It is also possible to walk down past the lighthouse, which is partially buried by ash from the eruptions, and across to the newly formed land and up to the little volcanic calderas.We had a coffee in the underground visitor centre and watched a very interesting and illuminating film with old pictures dating back to the initial eruption of the volcano. What a great idea and again this was free apart from the coffee. We did not visit the part of the visitor centre that you have to pay for. Allow enough time to walk around down past the lighthouse and then back up on the hill above the visitor centre.

I really got amazed with the view over Vulcão dos Capelinhos. It's amazing what a Vulcan can do the face of the earth. You feel really small in front of this beauty.Definitely recomemend this visti and also to "Centro de Interpretação do Vulcão dos Capelinhos".

It's a must do tour at Faial. The newest Centro de Interpretação do Vulcão dos Capelinhos, European Best Museum 2013 is the new addition to this spot. Under the earth you can easly learn the formation of Azores Islands and the eruption of the vulcano. Climb the lighthouse for a better view, but if you dare do the many trails in the vulcano added land itself. It's hard but the impact is huge: best views and the feel of isolation. You could easly spent half day there. I did learn a lot about vulcanos and the life after the eruption and the imigration to the US. Great to have this. I'm proud.

This museum and site were awesome. The museum was very informative and the site was awe inspiring. The landscape is not to be missed. Great spot for photos. Must see on the islands.

With all dangerous consequences the volcano eruption undoubtedly has its own beauty. When you look at this newborn peninsula you are trying to imagine how it was and the feeling is making you frightened and excited at the same time. This is the Earth as it was in the beginning of everything, before the first life had appeared. And quite possible that is how everything will end.

Quite a special feeling, arriving in this desert-like peninsula. It seems like a unearthly place, while it's actually a piece of brand new Earth. Very windy when we visited, resulting in a grayish sandstorm and pieces of ashy dirt in eyes and mouth. Unfortunately we arrived just too late to visit the Interpretation Center (they were closing the doors at 16:15).Upon leaving the site (Rua John F. Kennedy), take a left instead of right, and drive one kilometer around the mountain. You end up in Norte Pequeno, where you can find the bar Fim do Mundo, tiny (three chairs and a small table), atmospheric and kept by a local guy who was there during the eruption in 1957, emigrated to Boston, and returned to Faial.

The highlight is the view from the top of the old lighthouse, but it's definitely worth a visit. When we were there it was very quiet, and we were able to go through the exhibits at our own pace. The Video is a bit long winded, but very informative!

I visited as part of my one day tour of Faial arranged through Horta Cataceos. Well worth a visit to see the most recent volcanic site on Faial