Baleeiros - Faial PR10 FAI

This hiking trail primarily follows old rural paths, starting near the church of the Cedros parish and ending at the former Whaling Station in Varadouro. Along the route, the theme of whaling and cetacean observation (whale watching) will always be present.

In the old Cedros port, there was a whale lookout that was destroyed by the earthquake on July 9, 1998, while the lookout at Costado da Nau, in Capelinhos, is currently in ruins. However, the lookouts at Cabeço da Vigia and Alto das Concheiras remain active and provide support for cetacean observation activities.

The route also offers several points of scenic interest. It passes by the viewpoints of Ribeira Funda, located within a picnic area, and Ribeira das Cabras, from where you can admire the lava flat of the Praia do Norte parish, as well as part of the Capelo Peninsula.

In regards to geological importance, as you pass the beach and the port of Fajã, you can observe olivine xenoliths, which stand out from the black basalt due to their green color. These are portions of the mantle expelled during a volcanic eruption and preserved within the lava, resulting from the historic eruption of Cabeço do Fogo in 1672. As you approach the end of the trail, you can also observe characteristic species of the Laurissilva forest, an original forest predating human occupation, including white laurel (Picconia azorica), Azorean laurel (Laurus azorica), and heather (Erica azorica).

The hiking route also crosses the Capelinhos Volcano geosite, a unique lunar-like landscape formed by the 1957/1958 eruption. This is the most recent volcano in the line of volcanic cones that make up the Capelo volcanic peninsula geosite, the newest in Europe. At this location, you can visit the Interpretation Center of the Capelinhos Volcano, the Boat House (Casa dos Botes) with an exhibition dedicated to whaling, or enjoy a swim at the Porto Baleeiro do Comprido, which, between 1940 and 1957, was the largest and most productive whaling station in the archipelago until it was deactivated due to the eruption.

The trail ends at Varadouro, the old Whaling Station, where you can relax and swim in the natural pools.