Faial coast to coast (GR01FAI): Ribeirinha to Capelinhos in two days via the Caldeira

Faial Costa a Costa, the island's Grande Rota (GR01FAI), crosses Faial from its oldest corner at Ribeirinha to its newest ground at Capelinhos. The official figures are 36.8 km and twelve hours, graded hard. You do not have to walk it in one go. The route splits at the Caldeira viewpoint, which has a road, so the choice is between one very long day and two shorter ones from a base in Horta.

Lay the GR's official track over Faial's other trails and it turns out to be two of them put together. From Ribeirinha to the Caldeira it follows Caminhos Velhos (PR07FAI), 17.5 km and seven hours. From the Caldeira to Capelinhos it follows the Ten Volcanoes route, Rota dos Dez Vulcões (PR06FAI), 19.3 km and five hours. The distances add up to 36.8 km and the times to twelve hours, the GR's own numbers.

For planning, this means each half is a recognised day walk with its own page and map on the official trails site, and the join is a car park.

Where the GR shares a path with a shorter trail, the waymarks are white, red and yellow; the short trails alone are yellow and red.

Start in the centre of Ribeirinha, on the east coast. The geology here is the oldest on the island, built by the Ribeirinha volcano about 800,000 years ago. The recent history is plain too: the church of São Mateus, finished in 1934, stands in ruins after the earthquake of 1998.

The first hours keep to the coast. You pass the small harbour of Boca da Ribeira, which has toilets and a picnic area, then reach the Ribeirinha lighthouse, opened in 1919 and also wrecked in 1998. From there the path climbs through woodland to the Ribeirinha viewpoint and drops to Espalhafatos, where a short stretch runs along the road. Walk it with care.

After that come farm tracks, a forest road and the protected area of Lomba Grande. Most of the day runs up the Graben of Pedro Miguel, a fault trench the official register counts among the main geosites of the archipelago. Near the top are the Charcos de Pedro Miguel, small ponds the park names as a good place to watch migrating birds, then the rest area at Cabouco Velho and a final pull on a road of red and black lapilli past the Cabouco viewpoint.

The day ends at the Caldeira viewpoint. Walk through the short tunnel before you leave: it opens onto the crater, 2 km across and about 400 m deep.

Take a taxi back up to the viewpoint, which sits between 800 and 900 m. The route follows the crater rim for about 4 km, by our measure of the official track, then leaves it below Cabeço Gordo, the island's high point, and drops down the west slope.

Lower down it joins a dirt road shared with the Levada trail (PR03FAI) as far as Cabeço dos Trinta. At the water tank there is an optional detour through a tunnel into that cone. The descent continues on forest roads to the Cabeço do Fogo viewpoint, a nesting area for the Azores woodpigeon, and then through fields and pasture past Furna Ruim, a lava cave, the Algar do Caldeirão pit and Cabeço do Canto.

The last section crosses a road, so take care, and enters the grey ash of Capelinhos. The eruption of 1957 and 1958 added 2.4 km² to the island. The walk ends at the car park of the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre. In 2026 the centre is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 between April and October, and Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 from November to March, with the last admission an hour before closing. An adult ticket costs EUR 10. Our Capelinhos and Caldeira guide covers the centre and the lighthouse climb.

Day two is the easier one: five hours in the register against seven, and mostly downhill.

Twelve hours of walking does not fit in a winter day, and even in June it leaves no margin for fog on the rim. The official leaflet itself tells you to plan the route around your fitness and the time you have.

Two days from Horta is the practical way:

• Day one: taxi to Ribeirinha, walk to the Caldeira viewpoint, taxi back.
• Day two: taxi to the viewpoint, walk to Capelinhos, taxi back.

You carry a day pack on both days and sleep in the same bed. If you only want one half, take day two. It has the volcanic landscape the island is known for, and it ends at the volcano.

Wild camping is not allowed, so a crossing with a night in the middle needs a bed or a campsite. The high section has neither. Our camping on Faial guide lists the legal sites.

There is no bus to the Caldeira, and Faial's buses do not run on Sundays. A bus stops near Capelinhos, but it runs a few times a day at most, so do not plan around it. Book a taxi for a fixed time at each end before you set off. The getting around Faial guide explains the bus routes.

• Check the weather and look up at the Caldeira from Horta. The official leaflet advises walking the high section only in good weather and visibility, and the rim is often in cloud when the coast is clear.
• Carry water and food for the whole day. The leaflet tells you to restock in the villages, and there are none on the high ground.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to finish.
• Emergency number: 112. The Faial tourism office is on +351 292 292 237.
• The official trail pages list no fee for the GR or its two halves (checked October 2026). Rules in the Azores change, so check again before you go.

How long is the Faial coast-to-coast walk? 36.8 km from Ribeirinha to Capelinhos, with twelve hours as the official average. Most walkers split it into two days at the Caldeira viewpoint.

Can you walk GR01FAI in one day? A fit, fast walker can in summer, starting at first light. You need clear weather on the rim and a taxi waiting at Capelinhos.

Which half is better if I only have one day? The second, from the Caldeira to Capelinhos: 19.3 km, about five hours, mostly downhill, ending at the volcano.

Where is the halfway point? The Caldeira viewpoint at the centre of the island. It has a road and a car park, so a taxi can drop you or collect you there.

• Azores Trails: GR01FAI Faial Costa a Costa
• GR01FAI trail leaflet (PDF)
• Azores Trails: PR07FAI Caminhos Velhos
• Azores Trails: PR06FAI Dez Vulcões
• Azores Trails: PRC09FAI Ribeirinha
• Faial Nature Park: Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre, hours and prices