Capelinhos

Capelinhos is the westernmost point of Faial and the site of a dramatic submarine volcanic eruption that occurred between 1957 and 1958, adding new land to the island and burying the historic lighthouse in ash and lava. The lighthouse now emerges from a grey ash landscape as a landmark, and the interpretive centre built below ground level tells the story of the eruption and its effects on the local community. The raw ash fields and remnant lava formations surrounding the lighthouse provide an almost entirely barren volcanic landscape unlike any elsewhere in the Azores.