16
PDI
9.7 mi
DISTANCE
2,972 ft
GAINED
5.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Faial's Caldeira is a volcanic crater about 2 km across, filled with laurel forest and bog, and to look into it you have to climb almost 900 m (2950 ft) from the sea, lean the bike against the wall at the viewpoint and walk through a short tunnel. This is the long way up, from the waterfront at Feteira on the south coast.
It's 15.6 km (9.7 mi) with 906 m (2972 ft) of climbing at 5.6%. The first 4 km are easy: up from the shore to Portela at about 150 m, then a short drop into Flamengos. Out of Flamengos the climb starts properly, with its steepest kilometer - about 13% - on Rua São João da Caldeira. Higher up, the Ramal para a Caldeira is much kinder, 6 to 8% for the last 6 km through the high pastures to the rim.
Plan around the cloud. The rim can be wrapped in it while Horta sits in sunshine, and then the view you climbed for is a white wall. On a clear morning you get the whole crater below you and, behind you on the way up, Pico across the channel.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. 15.6 km (9.7 mi) at 5.6%, gaining 906 m (2972 ft) from 16 m (54 ft) at Feteira to 892 m (2928 ft) at the Caldeira viewpoint, with about 30 m (99 ft) of descent on the way.
The first 3 km climb gently to Portela at about 150 m, then the road dips into Flamengos. Leaving the village, the steepest kilometer averages 13% and includes a half kilometer at 14.8%, with 100 m pitches around 17%.
From about km 9 the Ramal para a Caldeira holds 6 to 7% almost to the top, with the last full kilometer close to 8%. The steepest 5 km average 7.3% and the steepest 10 km 7.1%.
Roadway: Paved throughout: village streets through Feteira and Flamengos, the ER 2-2, and then the Ramal para a Caldeira, the dead-end branch road up to the viewpoint. Rua São João da Caldeira out of Flamengos is a steep village street, so take it carefully on the way down. Rain and cloud are common at the top, and wet asphalt in fog makes the descent slower than the gradient suggests.
Traffic: Light on the lower roads apart from local traffic around Feteira and Flamengos. The Caldeira viewpoint is one of the island's main sights, so expect rental cars, taxis and tour vans on the Ramal, especially in summer.
Parking: Park near the start on the coast at Feteira, or ride out from Horta, a few kilometers along the coast. At the top there's a car park at the viewpoint, which is also where the rim trail starts.
Gear: A compact covers most of it. The kilometer out of Flamengos at 13% is where a 32 cog pays off.
Provisions: Fill up in Horta or Feteira before you start, and don't count on anything to buy on the Ramal or at the viewpoint. At 892 m (2928 ft) the rim is much cooler and often damper than the coast, so pack a windproof for the descent.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Horta is the base, and its marina is why most people know the name: yachts crossing the Atlantic stop here, and crews paint their boat's name on the harbor walls and quays for luck. Peter Café Sport on the waterfront has been the sailors' bar for generations. Ferries cross from Horta to Pico, whose 2351 m volcano is the view behind you on the lower half of this climb.
At the top, walk through the tunnel by the viewpoint for the look into the crater. The PRC04 FAI trail loops around the rim and over Cabeço Gordo (1043 m), the island's highest point - pick a day with good visibility.
For a longer ride, carry on around the west end of the island to Capelinhos, where an eruption in 1957-58 added new land to Faial and left the old lighthouse half-buried in ash.
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