beautiful walk through beautiful forest garden with waterfall and hot springs. bring a towel if you want to enjoy the water. its am amazing experience. very well informed staff and a visitors centre. go early. is difficult to park.
beautiful walk through beautiful forest garden with waterfall and hot springs. bring a towel if you want to enjoy the water. its am amazing experience. very well informed staff and a visitors centre. go early. is difficult to park.
The officially protected area from Capelas east along the coast to Calhetas is a gorgeous walk, lots of rugged cliff views, surf below, little hills, partway through village streets and then back out into the country, past farms. A yellow bar with a red bar above it means you are on the right route, if they are crossed it's the wrong way. Have your tour person drop you at one end and pick you up at the other. If road signs seem to point the wrong way, it's not pointing to the town, it's pointing to where a driver can pick up the road to get there.
Capelas, located on the north coast beween Mosteiros on the west and Ribeira Grande on the east, is a former whale processing centre and fishing village. It dates back to the early 18th century and today has a population exceeding 4000 people. It has recently finished a large 'natural' pool which is connected to the sea. An expansive area has been cemented over for sunbathears. Large bolders have been strategically placed all along the shoreline area to tame the overzealous waves that frequent this area. On the approach to Capelas from the west you will likely see some fishing boats in a cove at the base of huge cliffs. A narrow paved road leading down there may temp you to follow it to the base for a closer look. Don’t be tempted! The road narrows considerably. At one point where we weren’t sure if we would be able to get out. In our small car, with less than 10 cm on either side, we slowly squeezed through two rock protrusions without damage. The slope was steep and the road made it impossible to either turn around or back up. Returning to the top afterwards was even more challenging and tough on the clutch. Avoid this side trip and head straight for the village centre of Capelas and the pools - a much better option!