VISITS TO ALGAR DO CARVÃO AND GRUTA DO NATAL 

 

1. Where are the caves located?

Both caves are located in the central part of Terceira island. Algar do Carvão is in de limit of Porto Judeu village, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo. It’s about 12 km away from Angra city. Gruta do Natalis in the limit of Biscoitos village, in the municipality of Praia da Vitória. The distance between the caves is approximately 6 km, a 10-15 minutes car trip.

 

2. Is it possible to visit the caves all year round?

Yes, it is possible.

The visits to the caves takes place in two seasons:

• A daily openings season/ high season, from APRIL to SEPTEMBER – every day
• A weekly opening season/ low season, from OCTOBER to MARCH – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (or extra openings on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays – see conditions on links below).

The caves are closed on: New Year’s Eve, Carnival, Easter Day, Dec. 1st, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve.

To stay updated with all the correct information click on:

http://www.montanheiros.com/en/algarCarvao/

http://www.montanheiros.com/en/gruta-do-natal/

 

3. Is there any public transportation to the caves?

No, there isn’t.

 

4. Does Montanheiros Association organize transfers to the caves?

No, they don’t, but there are local touristic companies that organize trips to the caves.

 

5. Why does Algar do Carvao and Natal Cave have such a short visitation schedule?

The management of Algar do Carvão and Gruta do Natal is the sole and exclusive responsibility of Montanheiros Association.

The Montanheiros Association is a non-governmental organization for the environment and has always implemented a visitation model that would affect as little as possible this specific ecosystem of these natural volcanic caves. For this reason, it has always been implemented short visiting schedules, to reduce the number of hours of artificial light in these dark habitats, where cave insect’s species live and some are even endemic. Artificial light also affects the geological formations inside caves, where algae and plants start to appear near the light projectors.

We cannot live in a world where we put the “pleasure of man” first and relegate the integrity of the natural to second place.

 

6. Are reservations required?

No. Only for extra openings the pre bookings are required (see the extra openings conditions below).

 

7. Where are tickets purchased?

The Tickets and Combo Tickets (are not available now due to Algar do Carvão being closed) are purchased in both caves.

 

8. What is Combo Ticket?

The Combo Ticket (are not available now due to Algar do Carvão being closed) an unique ticket both caves at a lower price. The visitor has the option to visit the caves in the same day or in different days.

 

9. What is the validity of the Combo Tickets?

If you don’t visit both caves in the same week or month, the Combo Tickets are valid during one opening season (1 janeiro a 31 dezembro). 

 

10. Do children pay tickets?

Only children under 12 years old have free entrance , accompanied by a paying adult.

 

11. Which payment methods are there?

In Algar do Carvão and Gruta do Natal , payments may be in Cash, Credit Card and Debit Card.

 

12. How long does the visit last?

The visit lasts on average, in each cave, 20-30 minutes.

The caves have different visitation processes (see guided visits conditions below) and although Gruta do Natal is a much smaller cave, the visitation process takes more time because the briefing is given at the reception and a helmet is provided to each visitor. Don’t leave the visit for too late.

 

13. What are the caves visitation dificulties?

In Algar do Carvão, the access to the cave is through a narrow tunnel and the descent is made by many steps, which connects to several balconies. The total number of steps is 338 steps. Inside the cave, water is always dripping and so the floor is constantly wet. The floor is all cemented. The average temperature is 12 to 13ºC.

In Gruta do Natal, the access to the cave is made by two short stairs cases and then the visitor walks on the cave’s original floor, which is irregular. There is a route through the cave that is recommended only for the most adventurous. Inside the cave is always dripping water and the average temperature is 12 to 13ºC.

 

14. Are visits guided?

Inside the Algar do Carvão há um colaborador that gives a brief explanation about the algar formation (there is no added price for this service). At the reception of Natal Cave, it will be given a brief explanation about the cave and it will be provided a helmet to each visitor.

 

15. Is proper clothing and footwear are required?

Inside the caves, the floor is always wet because it’s always dripping water and it’s cold. We recommend suitable shoes and raincoats. 

 

16. Photographs and videos are permitted?

It’s permitted to take photographs and videos without tripods, except during the guides explanations, if you don’t have permission from them. Photographs and videos with tripod are permitted just with a previous authorization of Montanheiros Association (send request to montanheiros@montanheiros.com).

 

17. What’s an extra opening and how it works?

The extra openings take place only during the weekly opening season, from October 1st to March 31st, and are aimed for  organized groups (travel agencies and tourism enterprises) that are not available to visit the cave during the opening days and schedules established for the season.

The Associação Os Montanheiros is not responsable for organizing groups for extra openings.

It is possible to book only for domingos, segundas e quintas-feiras Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays (except on New Year’s Day, Carnival, Easter Day, December 1st, December, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve).

 

18. Why are extra opening expensive?

This type of opening was thought for large turistic groups, visiting the island for a short period of time and for that, it’s not possible for them to visit the caves in a normal opening day. It’s important to mention that electricity inside the caves and the visitor centers is possible thanks to generators that run on fuel. For this reason, a specific opening for a group implies higher costs for the association. For more details check at Algar do Carvão  and Gruta do Natal in “Extra Openings”.