During my recent stay in the Terceira Island (Azores), I had the opportunity to visit an extinct volcano chimney, not totally filled with lava in the form of a cone, which is the remains of a 2,000 year old volcanic eruption. It's called Algar do Carvão (Coal Pit in English) and the name was given because the cave walls are formed from dark black lava. The word, algar, is a Portuguese word that means a natural cavity in the earth that, unlike most caves or caverns, is vertical in its orientation, like a well. The word derives from the Arabic word, al-Gar, which means "the crease". It was not until 1893 that Algar do Carvão was discovered when a crazy cow fell down the chimney of the extinct volcano. It's probably a safe bet that the cow didn't survive, but it certainly contributed to the subsequent discovery and exploration of the cave.
Algar do Carvão, which is at an altitude of about 550 meters above sea level, is remarkable for the unique mineralogical characteristics of its silicate stalactites. The site, 40.5 hectares in extent, has been designated a “regional natural monument”.
Although the existence of the cavern had been known for many years, the lack of light inside it, and the obvious danger of a vertical descent into the darkness, its real exploration started in 1963.
After walking along a tunnel I reached a series of steep steps that followed the contours of the chimney and gave access to the cave at the end of which there was a pool of crystal-clear water.
A guide explained that depending on the season and the amount of rainwater, the pool could be up to 50ft deep. The whole cave was spacious and showing magnificent stalactites and stalagmites.
Unfortunately, the photos I took of them resulted so bad that I can't show you.
The warmth of above had gone and as I went down it got colder and colder.
