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Algar do Carvão
Terceira’s probably biggest geological attraction in the centre, created from an eruption about 2000 years ago, is the Algar do Carvão, a volcanic cavern consisting of many grottos featuring numerous stalagmites and stalactites, formed by silicic acid deposits, which is very unusual in this area. The entrance into the interior is made through steps descending in a former chimney of an extinct volcano. They lead to an underground lake, which is filled by rainwater and, according to the season, can be up to 15 m deep. The Algar do Carvão, which has been declared a geological nature reserve, can be visited but it is advisable to be suitably equipped and to arrange a guided tour with the ‘Os Montanheiros’, an organisation of conservationists and scientists who are in charge of the cave.
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