The advertising that usually appears on television in the Azores is alluding to milk, “from the cow to the table” which is why I made this little joke with the title.
I hope you don't mind this little joke.
Ribeira de Caldeirões is in the northwest of the island of S Miguel, the most peaceful area of the island and by peaceful I mean right in the middle of nature.
The center of the island is almost a kilometer away and is impossible to reach on foot due to the time it would take to get there.
Ribeira de Caldeirões Park is a protected natural area with dense and healthy vegetation.
There are many hiking trails and waterfalls on site.
A few meters from the road and as soon as the car stopped, it was possible to immediately see this imposing waterfall.
Imposing Yes!
The photos cannot demonstrate its immensity.
The number of people in the place showed that there was something special about it, even if it was no longer an Instagrammable place.
With this business card upon arrival I felt as if I were Dora the explorer, or on the set of a Jurassic Park film.
As soon as we entered, we could see several vans equipped with climbing objects, from helmets to ropes, boots, thermal clothing, etc.
I was sure of one thing, the adventure in this place was certain.
When I looked carefully while taking the photo, I saw a person in the middle of the waterfall with full equipment to begin their adventure.
In my case, I was just walking a “safer” trail, by safe I mean less rugged, actually.
The beauty of the waterfall begins at the top where the water seems to flow from the middle giving the trees as if it were born there as we cannot see beyond that dense vegetation thus making its beginning a harmonious view the imposing sound makes this a different place like the weight of the Water Hitting the rocks produces an almost silent noise.
I even had the opportunity to put myself under it and believe me, the weight of the water falling on top of me is incredible.
After the waterfall, there remains a type of dam that would once have been a mill that disappeared over time, however it is still possible to see a wall that supported the water that made it pass through the exact location of the mill.
The whole place is covered with small green Japanese herbs, bushes and small trails with stairs that are not very steep and easy to climb. This makes it a very contagious environment, as you can see in the photo below.
The funny thing about this place is that both the steps and the path are made with existing stones, thus becoming part of the environment.
They are stones with their joints on the ground, causing no serious impact on the environment, but easy to climb.
For the more adventurous there are several climbing activities and winding routes with the appropriate equipment, forming teams for this purpose.
The waterfall quickly turns into a stream but because the place is very rocky it appears "dry" and the water flows freely beneath the black volcanic rocks present throughout the island.
for the more adventurous who want to get the maximum dose of adrenaline, they can travel inside the river, jumping from rock to rock, facing the challenges of climbing small volcanic walls
I stayed here on the sides, although it is not so winding, in some places the trail becomes very tight and with depths of about 10 meters towards the stream, causing some fear and not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo.
All photographs were taken with a Canon 2000D 18/135 lens and do not present any type of intentional editing as my objective is to show reality without distorting it.
I believe that beauty lies in the vibrant colors of the place and in the details, I want to try to convey a little of the sensation from afar, purity, light and unique atmosphere.
I hope you like it, I'll see you in the next post, thanks for reading a little about my journey in the Azores
