Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes

Achada, Azores Region, Portugal

About Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes is a series of at least 4 waterfalls situated within the same natural park in the northeastern part of Ilha São Miguel (the largest of the Azorean Islands).

Of these waterfalls that we’ve encountered, half of them were man-made while the other half were natural.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_120_06232024 - One of the waterfalls belonging to the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões
One of the waterfalls belonging to the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões

There could have also been another waterfall well downstream from the park, but private property prevented access to that last one.

Indeed, as you can see from the photos on this page, it turns out that the biggest waterfalls in the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Park benefitted from diversion pipes.

In fact, the people responsible for building and maintaining this park did a pretty slick job of concealing the pipes as they were pretty much under the foot trail paralleling the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Creek.

Speaking of the experience, we started off by going where just about everyone else (including tour bus crowds) went, and that was to the waterfall easily seen from the road bridge.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_080_06232024 - This is the 'first' of the Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeirões, and this one occurs without the benefit of diversion pipes
This is the ‘first’ of the Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeirões, and this one occurs without the benefit of diversion pipes

I call this the “second waterfall” because there’s a “first waterfall” about 450m further upstream along the trail remaining alongside the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Creek.

That creek pretty much lacked water throughout this stretch of the trail, and it’s the main reason why I already suspected the “second” waterfall was artificial.

Upon reaching the “first” waterfall, which was a modestly-sized natural waterfall (maybe about 5m tall or shorter), I noticed that its water volume seemed normal, and that was when I noticed the intake pool almost immediately downstream of it.

Indeed, that intake pool was where most of the Ribeira dos Caldeirões went as it fed pipes going to the second waterfall leaving behind a trickle on the main path of the creek itself.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_118_06232024 - Looking at the context of the metastable contraption and the road bridge over what's left of the Ribeira dos Caldeirões
Looking at the context of the metastable contraption and the road bridge over what’s left of the Ribeira dos Caldeirões

In fact, there was an intermediate cascade almost immediately downstream of the intake area, which was pretty much robbed of its water unless there had been significant precipitation to overflow the intake pool.

Anyways, the second waterfall tends to get all the commotion (as well as compel motorists to immediately find parking) given that it’s the primary beneficiary of the creek diversion combined with its roadside position.

Nearby this waterfall, there’s also an interesting metastable contraption that always see-saws back-and-forth as falling water spills on one side of it before tipping and filling the other side, and it oscillates perpetually.

I tend to view this waterworks as indicative of the engineering involved in the water diversion as well as the operation of the historic 16th century mills here.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_208_06232024 - Looking back at the developed part of the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões, which includes a visitor center, a cafe, a garden, lookouts, and trails
Looking back at the developed part of the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões, which includes a visitor center, a cafe, a garden, lookouts, and trails

Continuing downstream of the bridge, there’s a visitor center, a cafe, a garden, and a third waterfall (which is natural) dropping in plain sight from the visitor center building.

We witnessed some abseilers who were on tour descending or jumping from this waterfall into its plunge pool below, and I’d imagine that’s how locals or tour operators here primarily use that third waterfall.

Finally, there’s a fourth waterfall further downstream that also benefits from diversion pipes as it spilled next to a lower trail from seemingly out of nowhere (as there’s no creek upstream from this waterfall).

Well, if you ever wondered why the main creek of Ribeira dos Caldeirões and that third waterfall doesn’t have much water, the answer is that the diversion pipes (still concealed beneath the trail) empties over this fourth waterfall.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_144_06232024 - Looking down at the 'third' waterfall with some abseilers about to descend to the brink of this natural waterfall
Looking down at the ‘third’ waterfall with some abseilers about to descend to the brink of this natural waterfall

Just downstream of the fourth waterfall were some water mills as well as a fifth waterfall spilling from these mills back into the Ribeira dos Caldeirões.

At this point, the park pretty much ended, but the trail continued to descend and pretty much go alongside the Ribeira dos Caldeirões.

Even though I pursued another waterfall further down the creek, I found out the hard way that doing so would require trespassing on someone’s private property.

So I ultimately considered it a loss and wasted time and effort even getting down to the private property boundary, and I’m telling you right now that you mind as well save your time and energy but not going past the park boundaries for it.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_135_06232024 - Profile view of the 'fourth' of the waterfalls in the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Nature Park, where this one also happens to be man-made
Profile view of the ‘fourth’ of the waterfalls in the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Nature Park, where this one also happens to be man-made

Overall, it was about 700m (1.4km round-trip) between the road bridge and parking (see directions below) and the water mills.

We wound up spending about 3 hours away from the car, but I’d imagine this could easily be cut in half.

After all, we spent 45 minutes eating at the cafe, and I spent another 45 minutes seeking out the 6th waterfall here.

I should also mention that even though the services here have hours from 9am to 5pm, the trails and the waterfalls themselves can be visited for free at any time.

Ribeira_dos_Caldeiroes_196_06232024 - Beneath the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Nature Park, the trail kept going further downstream, but it eventually stops short of the next waterfall due to private property. The waterfall partially shown here comes from the 16th century water mills at the bottom of the park
Beneath the Ribeira dos Caldeirões Nature Park, the trail kept going further downstream, but it eventually stops short of the next waterfall due to private property. The waterfall partially shown here comes from the 16th century water mills at the bottom of the park

That said, you’ll definitely want to show up early because of the parking situation given that space is quite limited.

Authorities

Cascatas da Ribeira dos Caldeirões resides in the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões near Achada on the island of São Miguel of the Azores Autonomous Region of Portugal. It is managed by the Municipality of Nordeste. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the official Azores tourism website.

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Tagged with: ribeira dos caldeiroes, natural park, parque natural, achada, estrada regional achada, sao miguel, acores, azores, portugal



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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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