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🌿 Nature💎 Hidden gem

Serra de Dentro — argiles « salão »

In the north-east of the island, a landscape of gullies in shades of green: "salão" or "massapez", clays formed by the alteration of undersea volcanic rocks and crossed by a network of dark basaltic dykes, with contact aureoles and desiccation cracks. These deposits, unique in Portugal for their origin and chemistry, roofed the casas de salão before roof tiles: cool in summer, watertight in winter. Geosite, beside the road, easy access. Close by, Pico da Cabrita (220 m) shows undersea volcanic rocks — volcanic glass shattered on contact with the sea, the "black stones" once quarried as pozzolan — perched at 200 m by the uplift of the island.

  • "Salão" clays
  • Geosite
  • Casas de salão
  • Pico da Cabrita
Price
Free
Crowds
Quiet
GPS
33.08114, -16.30942
🧭 How to get there
The place stands 229 m from the sítio of Serra de Fora, the nearest one (Porto Santo). The regional geodiversity service rates it easy access.
🕒 When to come
Observation conditions are good, per the regional geodiversity service.
📖 History and nature
At Serra de Dentro, green ravines: a clay born from the weathering of undersea volcanic rock. The old casas de salão roofed their houses with it.
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Good to know about Serra de Dentro — argiles « salão »1

  • Salão, the green clay — A clay found nowhere else in Portugal, once used for roofs

    At Serra de Dentro, green ravines: a clay born from the weathering of undersea volcanic rock. The old casas de salão roofed their houses with it.

Services within 1.5 km1
  • Bus stationSIGA stop · Centro de Inspeções950 mDirections

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