Ribeira Quente - Geography

Geography

This is a coastal community, at the mouth of a major ravine and bordered by the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo on the west, the parishes of Furnas to the north, and Povoação to the east. Although it pertained to the religious community of Vila Franca do Campo, it was incorporated into Povoação in the early part of the 20th Century.

Many of the lands in the northern part of the parish are owned by José do Canto and the benevolent society of Furnas, fronting the hilltop of Pico dos Bodes. To the south, until the coast, is the ravine Ribeira do Agrião, while the Grota do Tufo carves an access to the coastal community. Although the northeast of the parish has significant andesite deposits and the northwest primarily basalt, the parish is composed chiefly of pyroclastic materials and projectiles, with deposits of ash located in the central area of the parish. It is located in a seismic area marked by regional tectonic structures and by the volcanic craters of Furnas and Povoação; there are visible examples of dykes, faults and landslides associated with historical earthquakes.

The northern part of the parish is part of the protected zone associated with the Lagoa das Furnas crater lake. Generally, the land use in this area is limited, although classification of land-use in Ribeira Quente covers a range of seven classes (Classes I-VII), with progressively increasing limitation levels. Owing to the forested spaces, levels of protection and urbanization there are few areas available for agricultural production. There are great differences in altitude within the parish, owing to the mountainous and morphological nature of the area. The slopes (between 6-20% incline) along the coast and interior condition many of the land-uses and levels of erosion, and have reduced the access to the community.

Physically, the population groups are concentrated in two areas: the main village of Ribeira Quente and a smaller agglomeration called Fogo. Ribeira Quente is situated at the convergence of the Ribeira dos Tambores with the ocean, and is the site of the main fishing port, adjacent homes, commercial businesses and administrative buildings. The locality of Fogo surrounds the main parochial church of São Paulo, erected between 1911 and 1917. In this area is a small bay and main beach: Praia do Fogo. The existence of hydrothermal vents makes the waters in this area popular with visitors and locals alike, owing to the tepid waters in comparison to other coastal pools.