Rilheiras (ruts on the lava fields)

The rilheiras are grooves in the lava slabs caused by the intense passage of ox cart wheels, an essential means of transport for centuries for the transportation of grapes and barrels. In Criação Velha, within the area of the Landscape of the Vineyard Culture, we can see these ruts along the coastline, because of the erosion caused by transportation to and from the rola-pipas or small ports, over the fields of lava flows, locally known as "lajido floors". Basaltic lava stone is characterized by having a smooth surface and a vast array of micro-reliefs and structures of extraordinary beauty, such as such as the so-called "stringy lavas"