Chars obtained by carbonizing coconut shells at different intermediate heat treatment temperatures (IHTT) between 400 and 800 o C were activated at 800 o C in a stream of N 2 +H 2 O, following two distinct procedures. In the first procedure, activation follows directly the carbonization, whereas in the second procedure, the sample was first brought back to 25 o C and subsequently heated again to the activation temperature of 800 o C. The data for CO 2 adsorption at 25 o C and N 2 at -196 o C with immersion calorimetry confirms that the activated carbons derived from chars obtained at low IHTT and in two steps, present a ''gate effect'' for burn-offs <20% or 25%, otherwise, the final carbons present similar structural characteristics for higher burn-offs. It also appears that the evolution of the average pore width L 0 with the micropore volume W 0 follows a general pattern outlined early.