The Azores are enticing. They’re very near Boston, have daily non-stop flights, and are significantly warmer than home. How could we resist?
We decided to visit only one island, São Miguel, the largest and most heavily populated island of the Azores. And although it may be the most populous, it’s largely empty off-season (we went in November), except for the main city of Ponta Delgada, which is the island’s hub for tourism and transportation.
São Miguel is known as “The Green Island,” Like Hawaii, it has lush landscapes, waterfalls, volcanic craters, amazing geothermal features, and a rugged rocky coast. Unlike Hawaii, the climate is pretty consistent throughout the island, although some days were foggy in the west and clear in the east, and the next day the weather was reversed. Rain passed through for several hours on a couple of the days of our vacation, but we found plenty of sites and museums to keep us busy when we couldn’t hike.
We stayed in an Airbnb in Lagoa with a beautiful view of the ocean. Every evening, we sat on the balcony and had a glass of wine as the sun set.
São Miguel had plenty to keep us busy for a week. These are the main attractions:
Sete Cidades lakes – One green, one blue, these large lakes fill twin volcanic craters in a stunning setting. We took numerous hikes around the lakes, and the Vista do Roi has a storybook vista that provides a stunning view. The city located near the lake has a lovely coffee shop with excellent pastries; necessary fuel for hiking.
The geothermal pools of Furnas – we arrived early and had the entire place to ourselves. The steam gave the area an eerie feel, and the sulfur smell reminded us that we were walking around atop a volcano. Fumaroles poked out of rocks on every side, and several restaurants dug holes and inserted pots full of food to cook courtesy of the steam.
Cascata do Salto do Prego – a hike to a very beautiful waterfall, surrounded by lush rain forest. From the waterfall, we walked over the mountain to a beautifully preserved stone village of Sanguinho. One first comes to ruins surrounded by fruit trees but the core of the village has been restored, and gives a sense of what the Azores were like before modernization.
Lagoa de Congro – off the beaten path, there was only one other small group there. It’s a volcanic crater lake, thru a lush, dense forest.
Ponta Delgada and the Museu Carlos Machado –Ponta Delgada has lovely mosaic sidewalks and some interesting buildings, but the architecture wasn’t as stunning as mainland Portugal. The majority of the structures are from the 1800s, and are primarily “Micaelense baroque” with contrasting white walls and use of black basalt stone for trim and decoration.
Lagoa is a suburb of Ponta Delgada with a stunning coastline. It has great restaurants, and a beautiful oceanside walking trail. It also has a large supermarket and easy parking, making it an ideal base for a stay.
We drove pretty much around the island, stopping at Ribiera Grande, Nordeste, the village of Sete Cidades, and Vila Franca do Campo (to buy some of the famous Queijadas do Morgado).
Logistics
We stayed at “Het Boetje,” which is on Airbnb and VRBO. It’s perfect for a couple, super-comfortable, and with easy on-street parking. It’s a one-minute walk to the oceanside walking trail. It’s also one block from a bar, which sadly we never got to. The hostess gave us a warm welcome and some lovely cheese, bread and pineapple jam for our arrival breakfast.
We rented the car from Alamo, which used Guerin as their local agent. The agent was super thorough in telling us what to photograph, which made the return process stress-free.
SATA/Azores was adequate, (eg. better than Ryan Air). They changed our flight by a day and ignored our request for compensation. But they arrived on time.
Café Canto de Cais – This was highly recommended by a friend, and was the star of our trip. We started with the BEST GRILLED MUSSELS IN THE UNIVERSE. Be certain to order this; it’ll change your life. We shared the mixed seafood dish, a huge platter with more than enough for two people.
O Alambique – We’ve been to a lot of fish restaurants – and they’re all ok. But O Alambique went WAY BEYOND OK. From the moment we entered, we felt welcome, and the menu and offerings were explained. We ordered the Espadarte Grelhalda and Bacalhau Largareiro. Both dishes were absolutely delicious as was the house red wine.
Bar Caloura – This place was highly recommended – and we quickly found out why. Bar Caloura has only ONE dish – the fish of the day. This day it was swordfish. In the Azores, restaurants brine the fish, which make it tender and brings out the flavor. We also ordered the gambas (shrimp) appetizer, which we thought was likely the best gambas we’ve ever had. However, the waiter made THREE overcharges on the bill. He removed them, but whether it’s intentional or accidental, be sure to carefully check the bill.
Restaurante Borda d’ Agua – We ordered the limpets and sea bream. The limpets may be an acquired taste – they weren’t bad, but a bit brinier than either of us are accustomed to. The sea bream was excellent, tasing like sea bass, but a bit bonier.
Alma Latina – Phil ordered the octopus – which was an amazingly tasty, huge, perfectly prepared entrée. Fresh, garlicky, tender -. We also had the amejoa bulhao pato, clams, also in a garlic broth.
