Explore Sao Miguel: A Journey Through the Azores’ Emerald Paradise
The Azores have always fascinated me—a collection of 9 volcanic islands drifting in the Atlantic over 800 miles from Portugal, largely under the tourist radar. Nothing could prepare me for the raw beauty of Sao Miguel, where every turn in the road revealed another marvel. This green gem, crowned with crater lakes and covered in volcanic landscapes, offers a range of experiences that seem almost impossible to exist in one place.
Ponta Delgada: The Heart of the Azores
Getting to Sao Miguel is easy, with direct flights available from Lisbon in just two hours, or a five-hour direct flight from Boston or New York. The island’s compact size means you can easily explore its major attractions in a single day.
The Coast: Where Fire Meets Sea
Travel tip: Renting a car is highly recommended to experience all the island has to offer. Though roads are narrow, steep, and winding, the views are unparalleled. Just be aware that most rentals are manual shift vehicles.
Into the Mystical Interior
A challenging hike to a towering waterfall rewards with views that make every high step worth it (though there was a slight drip in October!).
Travel tip: Don’t miss trying Cozido das Furnas, a traditional Portuguese meat and vegetable stew cooked for 8 hours in a large pot buried in the volcanic earth.
Sao Miguel’s Cultural Treasures
Leading row: tea blossoms, arranging leaves, growing fields; Middle row: ceramics in progress; Bottom row: pineapples are smoked to make them bloom simultaneously.
At the Arruda pineapple plantation, Europe’s oldest tea plantation, you can stroll between rows of tea plants and learn how your favorite beverage is produced. We also visited the 100-year-old Cerâmica Vieira (one of 6,000 in the Azores!), for a free, self-guided tour of the glasshouses. Here, I discovered that the plants grow for two years before the sweet and tart fruit is harvested. At hand, I watched artisans work their potter’s wheels and paint “Mulher de Capote” designs showcasing centuries of craftsmanship.
And don’t miss a visit to the Gin Library, Europe’s largest gin collection, currently holding 1,700 bottles! This unexpected discovery perfectly encapsulates Sao Miguel’s ability to surprise and delight.
The Grand Finale: Sete Cidades
We saved our visit to Sete Cidades for our last Azores experience. The drive to the western end of the island is spectacular, with huge hydrangeas creating natural hedgerows that line rural roads like nature’s guard of honor. Each miradouro (viewpoint) along the way offered increasingly magnificent vistas. Turning towards the interior, we climbed switchbacks up to the top of the largest crater for a breathtaking view over the twin lakes—one blue, one green—a volcanic masterpiece and simply stunning.
Travel tip: If you bring Ali, the charming owner of the Gin Library, a bottle of craft gin he doesn’t have in his collection, he’ll trade you for a bottle of his gin made onsite.