Azores Islands
- Rotem Haskia
- Apr 18, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2020
Nine volcanic islands in Portugal surrounded by the clear, blue North Atlantic ocean and covered all over with unreal colors and lakes that will make you feel like you found a little piece of heaven- Welcome to the Hawaii of Europe!
My tips for a great trip in San Miguel Island (Azores)-
1. Rent a small car! The streets around the island are very narrow and not once and not twice we saw people completely ruin their vehicle with bad turns in the narrow streets.
2. The Island have specific places that it is most known for (The most known are Sete Cidades and Lagoa Do Fogo) and they are very often covers with fog and clouds that only scatter for a short period of time that will open a window for a visit. Every morning and even every once in a while during the day visit this website that offers access to the islands cameras over the "Hot spots" and will show you the sights on the top in order to spare you a useless climb/ disappointment and will help you make the most of you trip.
3. Every day pack with you good pair of hiking shoes, most of the trails are muddy and therefor slippery and also a bit challenging.
4. Always take in your bag a swimsuit and towel since almost everywhere you will find magical thermal pools that offers naturally hot water that you won't be able to resist and don' want to miss. 5. Every time you see a sign that say "Miradouru" know it means a "viewpoint" which means a great place that you should stop and visit for a good view. In each location you will see countless of Miradourus and you don't have to stop at all of them, but I recommend stopping at as many as you can since each one offers a completely new side and different view of every location.
São Miguel Island
What to do?
Ponta Delgada: the largest and most populous municipality in the Azores that has a truly stunning old town. Portas da Cidade is the amazing town square area where the marvelous city gates are located. Explore the amazing streets and the picturesque harbor with its beautiful architecture.
Santa Iria viewpoint: a lookout on the island impressive geographical structure and its breathtaking view.
Lagoa das Furnas: with a low entrance fee of 2 euro we visited this lovely lake and saw a bit from the famous local natural geysers.
Terra Nostra park: can easily take half a day, this park is full of magical forests, highly well-kept gardens, peaceful lakes and so much more colorful flowers and enchanting sights that will make you feel like you are inside of a fairy-tail. The main thing about this park will be its yellow natural river that floats around the entire park. The yellow thermal pool is a must attraction since beside the interesting color this volcanic spring is constantly at 35C to 40C. Tip: Do not go into the thermal pool with any jewelry, hair color or nail polish since they might change their color and also wash yourself and your swimsuit in clean water right after.
Caldeiras: an amazing location to watch Furnas's marvelous geysers at their full glory.
Pico do Ferro: an easy to access breathtaking viewpoint over the Furnas lake.
Vila Franca: a town on the southern part of the island and just one km from it you will find the island of Vila Franca do Campo here you will witness the perfect circular beach with crystal clear water- perfect for swimming and diving.
Our Lady of Peace Chapel: the city's traditional Catholic Chapel that besides being an impressive location to visit will also offer you a spectacular point of view over the town, the island and the colorful Azores famous flowers blossom.
Faial Da Terra: where we took a lovely hike to Salto Do Prego a magical waterfall in the middle of a green forest. About the hike: it's 4.5 km long, it takes about 2 hours and is a medium difficulty.
Ponta Do Sossego viewpoint: another amazing spot at where we enjoyed some more clear blue water crashing over the island's cliffs with bouncing dolphins.
Parc de natural da ribeira dos caldeiroes: a waterfall surrounded with the island's colorful flowers and really felt surreal, like a little piece of heaven on earth.
Caldeira Velha: here you will find thermal pools where you can see boiling water at 90C and also thermal pool for swimming that reach to a heat around 40C, a natural hot tub, and all of this in a middle of an amazing green forest between the tall trees.
Sete Cidades: one of Portugal's 7 natural wonders we washed our eyes on the beautiful view of the two lakes - one green and one blue surrounded by massive green hills.
Lagoa Do Fogo: a crater lake in the center of the island and is one of the largest bodies of water in Portugal’s Azores region. This lake is one of the Azores famous symbols and is a must visit place but make sure to check the weather in the websites I mentioned above.
lagoa do canario: after a walk in the most beautiful trail ever you will arrive to the best point of view over 3 blue lakes (from left to right) : Lagoa Raza, Lagoa de Santiago and Lagoa Azul. This unique spot was my favorite viewpoint of the trip.
Termas da Ferraria: a natural volcanic pool in the open ocean which offers you a swim with the best view of volcanic rocks and massive green mountains in front of the sunset.
Sea activities: The island is the home for 27 species of dolphins and many whales! You can take part at amazing sea activities from whales watching to scuba diving and swimming with dolphins in the wild! Tip: The popular companies are Picos de Aventura and Futurismo
What to eat?
Cais 20: the best sea food restaurant I have been in.
Tony's: where we had our first try with the local Cozido - a traditional stew eaten as a main dish in Portugal prepared with several vegetables, different types of meat, sausages, and other ingredients.
Tip: try this Portuguese dish in the Azores where it is specially cooked underground for four to five hours, with the natural heat from the volcanic activities.
So, how can I conclude these unbelievable days? I will be honest I was not expecting to be as surprised by this place as I am right now. I have been to many places around the world but this island caught me off-guard and I fell in love with it. I'm leaving this green & blue paradise with a lot of taste for more, but my journey around Portugal is not over yet! Keep up with me to catch the rest of my Portugal adventure on the next blog!
For more photos click here or search @Travel_Rotem on instagram.
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