The Azores Islands Grand Adventure

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My apologies as it has taken me 7 month to finally post our blog for our Azores Trip.



We began our Portuguese Azores Islands adventure with an early morning start in Vancouver to catch a plane to New York then transfer on to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel island. We had chosen to visit in August as this is when they typically receive their best weather and we had sunny days almost every day of our trip. We caught a taxi downtown from the airport and spent our first day lounging by the pool right next to the Atlantic Ocean waiting for our lodgings to open - Em Santa de Santa Clara – a quaint townhouse only 15 mins walk from town. I tried one of the local deluxe hot dogs with all sorts of toppings, including crisps (potato chips).

The next day, we visited the downtown core of Ponta Delgada, stopping by the main square, Portas da Cidade arches and church. We reached the lookout on the east of town and headed back through the small streets and headed up to a shopping mall with air conditioning for groceries. One day was sufficient to see the main sites of Ponta Delgado. We left early by bus the next day to try to visit the Iheu (islet) de Vila Franca do Campo but arrived to disappointment as there was big line ups for the ferry tickets which sold out. We were a little depressed at missing out on one of the top items of the trip, so we went to eat cake at Queijadas do Morgado. We wandered through town and saw the beach, then Ann found us a new plan to go to a waterfall. We took the bus west to Agua de Alto and walked about 500m through a small town and then along a dirt trail to the fabulous Cascata do Segredo waterfall and pool. Only a handful of other people were there. The water was very cold but after numerous tries, Riley got up his courage and came swimming with me under the waterfall. We headed back to the bus stop and caught the bus to Ponta Delgado. We got an ice cream and walked around the main square and Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião (church). I went to the Museu Militar dos Açores fortress and walked around the walls and through the military displays. Ann and Riley got a drink at an outdoor café to cool off.

The next day, we had a rental car to drive around Sao Miguel Island. I had to walk for a half hour to the car rental place and get the car, then pick up Ann and Riley. We headed to Funas to visit the local hot springs Poça da Dona Beija. There were five pools next to the river and we tried them all, one was cool and the rest were hot. Then we headed north to Moinhos Beach for a tasty lunch and saw the viewpoint at Santa Aria. Then we tried to go see Lagoa de Foco but were stopped and directed to a parking lot for a shuttle. We did not want to wait for who knows how long, so left. We went to see Salto do Cabrito waterfall on the way back down. We took a short cut through some farmer’s roads and met the main road to the Calderas. We saw the aqueduct and cows on the road, but the clouds have moved in and we cannot see any of the lakes from the lookout - Miradouro da Vista do Rei. We headed down into Sete Cidades and crossed the bridge between the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake) and Lagoa Verde (Green Lake). We continued west towards the coast and the Ponta da Ferraria Ocean hot springs and stayed to see the sunset. It is really awesome to swim in the Ocean with hot springs bubbling up to warm the water. Riley and I had to hold on to the ropes so we are not swept away.

Since we have the car until mid-morning, we drove back up to Calderas early morning hoping it might be clear for the views. It was not. We decided to park and walk past Lagoa do Canário lake to the viewpoint at Miradouro da Grota do Inferno. After a few minutes, some of the clouds moved away slightly and we got partial views out towards Lagoa de Santiago and Lagoa Azul. We returned the car and got the shuttle to the airport. We flew on SATA airlines to Santa Cruz des Flores on Flores Island. We had organized a private car to take us to our hotel. A lovely lady named Goreti (Goret) picked us up, took us to the grocery store, then along scenic roads to our hotel – Aldeia da Cuada - Turismo de Aldeia. This is an amazing village of cottages that have been turned into lodgings. Riley met Mila the cat and we played with her for a couple hours while unpacking. Then we took the coastal hiking route (more difficult than expected!) to Faja Grande. We had dinner at the Barraca Q'abana and watched the sunset, then hiked back along the road in the dark and got to our cottage late.

Goreti's brother, Silvio, picked us up the next morning in Faja Grande and took us to the port in Santa Cruz. We caught the Atlantico ferry to Corvo Island. Ann sat inside while Riley and I sat outside. We saw two sets of dolphins on the way and loved the spray from the fast boat. We arrived in Vila do Corvo and got a taxi up to the top of the mountain (as we were going to get plenty of hiking in today!). We hiked for a long long time. First up to the peak to take photos, then down into the caldera, and around the lake. We avoided cows, cow patties and cow path divots as we walked. We climbed back up the Caldera and then started the hike down towards the town. At the end, we were so hot and tired, we got half a dozen drinks at the grocery store. We continued through town, past the port and found a café for a snack lunch near the windmills. We headed down to the port and caught the ferry back to Santa Cruz. We went for another walk around town and to the ocean swimming pool. Riley and I went swimming for a little while but came out when the locals warned me of dangerous jellyfish. Riley and I watched them catch a dozen jellyfish and take them out of the water. Back in town, we have dinner at the highly recommended Moreano Restaurant (reservations needed). I have boca negra fish, Ann has a pork dish and Riley has... drawing time. Silvio picked us up at the restaurant and brought us back across the island.

Goreti took us on a tour around Flores Island today. We saw various viewpoints all over the island including the seven lakes – Black, White, Crest, Long, Shallow, Dry and Deep. We drove around the south end of the island, then we stopped for lunch and an ATM in Santa Cruz. In the afternoon, we drove to the north and stopped at a lighthouse. At the end of the day, we headed back to Faja Grande and stopped at the waterfall. Only a 15 minute hike to the pool at the bottom. Then an unexpected bonus stop – another waterfall where Riley and I can swim in the pool! The waterfall practically turned to mist halfway down then hit the rocks and formed again above the pool. I should have asked to be dropped off in town because it was another hike back to the restaurant for dinner and beer.

Another early morning pick up by Silvio to take us to the airport to fly to Faial. At the Horta Airport, we picked up our rental car and headed west, then north to the O Morro cheese shop. We drove to the Calderia do Cabeco Gordo but do not feel like the 8km hike around the top of the rim, so opted for a 1km hike up to a peak on the rim and take photos. We got there just in time to see Pico Island and Sao Jorge Island in the distance before the clouds rolled in. We headed west and stopped at the Bella Vista restaurant for lunch (and great homemade jam). Then we headed to some viewpoints and Vulcao dos Capelinhos volcano. It recently erupted in 1957 creating a new peninsula at the edge of the island. It erupted for over a year, making life difficult in Faial and a lot of the Azoreas emigrated to Canada and the US because of it. We went in the half-buried lighthouse but skipped the underground exhibit. We continued around the north side of the island and stopped at Porto do Salão to see the pool, historic tile furnaces, geckos and scenery. We drove down into Horta and navigated the narrow maze of one way roads to find our apartment. We entered and found the most amazing place (Azoresmyway)! Air conditioned, clean, modern, gifts of wine, beer, snacks and breakfast items, plus a game for Riley to play. So cool! This was our favourite place to stay on the Azores so far. We took a walk south into town and ended up at Peter Café Sport, famous for sailing aficionados and their passionfruit gin. We ended the day with a walk along the boardwalk back to our apartment.

We had the rental car for another hour in the morning so drive up to Monte da Guia and took some scenery photos. Then we returned the car to the port and had a relaxed day walking around the town. The next day, we walked over to the Port with our bags and took the ferry from Horta, Faial to Madalena, Pico. We hauled our bags up to the central square, then sat down and relaxed. Riley and I went for a walk along the coast and checked out the pool area. We had lunch at a curbside café, then headed to the hotel to check-in – Villa da Madalena. Another great spot. We headed out to visit the Wine Museum for Ann. It also happened to have the greatest concentration of Dragon Trees on the island. Then we head down to the pool and went for a swim. There was also an Ocean side to swim within the volcanic rocks, but Riley was not fond of the salty water. We ended up walking south along the coast to Atlantico Tea and Wine House. We had a good meal there and saw the sunset over Faial island.

We had a car again the following day, but it was delayed so we did not get it until mid-morning. We headed north and took some small local roads, stopping at various viewpoints. We made a great find east of Arcos, where we discovered the Arcos Vulcanicos – volcanic lava flows that formed arches near the sea. Along the northwestern coast, the traditional houses are made of the dark volcanic rocks with while plaster on the outside and had red shutters and doors, which made them really stand out. Ann really liked that contrast. We joined back up with the ‘main’ road and continued east. We made it to the furthest eastern point at Farol da Ponta da Ilha and walked on the lava rock. We could spot whales in the distance. We continued west and stopped at one of the red windmills and vineyards to take photos, then continued back towards Madalena. At the Furna do Frei Matias, we hiked into a farmer’s field and around some protrusions looking for lava tubes. At first we found a boarded up ‘hole’ which was a bit disappointing. We continued to follow the path and found a slippery entrance into a tube and went part way, thinking this was enough. Then we found another entrance that we could go inside, follow a tube for 50 m and come out the other side. Finally at the last entrance, I followed a family and walked 150 m inside a lava tube to come out the other side. Pretty cool! We got back in the car and drove to the Mountain Lodge on Mount Pico to take photos, then we drove back to town just in time to get Ann to her Pico Wine Tasting at the Wine Cooperative. We went to Cella Bar for dinner, which is known for good sunset views but there were some clouds that night. On the way back to the hotel, we do get to see Mount Pico free of clouds, which is rare.

The next day, we took the ferry from Madalena, Pico to Velas, Sao Jorge. It was a pretty rough ferry ride and many people were sick. I got a taxi to the airport for the rental car then came back to pick up Ann, Riley and the bags. We started driving west and our first stop is the Confraira do Queijo de Sao Jorge Cheese Factory. We were just in time for a tour. We had to wear plastic covers, hair nets, gloves and booties over our shoes. They showed us the mixing room, waxing room and storage rooms and we learned all about the Sao Jorge cheese making process and had a tasting. Then we drove north across the island, which was very foggy, so we did not see much until we came back south. There was also some heavy rain travelling east but it all cleared up and we had sunshine for the eastern point at Topo. We stopped at some view points then drove to the Farol do Topo lighthouse. We parked there and walked down the hill to the lookout and the Piscina Natural da Pointinha do Topo, natural swimming pool. We also saw the flat island of Ilheu do Topo. On the way back west, we hit the rain again. We drove to a coffee plantation for Ann to try, then we continued west to Velas. We found our apartment on the Rue de Mar, next to an outdoor swimming pool.

I woke up early and went for a swim in the ocean near our hotel. We returned the car and flew to Ilha Terceira Lajes Airport. We found a taxi to take us to Angra do Heroismo, dropped our bags off and started exploring the town. We walked around the Parque Municipal do Relvao, down to the Zona de Banhos do Fanal, and visited the Jardim Duque da Tercerira. We took it easy the next day by walking around the harbour, then heading up the long trail to Monte Brasil. We made it to the very top at the Pico das Cruzinhas where the trails were all surrounded by a military installation, within the old fort walls.

We got a taxi to take us to Lajes Airport so we could pick up our rental car. We drove south towards Sao Sebastian, stopping at the Miradouro do Facho lookout point to see across the town of Praia da Vitoria. Then we drove to the Igreja de Sao Sebastian to see original frescoes from the 15^th century, then headed across the island to the Algar do Carvao lava tube. Pretty cool organized site and you go down deep into the earth. Next was the Furnas do Enxofre that does not impress – just a bit of smoke from the rocks. We drove to the Gruta do Natal lava tube for a simple spelunking experience. We headed to the Queijo Vaquinha cheese factory for a tasting, then headed north up the coast to many lookouts – Miradouro da Ponta do Queimado, Raminho, Moinhos, etc. We drove down to the Miradouro de Alagoa and climbed out to the end of the rocks to see the lava coast and columns similar to the Giant’s Causeway.

We were starting to head back when we came upon lots of traffic and parked cars in Vila Nova. We thought it was some sort of local party or festival but then we spotted the barricades against the buildings and came to the realization that it was the running of the bulls! We got through before the road was closed off and headed uphill with all the parking spots taken. We finally found/made a spot, woke up Riley who was napping, and walked back to the party. We didn’t really know what to expect so got behind a walled off area with drinks and food. We were welcomed by the locals as part of the party. No sooner were we up on the wall than people started running down the street, very quickly. We saw that a straw dummy had been set up in the road. Then we saw the bull come charging (with six men behind him holding a rope to make sure he stayed on course). There were several matadors with capes and umbrellas to tease the bull. He came within feet of our spot and looked directly at us. Very exciting! Then he headed back in the other direction and everyone came out from behind the barricades and sold doughnuts and corn. I decided to hop down and go check on the action. There was a boom before the next bull was set loose. I ran with the crowds to and fro from the bull – staying a relatively safe distance. We came all the way back to where Ann and Riley were sitting, then back up the road. Lots of fun and the bull was not hurt during the event (like in some other places). We decided to leave a little early and avoided the rush. We were so lucky to have been able to join in this local festival!

In the morning, we found out the car had a parking ticket, but fortunately it was only 6 euros. We flew from Terceira back to Ponta Delgado on Sao Miguel. We were hoping to see some of the sights that we missed at the beginning of our adventure, so we picked up a rental car and headed straight to the Calderas hoping that our third visit will give us a view. We hiked out from Lagoa do Canario towards the Miradouro da Grota do Inferno. We were in luck as the clouds were high enough that we can see Lagoa de Santiago and Lagoa Azuil. We took lots of photos, hiked back to the car and drove on to the Miradouro da Vista do Rei for a view of the Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azuil. We saw lots of people in the ruins of the hotel nearby (Ruinas do Monte Palace Hotel) so found the entrance and went up and visited too. We found our way up to the roof for great views over the caldera. On the drive back down, we stopped at two aqueducts, a tower and several viewpoints. We drove to the city to check in to our ‘hotel’ which turned out to be a room in a hostel with shared bathrooms, kitchen, etc. We drove Ann out to the Gin Library while Riley and I went to the beach – Praia das Milicias to see the sunset and have an ice cream. We picked Ann up and headed back to the hotel.

We were on a mission the following morning! We woke up early at 6am and drove to Vila Franca do Campo. I got in line at 7:30am (behind two other guys) and waited over two hours to get tickets for the ferry to Ilheu de Vila Franca do Campo. Success! We got on the first ferry of the day for a short ride over, then Riley and I went swimming in the volcano caldera. We saw lots of different fish (large red ones, blue and orange, black with a blue stripe, two black vertical stripes, etc.). We ended up swimming around the whole volcano caldera while Ann was relaxing. Afterwards, I dropped the car off, caught the shuttle back to town and we ended up at Ned Kelly’s Irish Pub for dinner, with a Guinness!

A nice relaxing last day in town to visit the air conditioning in the mall, see the Presidential Place Gardens and walk back through the Jardim Botanico Antonio Borges. We picked up some souvenirs/gifts. The next day, we caught a taxi to the airport, and flew via Newark Airport to Vancouver. We were back just in time to go to the Ed Sheeran concert the following night with Maisie Peters and Khalid. Pretty epic as we are right in front of the stage!

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