How can it be possible, so many activities, different places in such small place? It’s called Azores. An archipelago with nine Volcano Islands and hundreds of places to make wonder on nature and its many mysteries. The post title says it all really – you simply must visit the Azores!
Our journey begins in the “capital” Island, called São Miguel.
Flying from Lisbon, on your first sight of the Azores, you will see the São Miguel Island. It appears on your right hand side and you can see the black cliffs made from lava stone, fighting the clear blue sea set within an amazing lush cover of green.
Get ready, you are less than ten minutes to land in Ponta Delgada, the island and the archipelago capital.
But just before you land you fly over the “Ilheu de Vila Franca” a maritime extinct volcano, now a tourism attraction and one of the most important beaches to visit in the island.
Drop your luggage at the hotel and don´t waste a single moment. If you have days, a week or even a month, it would not be enough to fully explore this unqiue paradise.
If it’s sunny, right next to the Ponta Delgada you can see a high green mountain. Follow the roads surrounded of hydrangea up to the top of the hill. Then look around, look down, you are on top of the crater of the “Lagoa do Fogo” volcano (Fire lake). A volcano raised from the deep sea from over 15.000 years ago with the last eruption dated in 1563. If you enjoy hiking, you can follow one of the paths leading down to the interior of the crater and swim on its blue clear and warm water with white sand beach. Something very special indeed!
If its milder or raining, drive to the Furnas. A village built over an active volcano. Meet the power of Mother Nature and its volcanic activity from varioius view points, then experience a bath in one of the pools with the warm and medicinal water provided by its power straight from the ground.
If its time for lunch or dinner, what about a unique meal, a mix of meat and vegetables, cooked from the volcano heat in one of the dozens of wholes made on the ground around the Furnas lake. You can´t visit this village without trying the “Cozido das Furnas” (Furnas Stewed).
Your journey has just started, heading south, north, east or west, the adverture has only just begun on this island, and there’s still 8 other islands to go …..
Keep following our posts and let us explore these unique islands, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where some speculate the lost city of Atlantis hides.