Sao Miguel, Azores (Aug 2022)

Trip to the Azores was something that we set out without a lot of planning. The convenience of a direct flight from Newark to Ponta Delgada and the decision to stay within the Sao Miguel island for the whole trip made it simpler, I should say, relatively speaking!

As soon as we landed, it was a nice experience to step down the stairs and walk to the terminal. Its a very easy navigation, collecting the luggage and walking out to the rental car counter. Although there were a few other companies, The Ilha Verde rental agency is the only one that had people queuing for. It is either that they are the only one having cars or the most inefficient time-consuming agency. We found out that the latter is true by the time we got our chance to speak to the lady at the counter. The unfriendly and cold attitude of the lady was not something you would expect. Anyways, we finally got the rental car key after a couple of hours and walked out to the lot where we were encouraged to take pictures/videos of any scratch/damages to the exterior which kind of gave us some jitters which remained a little for the remainder of the trip until we returned the car! Luckily nothing crazy happened when we returned.

Since the hotel check-in was not until later in the day, we drove to the west towards Ponta de Ferreira where the ocean hot springs are located. The experience of driving along the coastal road was enjoyable, but what made it more interesting are the narrow roads and the continuous change in elevation along the way. Towards the end of our journey, we were wondering how they managed a flat piece of land to build an international airport on the island! While we were expecting Hydrangeas to be there only in certain areas, the reality was that they are planted along the sides of most roads and highways. This added to the beauty of the already lush green landscape. Roadways have pullouts for viewpoints which are labeled as ‘Miradouro’ which are many. It is worth taking time to enjoy these spots to surprise yourself to the treat which most of them provided!

Ponta de Ferreira is an interesting spot where the hot springs (Termas da Ferraira) are right at the shore of the ocean. The drive down to the parking lot of this beach/hot springs is very steep & windy, but safe if you don’t try to race down the hill. The shore is of course very rocky due to the volcanic origin of the island. During the low tide, one can experience the warmth of the hot springs getting lashed by the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But, when we went there during the middle of the day, there were high tides and it was not quite easy to feel the warmth of the hot springs. But, if we could’ve timed it better, it would have been an incredible experience. But, in spite of that, pools created by the rocky beach was an interesting feeling to experience as the waves crash and splash into these pools.

After wading in the pool on that sunny day, we had our lunch at the restaurant right next to the parking lot. Food was very affordable, including options for vegetarians. We explored the views of the mighty Atlantic Ocean crashing against the rocky cliffs, from atop of a few smaller cliffs and continued our drive to Sete Cidades.

On the way to Sete Cidades, there were several Miradouro to get the views of several lakes (Lagoa, as they call it). With the hydrangea plants in the foreground, it provided for a very pleasant view. The pictures can capture some fraction of the beautiful panoramic views of these sometimes serene and secluded lakes.

By the time we reached the Sete Cidades village, we could see some preparation going on for some sort of festival that was about to take place over the next two days. We took a stroll around the village church (Igreja de São Nicolau). The pathway to the front entrance of the church was lined with tall trees on either side. The façade of the church with tall trees in the foreground was very pleasant to view.

Around the Sete Cidades are a few very interesting places to hike. The hike to Miradouro da Grotado Inferno is an easy hike to get the best dramatic view of the Lagoa of Sete Cidades village. The parking area for this is the one for Miradouro da Lagoa da Canario.

First, you come across this lake and from here, you continue to the Grotado Inferno viewpoint. It involves some elevation and the final walkway is on top of a hill with railings on either side that leads to the tip to get the views of these lakes. When we got there, we got clear views of the lakes, but as time passed, waves of clouds flew in so fast that the lake views were playing hide & seek. Given the pleasant weather, it was a great experience from one of the areas atop the hills where we had a small picnic and snack.

On the other side of the road is the hike for viewpoints of several lakes - Miradouro Lagoa Rasa, Lagoa das Empadadas and some that we don’t know. All these lakes can be covered along this trail, one that should not be missed. The trail was traversed by much fewer people than the one to Grotado Inferno, but these hikes can provide a literal meaning to serenity. You begin with the view of the Atlantic Ocean at the first peak, on one side and a lake on the other side. For quite a distance, it would feel like you are hiking from top of hill to another with great views that feels like from the top of the world.

Eventually, you start hiking down towards the shore of Lagoa Rasa. From here, we decided to trace back to the parking lot, but luckily we met some people coming from the other side and so we decided to continue the trail which is actually a loop back to the parking lot. We encountered a family of 3 who traveled from Lisbon to Sao Miguel where they had bought a vacation home/Airbnb who mentioned about the beautiful Lagoa da Empadadas. They offered a ride in their Land Rover, but we decided to walk the trail. After a short distance, a path opened up with hydrangeas on either side. It felt like middle of nowhere, but the path was so well maintained with these beautiful plants on either side which led to a viewpoint eventually on top of another small hill where we met that family again!

We hiked down back with them to the junction point from where we took another small trail to Empadadas. Except for us two groups, there wasn’t anyone along the trail. Still the path was so well maintained with manicured gardens and decorations made out of the natural flora of the region making it such a peaceful hike. Unfortunately, it was towards the end of the day and we could not stay too long. The hike back to the parking lot was through a very different landscape along the foot of that hill with dense lush greens including many different kinds of ferns.

The capital Ponta Delgada is a busier place with mostly narrow streets. Even in those narrow streets, cars were parked along one side, making it quite an interesting and challenging experience for a non-EU driver. Suplexio burgers was a great place to have dinner that included really good vegetarian options. Rotas was listed as a 100% Vegetarian/vegan place, but it seems like the place is quite popular and needs reservation a week in advance. Although Suplexio was the second option, it was quite good! Walk around the town showed some sort of festival with music and gathering.

Lagoa do Fogo is another Miradouro we visited. Again, the drive along the way was through winding roads of the hilly region with lots of fog. So, we were a bit disappointed that we might not be able to get the Lake view. From the parking lot, the viewpoint is only a couple of minutes walk. The view was still foggy a bit.

But, we decided to take the hike to the shore of the lake beach through a nice labyrinth of trails, including some well-built ladders in some places. Some places needed all four limbs, but the views along the way gave repeated boosts of energy to continue the hike.

When we reached the shores, we continued to walk along the shore and found a path to an adjacent small lake that wasn’t really visible from top.

We rested for a while on the beach, ate some snacks and started our hike back up to the parking lot. One thing to be noted is that the parking fee could not be paid by card and luckily we had Euros to pay for it. Nowhere is to be found any restrooms - so, you can see in many places that people have succumbed to natural urges. One has to be careful to avoid these in some places.

Caldeira Velha is the thermal springs park that has several pools  of warm thermal springs water along a slope where the water starts from a waterfall and keeps flowing into subsequent pools in lower elevations. It is a small park, but beautifully landscaped to provide a great ambience for relaxing. Entrance to this park and pools needs a booking done ahead as they try to limit the number of people in the pool at any particular time. It is not like they would drive you out, but the advanced bookings kind of keeps the crowd manageable for the space. After the hike of Lagoa do Fogo, the dip in these thermal springs was so soothing!

NOSSA SENHORA DA PAZ is a beautiful church on the top of a small hill in the village of Franca do Campo. To get to that, the drive has to be through the windy and bit confusing narrow streets of the village. The setting of the church seems tucked away in a secluded area but still very near the village and from the church you can get a good view of the village and the small atoll in the ocean that has a caldeira filled with ocean water on three sides. The architecture of the church reminded us of a much smaller version in Goa, India, with about 10 sets of stairs zig-zagging to the top.

Santa Barbara beach near the village of the Ribiera Grande is the only beach area that seemed to have a stretch without rocky shores. It was so fully crowded by surfers because of the apt waves for them. Greenhouse grown pineapples found a destiny in pina colada (virgin and alcoholic versions) in the beach area.

Ribiera Grande is a village along the coast where water from thermal spring runs into the ocean and it is interesting to watch. The village center has a big picnic area and a park along this thermal spring. The atmosphere was very relaxing with low fare music from surrounding restaurants and kids playing around. Restaurants had outside seating which contributed to this calm atmosphere.

Lagoa do Congro is another spot listed by many as one of the other lakes worth visiting. It seemed like the parking was not a well arranged one to get to this lake. We parked along the side of the main road and walked through the small road that led to the trail after passing through private farms on either side. While it is not a tough hike, it cannot be called a very short hike for sure. The lake is pretty well hidden until you reach the shore. The steep hills surrounding it helped to keep it hidden. While there, it drizzled a bit, but didn’t turn into a big rain.

Gorreana is supposed to be the only tea plantation in the whole of EU and the visitors get a free tour with a free unlimited quantity of a couple of varieties of tea! The tea prices were quite reasonable for an island grown organic tea. The attached cafetaria had a big balcony with seats overlooking the tea plantation. Quite refreshing to snack and sip a cup of tea!

Quite close to Gorreana is a viewpoint called Miradouro de Santa Iria - one spot that has an absolutely gorgeous view just by the side of the road without even the necessity to walk to any length.

Ribeira Dos Caldeiroes is another spot that you can call a giant picnic spot/park. The park has beautiful waterfalls and the manicured garden follows along with a river flowing from the waterfalls to quite a length of way. The setting of the park between the hills lined with yellow flowered plants makes it a wonderful picnic spot for the locals.

Nordeste area is on the east end of the island. The highway to get there seemed to the only one that felt like a highway. This highway runs along a range of mountains on one side and the ocean on the other side, in many stretches. Nordeste is a small town/village that apparently has only one hotel and a handful of restaurants (2-3). So, one should be prepared for that. 

Farol do Arnel, near Nordeste is where a lighthouse is located on a cliff. There is a road to the lighthouse, but there is a warning posted at the entrance of the road due to the steep maneuvering needed to get there. So, we parked at the entrance of the road and took a walk down. Even walking, the steepness felt a bit scary in some spots. But the setting of the lighthouse was an amazing spot not to be missed. From the lighthouse, the road continued down to the rocky shore where we could even see boats on the roads indicating that locals would get on the waters some time. The choppy shore with wildly crashing waves didn’t convince us that the boats would see the water often! Along the way, we could see houses continuously along the steep road and some seemed like they were available for rent. Climbing back to the parking lot, we encountered a couple walking backwards and they mentioned that would help minimize the pressure on legs!

Around Nordeste are a couple more viewpoints that are very close to the village and not to be missed if you are staying in the village - Miradouro do Ponta da Madrugada and Miradouro Ponta do Sossego.

Another spot in the village of Nordeste is a bathing/pool. The parking lot for this pool can be reached by a very steep one-way road that is managed by a stop light at either end of the road. We almost missed the light as it can be a bit tricky to notice it. The bathing/pool area is actually served by the ocean waves crashing over the banks. It is a very interesting and exhilarating experience for sure. Definitely a spot not to be missed if you are in Nordeste!

Next is the town of Furnas - a lot of restaurants, stores and hotels in this town, making it a much bigger place than Nordeste. The town is literally built around a lot of hot springs bubbling with hot water and mud. Here, we could taste the corn on the cob cooked in this hot thermal spring directly. It tasted great! In another park, Caldeiras, the local restaurants actually bring the meat/food and literally suspend them in a container below the ground where the bubbling hot water is running, to be cooked. We also tasted the popular Portuguese sweet bread as a sandwich from the Gloria Moniz bakery.

The Terra Nostra park in Furnas is where there is a huge botanical garden in the middle of which is a pool of brown warm water. The pool is big enough for a few hundred people and is a popular spot for visitors. For us, it was not that big an attraction, but the diversity of fauna in the garden is something amazing to notice if you have time to spare besides other interesting stuff around. The cheese store Queijaria Furnense, very close to Terra Nostra, is another attraction. Reading some blogs, we expected the store to have hundreds of different types of cheese, but what we found was 5-6 varieties which was a disappointment. But, the cheese we tried/bought was great - no complaints there!

Finally, something to mention about food in Nordeste. Since the choices are very limited, it is better to drive to the next parish/village to find some amazing food. Poco Azul in Achadinha is one such great place!

Azores, in summary, is an apt place for peaceful hiking in a lush green landscape filled with hills and great views all over, without worrying about any dangerous wildlife! Since our trip is only to Sao Miguel island, these comments are relevant only to that island. The level of investment by Portugal to promote tourism really shows in the convenience you see in the well-laid trails, picnic spots, barbeque pits, drinking water taps etc. The price of food, be it in a grocery store or in a restaurant, is much more affordable than the prices you find in the US. We were expecting ‘island’ prices, but to our surprise, it is even more economical than in the US. Our stays at Ponta Delgada and Nordeste gave quite a difference in experience and we would certainly do that again if we go there.

Few other pictures around Island