Awe-Inspiring Azores (Part 2 of 2)

Hello again! I’m back to share the rest of my time in the Azores. While Diane was in her seminar, I scoped out the island and found some fun activities to keep us busy for the rest of the week, but first up, we booked a whale watching tour so we could get out on the water. We lucked out with a gorgeous morning (the first sunny one in a few days), and after seeing lots of dolphins, we found Mr. Liable, a giant sperm whale (18 meters long) who they have been watching around the island for several years. He was amazing! They actually drop a device into the water that records his “clicks” when he dives and are able to tell when he will surface again. The crew was right on, and we were able to watch him a second time and get some tail shots! So cool!

The following day we headed out early to beat the crowds in the Sete Cidades area. We started with a short hike to the Miradoura da Grota do Inferno, a gorgeous viewpoint I had missed on my first visit to the area. It was breathtaking looking over the lakes and out to the sea, not to mention the amazing moss and foliage! Next, we made a quick stop at Mirodouro a Vista do Rei, which is also beautiful, but we were shocked to find several tour busses and tons of people.

In the afternoon, we visited Gruta do Pastor, a nice area on the NW side of Lagoa Azul, where we relaxed and walked around the shoreline through the fragrant cedar trees. It was so calming and there were only a couple of other people who arrived after us, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

For our last stop of the day, we visited the Piscinas Nartuais Caneiros, some natural pools along the coast. The water was so blue and welcoming, it was a treat to dive in and cool off, and again, pretty much had the place to ourselves. After a nice swim, we relaxed on the rocks, listened to the waves, and dried off as the people started to roll in for their swim time.

In the evening, we ate at Gastrónomo, the restaurant we loved on the first night, and had some amazing seafood! Luckily we arrived just before they opened and were able to get a table without reservations! Again, we had our timing right!

The next day, we headed out early again to see more of the Furnas area. On the way, we stopped to hike  to Fábrica da Cidade, a hydroelectric plant that functioned from 1904 – 1974. Unfortunately, we only were able to hike a portion of the trail before we were stopped by a river that we couldn’t cross. The trailhead, however, was in a really cute town with tons of friendly cats, so we stopped to give them some love before we left.

Our next stop was Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz, a pretty little church that was built on the side of a hill, with great views of the town below and the ocean. A nice place to stretch our legs! On the way out of town, we had a good laugh when this friendly guy stopped us in the middle of a little traffic jam just to chat and see where we were from. He was on his way to pick grapes from his orchard to make juice!

Finally, we made our way to Furnas to see the fumarolas and visit another waterfall/hiking park. They make a famous meat stew that is cooked in the ground at the fumarolas called Cozido das Furnas. While we were having a drink to prepare for the hike we met a really nice couple, Belinda and Kevin, from England and ended up hiking with them. It was fun to chat with new friends and get some ideas of fun sites to visit in the U.K.! 

And then, to cure our tired legs, we visited Terra Nostra Parque, a resort with a large botanic garden as well as a massive mineral pool where we took a dip. The pool was a bit strange, and we decided we liked the pools at Poça da Dona Beija better, but nonetheless, we had a nice relaxing soak in the iron filled water before returning home for a relaxing evening in.

On our last day, we decided to stay around Ponta Delgada. We visited Gruta do Carvão, an amazing volcanic cave formed by flowing lava under the earth. We could only go 300 meters into the cave, but it was a sight to see! Unlike limestone caves, the stalactites and stalagmites will never grow any larger, as they are only formed when the lava is flowing.

After the cave, we had a nice lunch at a local restaurant that felt like we were eating at Grandma’s house, before visiting another botanic garden that didn’t have too much going for it, except some really cool trees and lots of peace and quiet.

And that’s a wrap on São Miguel Island! Next stop, Almoçageme to visit my Portugal family I stayed with for a month last April. I’m so excited to catch up! I will also be connecting with Graça to purchase more cool silk clothes, etc to bring back and sell for any of you who missed out on the first round!

Love and Hugs,

Michelle