The Azores are nine archipelago islands belonging to Portugal in the mid-Atlantic. This place is a little-known gem often missed by American travelers visiting mainland Portugal. I’d highly recommend a stop off in the Azores, or at least the largest island of São Miguel if rolling green landscapes, endless blue hydrangeas and stunning coastal vistas appeal to you. São Miguel was the focus of our four-day road trip. I will be sure to break out additional posts should I return to visit any of the eight other islands someday. Believe it or not, there is a direct flight from Boston to São Miguel, which makes a visit even easier than you may expect.

EXPERIENCE

Because of its volcanic conception, there is a ton of gorgeous scenery and features to explore on this island. Renting a car is a must. Any trip will undoubtedly start in the southern capital Ponta Delgada. This city has more of a small town feel off season with cobblestone streets, a marina and many charming churches.

Day one we explored the western side of the island stopping at the viewpoint of Miradouro da Vista Do Rei overlooking Lagoa das Sete Cidades Lake, which is the most well-known postcard vista of São Miguel. From here we cruised right along to Vista do Res and then to Miradouro da Boca do Inferno to view lagoons of Rasa and Santiago. Once at the bottom of the valley where the lake actually is, we cruised through the small Village of Sete Cidades.

 For our second day, we explored the middle of the  island with our first stop in Pico da Barrosa for magnificent views. Lagoa do Fogo was clouded in while we visited, but easily one of the other most beautiful sites on the island. If it had not been raining we would have taken the 30 min hike down to beach. Next was a drive to Caldeira Velha which are rural hot springs set in a jungly, almost Jurassic Park-like venue. Even if you don’t plan to take a drip, the site is worth exploring as there is a garden and small waterfall. From here we carried on to the city of Ribeira Grande for a quick loop and then a tour of the Pineapple Plantation. Lagoa do Congro off the beaten path green lake.

On our final full day we enjoyed the hotel springs at our hotel then explored the East Side of Island. Due to the weather we skipped the two hour Hike to Sanguinho Salto do Prego which is a local waterfall. Two other hot springs sites we could have explored, if our hotel didn’t satisfy the itch, were Lagoa das Furnas Lagoon and Caldeiras. The Poça Dona Beija or Parque Terra Nostra Pools are also meant to be nice. Nordeste: coastal scenery at Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego and Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada Viewpoints. Visit Gorreana Tea Plantation, the only tea plantation in Europe.

STAY

We stayed at two wonderful hotels in São Miguel both of which I later realized are operated by Starwood as part of their Design Hotels collection. The first hotel, which we spent two nights at was the Azor Hotel in the big port city of Ponta Delgada. The hotel is adjacent to a hilariously low budget casino that is worth a walk through for entertainment value. Aside from that the rooms offer nice views of the harbor and the location allows for free parking as well as walking distance to many of the city’s best restaurants and attractions. I’d highly recommend staying in this hotel while in Ponta Delgada. If visiting off season, like us, this place is extremely reasonable and about half the price of high season. The breakfast is beautiful and even includes unlimited mimosas, so plan on that.

From here, we migrated about fifty minutes east to stay at the Furnas Boutique Hotel, which is located in the heart of Furnas, the region’s top hot springs recreation area. We were greeted in our room with a complimentary bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolate dipped pineapple. This hotel is wonderful because it allows guest to enjoy everything great about the region in the most comfortable, upscale way possible without even leaving the hotel. The hotel has several hot spring fed tubs and pools both in and outdoors. While not as novel as the parks set in stone, they are much cleaner and more indulgent. These pools have various jet, fountain and bubble features which makes for a fun and relaxing soak. The facilities also include a sauna, Turkish bath and steam room all included with the stay. The spa has additional services as well for additional cost. In addition to the spa, the restaurant here is the best in the area and was obviously a bit hit with even the local crowd. There is also a bar with checker boards if you are looking for some low key entertainment between soaks and meals.

EAT

The food in the Azores was quite impressive and a welcome change from the persistent tagine cuisine in Morocco where we began our week away. The islands are remarkable in that they seem almost self sustaining in terms of food. The islands are full of fresh vegetables, seafood and even locally made Portugese wine and tea. Locally grown fruits seem to include pineapple, dates, bananas and citrus. The fresh seafood in the Azores is clearly to go, given that this is an island. We enjoyed both octopus and barracuda while here. After driving around for four days, it becomes obvious that cows are the overwhelming livestock of choice in the region. That said, steak and dairy products are also a large focus of many menus.  

Both hotels we stayed at had outstanding breakfasts which included a wide range of coffees, fresh juices, teas, breads, egg options, meats, local cheese, fruits, milks, spreads and sweets. It was fun getting to sample the range of local dairy products in particular in this venue. Needless to say, these generous breakfast spreads eliminated the need for lunch, so dinner became our primary focus.

The city of Ponta Delgada has remarkably impressive dining options. We choose to eat at A Tasquinha Vieira for our one night in town since we had multiple recommendations for this new but trending establishment. Other restaurants I’d recommend trying if you have more time include A Tasca and Associacao Agricola for a farm fresh cut of beef. Another top contender for us was a very well priced place named Boca de Cena which was unfortunately booked up before we arrived.

Once in Furnas, we ate at the hotel, and only at our hotel. This town was quite small and after days of exploring, we realized with Portuguese wine and games of checkers in the hotel bar before dinner. The seafood options were the highlight of this menu, though they also have a wood-fired pizza oven and great calzones. In Furnas there is a local dish called, cozido, which is a meat and vegetable stew that is slow-cooked for seven hours in the underground geothermal heat. Tony’s Restaurant seems to be a famous spot for trying the local delicacy.

The Azores were a very pleasant surprise. I can imagine returning sometime for another long weekend to check out another island to to while here. My next stops here would likely be Pico, home Mt. Pico and vineyards.