Say hello to Steve Jones, the latest addition to our team here at Archipelago HQ. And as Archipelago tradition dictates: the most important element of anyone’s induction is their first trip to the Azores.
One of the perks of working at Archipelago Choice, beside the rapier like whit of my colleagues, is getting to visit far-flung destinations that one may not otherwise get the chance to see and, in doing so, being able to experience first-hand the accommodations and activities on offer so that we can better recommend them to you.
Having only started working for AC over the summer, this was my first chance to get to the Azores to experience it all for myself. I was able to visit the islands of São Miguel, Faial, and Pico, bookended with nights in Lisbon. Having not travelled abroad since before the pandemic I was a little apprehensive that I would have forgotten something obvious in my preparations, but once I was checked in a Manchester Airport I could relax, listen to some music, and people-watch whilst waiting for my (slightly delayed) TAP flight to Lisbon.
I arrived in Lisbon late in the evening but Miguel, the driver for my airport transfers, had been in touch via WhatsApp to let me know he was still there and waiting for me. After checking-in to my accommodation, AS Janelas Verdes, I grabbed a quick bit to eat at a restaurant up the road then headed back to the hotel for drinks on their balcony overlooking the Tagus.
The next morning I had a few hours free before my flight to São Miguel so, after a coffee on the balcony, I made the most of the free pass to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga that was provided by the accommodation.
In the afternoon I had a transfer back to Lisbon Airport and then boarded my flight to the first Azorean island of my trip, São Miguel. Lisbon is in the same time zone as the UK, but the Azores, being c.1400km out into the Atlantic, is an hour behind. After working out how to change the time on my phone, I made my way out of the airport and was met by one of our guides, Rui, and we set out on a tour of the western part of the island. This was my first experience of Sete Cidades, and it did not disappoint, and catching it as the sun set made it that bit more special.
After being dropped at my accommodation for the next three nights, Casa das Palmeiras, I had a wander around the city of Ponta Delgada before going to the restaurant across the road, O Giro, for the first of many excellent vegetarian meals. Azorean cuisine is largely meet and fish (there are twice as many cows as people, and, well, it’s an archipelago so they eat a lot of fish), and it was out of the main holiday season so some places were closed, but I was still able to find a decent vegetarian option wherever I was (it just took a bit of looking sometimes).
For my first full day in Ponta Delgada, I explored the city in the morning to get my bearings, and also visited a couple of the people with which we work. In the afternoon I had a transfer out to run one of our recommended walks, the trail up to Lagoa do Fogo. Unfortunately, it was a bit claggy (as we say in Cumbria) and visibility was poor, but it was still impressive in its own way.
That evening I scratched my newly acquired fine dining itch with a four-course vegetarian taster menu at Casa Nostra in Ponta Delgada.
My second full day in Ponta Delgada was one I was particularly looking forward to as it involved exploring Sete Cidades by mountain bike and foot. I had a transfer into the town of Sete Cidades to pick up a bike and then I cycled around half the crater, taking in the famous viewpoint of Vista do Rei, before dropping back into the crater to explore the lakeshores. In the afternoon I was transferred back up to the aqueduct to the southwest of the crater for a run linking a section of the Serra Devassa and the Mata do Canário (north side of Sete Cidades) trails, before dropping down into Moistiros for a well-earned bottle (or two) of the local Korisca IPA. I was luckier with the weather and was afforded with some of the classic Azorean views.
One thing I was not expecting was how blue the ocean was, as sign of how clean it is!
That evening I gorged myself at Ponta Delgada’s newest Indian restaurant, the Jewel of India, run by a friendly chap from Wolverhampton! The food was fantastic, the mango lassi was to die for, and there was plenty of choice for vegetarians. It had only been open four weeks but already was a hit with both the ex-pat community and the locals.
The following day I met one of our guides, Paulo, for another tour. This was supposed to be a geological tour but, given the weather (more rain), we opted to include a trip to the pineapple plantation in Ponta Delgada and the Gorreana Tea Factory rather than another trip into the clouds shrouding Lagoa do Fogo.
The tour did include an enjoyable and informative trip into the lava caves under Ponta Delgada, and a visit to the hot springs at Caldeira Velha. At the end of the geo-tour I was dropped at my accommodation for the next two nights, the Terra Nostra in Furnas, which, fittingly, has its own thermal pools.
For my first day in Furnas I had hoped to go climbing with one of our guides, but due to the inclement weather we had to cancel that and instead I took myself around the botanical gardens at the Terra Nostra and then to the fumaroles in Furnas where they were erecting the weirdest nativity scene I have ever seen.
In the afternoon I ran the trail from the hotel up and around Lagoa das Furnas, past the famous cozido cooking holes. In the evening I had the surprise highlights of the trip: a swim in the thermal pool. It was after dark and the stars were out, surrounded by trees from the botanical garden, and with steam rising form the water which is around 40°C (104°F) all making it a special and relaxing atmosphere. For both evenings I ate at the Terra Nostra.
After Furnas my next stop was the island Faial where I had some self-catering accommodation at the Porto Pim Apartments, conveniently located for the shops, restaurants, and harbour in Horta as well as for the picturesque Porto Pim Bay.
After checking-in to my accommodation I met up with one of our whale watching guides, Pedro, for lunch before being taken on a tour around the island. Once again, the highest point of the island was in the cloud, but the weather made the trip to the volcanic terrain of Capelinhos all the more dramatic. That evening I went to Canto do Doca for food and was surprised when I was given some raw veg, a cold veggie burger, and a super-hot slab of rock for me to cook it all on!
The following morning I explored the town and visited the Museu da Horta to learn a little more about the area. In the afternoon I had a transfer up to Caldeira and the circular trail that takes in the highest point of the island. I then ran back down to Horta along some great trails – it’s a shame that these trails have not yet been linked up as the view of Mt Pico as you descend form Caldeira is quite spectacular.
In the evening I went to the legendary Peter’s Café Sport, befriended a group of Slovakians from a cruise ship, and drank far too much of Peter’s equally, and justifiably, legendary Gin do Mar.
After Faial my final island was Pico, a 30-minute ferry ride away, and home to the UNESCO protected landscape of Pico’s vineyards. I was met at the terminal by our guide Joáo and given a tour of the island. First stop was the Casa dos Vulcões and I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable both the Jules Verne style journey to the centre of the Earth and the virtual reality earthquake experiences were. That was quickly followed by a shot of distilled wine fresh from the distillery next door.
We then headed to the old whaling factory and then the whaling museum. Both of which were interesting and gave an insight into life on the island in days gone by. The film in the whaling museum is not, however, for the feint hearted. The tour ended with a trip to Joáo’s own vineyard and samples of his own wine. At the end of the day I was dropped off at my accommodation right back at the harbour, the Hotel Caravelas. It was a short walk from the hotel to the Mercado Bio for another delicious vegetarian meal.
I originally had grand plans to run up the full hight of Mt Pico, at 2351m it’s the highest point in Portugal, but, you guessed it, the weather was not ideal, so I decided upon linking a couple of trails that cover a good length of the eastern half of the island. First off was the Caminho das Lagoas, of which the first 15km were hidden in the mist before you start to descend towards the coast.
The trail is basically a country lane and very easy under foot and ends on one of the main roads around the island, conveniently opposite the start of the Nove Canadas da Ribeirinha. This trail, at 10km is shorter but a little trickier underfoot, especially as you near the end at Calhau where you must pick your way across the lava field. All the trails were exceedingly easy to navigate, even in almost zero visibility as there are way markers at every junction. After a return transfer to my accommodation, and a nap, I headed to O Cinco, opposite Mercado Bio, for a pleasingly large vegetarian curry (and more Korisca).
For my last day in the Azores I met up with a young guide, Joseph, who was from Cape Verde originally but now calls Pico home, and after working for some local companies is striking out on his own. In the morning we explored some of the lava caves – each one was increasingly more challenging and longer than the last, and as such had much more adventurous feel than the sanitised experience in Ponta Delgada.
After lunch we hopped on some mountain bikes and had a ride around more vineyards. From a windmill you could get a sense of the area that the vineyards covered and how hard it must be to harvest the crop. In the evening I returned to Mercado Bio as it was the only option on a Sunday out of season.
To round out the trip I had one more night in Lisbon. This time I was at the 5-start Dom Pedro Lisboa conveniently located near an excellent restaurant with a large selection of vegetarian meals. On returning to my accommodation I had an couple of beers watching the World Cup in the hotel bar which I then followed with the complimentary wine and cheese that was left in my hotel room. All in all, a luxuriant way to finish off what I hope to be my first of many trips to the Azores.
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