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Ponta Delgada seen from our ship.
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I'll bet you never considered a special trip to the Azores. It just happens when it’s on your cruise
itinerary. For myself and a travel mate,
it was a delightful accident. Looking
for green adventures and enticing, affordable gourmet dining? I had one glorious day on São Miguel, the
largest of the Azorean islands. Thanks
to Trip Advisor, a friend and I found top recommendation for azoreantours.com,
a small business run by local Gary Travassos.
His comfortable Mercedes van had plenty of room for seven passengers. Gary is very professional, organized, well
informed and with a good sense of humor.* His van was parked as planned only a five minute walk
from our ship.
No glamour or exciting shopping, but excellent wines, cheeses and seafood. Local architecture is basic white with windows trimmed in black stone or paint. The Azores is nine remote volcanic islands largely ignored
until the 19th century.
Located in the Atlantic west of Portugal, the islands and culture are
Portuguese with a strategic port location and rich land that is chiefly
agricultural. Total population for all the islands is about 250,000. No crowds here! Since this was not a place
know for shopping or walking (it’s literally untouched by tourism) a private
tour seemed a good option. São Paolo was
our first stop after six days at sea from Fort Lauderdale on the Celebrity Equinox.
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Roadside view of the Seven Cities lakes
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Hiking opportunities are limitless, with perfect weather,
vistas and countless hiking trails. Thick green washes across the land leading
to views of pristine landscape punctuated with hills, mountains, lakes, craters
and more. Every mile there was a new
reason for a moment of awe. We found
areas reminiscent of Ireland (deep greens and stone fences), Hawaiian primeval
forests (ferns, exotic flowers and hot springs), Caribbean palm trees, majestic
stone cliffs and fresh breezes. The forest and mountain paths were smoothly
worn. Then dip under a waterfall and soak in a hot pool. When done, gather your friends for a gourmet
meal at budget prices.
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| Front window view as we leave Ponta Delgada |
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The local grocery has excellent
wines at hard-to-believe low prices
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Artisan wines and cheeses are readily available (we paid $6.00 for an excellent bottle of Port wine and about $8 for 1/2 lb, 200 grams, of Sao Jorge, a famous local cheese. A generous fresh seafood dinner will cost about same as a good lunch in the USA. The culture, cuisine and dialect of each island is distinct enough so that a return trip brings new surprises and variety. São Miguel is a good place to start.
Our five-hour tour began from where the ship docked, in the
main city of Ponta Degada. Never did we
feel like guide Gary was giving a lecture. He explained the geography and
abbreviated history, plus local information. We were able to exit our Mercedes
van at every stop so we could wander and take photos. São Paolo’s climate is perfect for hiking and
outdoor activities. There are no winter freezes
or sweltering summer days although the winds can be a bit nippy. Temperatures
are such that there no air conditioning is needed and the heating method is
mostly by fireplace.
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Working donkeys are largely phased out but we were
lucky to catch this one along the way.
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Hiking opportunities are limitless, with perfect weather, vistas and countless hiking trails. Thick green washes across the land leading to views of pristine landscape punctuated with hills, mountains, lakes, craters and more. Every mile there was a new reason for a moment of awe. We found areas reminiscent of Ireland (deep greens and stone fences), Hawaiian primeval forests (ferns, exotic flowers and hot springs), Caribbean palm trees, majestic stone cliffs and fresh breezes. The forest and mountain paths were smoothly worn. Then dip under a waterfall and soak in a hot pool. When done, gather your friends for a gourmet meal at budget prices.
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Our
first stop - the awesome cliff view from
Vigia da Baleia, the whale
lookout
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Our five-hour tour began from where the ship docked, in the main city of Ponta Delgada. Guide Gary Travaso knew plants and culture. He explained the geography and abbreviated history, plus local information. We left our Mercedes van at every stop so we could wander and take photos. São Paolo’s climate is perfect for hiking and outdoor activities. There are no winter
freezes or sweltering summer days although the winds can be a bit nippy. Temperatures are fairly even so no air conditioning is needed and the heating method is mostly by fireplace.
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This little snack bar along
the way had full
entrees for under $8.00,
fresh coffee
$1.25 along with
beers under $2.00
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Time for his
morning coffee |
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Many houses feature a tile plaque, often religious. This one roughly reads "if 10 men envy my home, they should work as
hard..."
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The uncle of our tour guide seen working on
his farm along with his wife and a helper.
There is no AC and fireplaces heat their home. |
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Most of the population
does some form of farming |
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| The big landlord lives here |
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Ferns, woods and exotic plants surround us
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View of Fire Lake, named for the
time it reflected the volcanic fires.
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Lake of the Seven Cities. It's easy to guess why.
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Every Scenic area has a placard for guidance
The black volcanic rock
produces a rich agricultural soil 
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High unemployment rates and diminished commercial fishing have hit this fishing village
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This local teenager uses newspaper in his pants legs for cheap protection from chaffing
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Driving through one of the larger Villages (Above and below) |
Octopus stew made with potatoes is the most popular lunch here.
Main course with a drink and sopa, only six euros
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Time
for the local lunch stop. The menu has
mostly local seafood along with sandwiches
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  Visitors enjoy floating in hot
springs and hiking through
the exotic foilage |
Civilized changing rooms are provided. What a welcome surprise!
Back to civilization and the traditional mosaic streets of Ponta Delgada
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Our tour ends in the main church plaza. Tomorrow penitents will circle on their knees while medics
stand by during a major religious holiday |
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The town's own gourmet waterfront Red Lobster restaurant with (what else?) all sorts
of local seafood
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Complete your invigorating day with an inexpensive but quality wine. These are just some of the local and Portuguese wines on a nearby grocery store shelf.
Grab some
cheese and enjoy before boarding
your ship docked ten minutes away.
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| Your author nabbing her perfect shot |
Visitors enjoy floating in hot 
