The 15 beautiful spots in Azores, two islands and one amazing getaway

It was green. Very green. That was my first impression when I landed in first Azores island, São Miguel. Add to that a ocean scenery around, wild flowers, the sun, the food and the extreme peace and quiet and you’ll have the whole picture. These are the 15 beautiful spots in Azores (well, you’ll see there are actually more than that, if you keep reading).

Not all my holiday went well – I had a terrible pneumonia which prevented me to try the hot spring baths or even the cold ocean’s waves and made me eat very few local specialities. But it didn’t mean that I couldn’t enjoy the islands. And truly I want to come back to them for more. 

São Miguel – 8 stops from pineapple & tea plantation to piscinas naturales and waterfalls. 

Seeing the ocean – you can find a lot of spots. My favourite ones were in the Northen part of the island – Miradouro Das Pedras Negras, Miradouro da Vigia das Baleias, Miradouro da Beira Mar. The bonus to that: the incredible vegetation. Enormous calla lilty, entire walls of gigantic blue and white Hydrangea (hortensia) are eye-catching, along with the perfect manicured lgreen awns and the sound of the ocean. 

Piscinas naturales – there are a lot of them and the principle is simple – you can swim in the ocean, but away from furious waves. The perfect one in the Northern part pf the island: Santo Antonio Piscinas Naturales. 

Sete Cidades (or the Seven Lakes) is probably the most popular spot in this island. If you like hiking, follow the marked paths. If you are not a fan of climbing the hills, just wander the big green natural park and admire, as you walk, Lago do Canario. From here go a little bit up and find (probably) the most instagramable place – Miradouro da Grota do Inferno – you have a good view over the lakes. A few kilometres away there is Miradouro do Cerrado Das Freiras on one hand and the Aqueduto do Carvão on the other.  

Thermal springs in Furnas area – the water at iron-rich thermal springs is warmed by heat emanating from the island’s inner depths. Do not forget: here you can eat the traditional cozido dos Açores (Azorean stew) i, where chefs place vegetables and meat in the earth for up to seven hours, where it emerges steaming hot.

Chá Gorreana – the oldest, and nowadays the only tea plantation in Europe is an one in a lifetime experience. Hiking through tea plantation and tasting the best tea I had until now… it was a day that brought my forces & my lost zen back. (https://gorreana.pt/en/) 

Wonders of nature. First, make a detour to Cascata do Salto – as beautiful as you can imagine – the walk to that is not hiking (even there are some trails if you want) but not easy (especially on the way up to return to the car). Also here Miradouro do Salto da Farina – an amazing view over the ocean. Then, put on the map Mosteiros – the little fisherman village that has everything from sandy black beaches to nice restaurants, trails and, most important of all, the Islets (try to get here at sunset and you’ll see what I mean). 

Beautiful spots for beautiful pictures. I loved these 4 places. First, Moinho do Pico Vermelho is a wind mill next to a little church. Then, Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz, a small chapel with stairs going up, overlooking Vila Franca do Campo village, with painted stairs. The third one was Porto Formoso, a fisherman port covered in blue hydrangea. And of course, Ponat Delgada, the main city and its long ocean promenade. 

Pineapple plantation – of course, I couldn’t leave the island without tasting the sweetest and smallest pineapple – there are more greenhouses that cultivate pineapple;  cultivation can take up to 3 years, and they are much sweeter in taste with less acidity than their counterparts around the world. Ananás Santo António has a free guided tour. 

To stay in São Miguel: São Vicente Lodge – Atlantic Retreat @saovicentelodge (for the view at the ocean, the minimal aesthetic of the rooms and breakfast in bed service); Hotel Senhora da Rosa – https://www.senhoradarosa.com/ for the beautiful rooms and the mini-pool inside the pineapple plantation. 
To eat: a lot of little cafes along the way (you will be surprised by the variety of food – but pay attention to the hours, nothing is there after 2 p.m.). Then A Baleia Casa de Pasto @abaleiacasadepasto , super-nice inside and super good. 

Ilha de Santa Maria – a complete tour with 7 spots seen in three days 

First day: Take a tour to Poço da Pedreira, a former mine which became an amazing natural site, with a nice lake (you have to walk a bit from the last spot where you can enter by car, but the view till there worths it). Return to the main city at Vila do Porto and enjoy the view from the top of Forte de São Brás. Do not miss the cobbled stones streets and the cute cafes and restaurants in the city. I have discovered here the art work of one of Portuguese artists that I follow – Bordalo II (art from the trash). 

Day two: put on GPS Barreiro da Faneca – a semi-desert, arid and clayish landscape, red in colour (“red desert”), a unique protected landscape area in the island. Then go to Ribeira dos Malaos, an impressive stone formation (and the view from the top, where you can see the formation, is quite breath-taking). Head to Ponta do Castelo & Miradouro Vigia da Baleia – top points from where, in old eras, the fisherman could spot the whales (nop, I wasn’t so lucky!) 

Day three: enjoy the beach at Praia Formosa. Go further to Praia de São Lourenço, a sandy beach wide and with a very cute promenade.

To stay in Ilha de Santa Maria: Quinta de São José – https://quintadesaojose.pt/. 
To eat: in Vila do Porto there is an entire street with small bars cafes and restaurants – all of them pretty good. I tried A Travessa, Monk Surf Shop & Coffee Bar, mad, DuFogo Take Away. 

General things to know: 

* There are nine major Azores islands – São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo. I’ve been in two of them – São Miguel & Santa Maria.
* The easiest way is to go through Lisbon, then with SATA Airlines between the islands (the ferry way is too long and, for me, was not so recommended in December). A couple of days (3-4) is enough for every island. 
* Whenever you visit, prepare to face all four seasons in one day. You can wake up with sunshine and warm weather, only to take a hike up a mountain to find cold, rain and minimal visibility. 
* I am sure I didn’t check all the beautiful places – so enter https://www.visitazores.com/en for more.