The Azores - View from the Inside

The unknown of the Azores did not disappoint. The untouched collection of dramatic landscapes, rugged coast lines and picturesque towns awaited us when we arrived on our evening flight into the first island of São Miguel.

They say in the Azores you can experience all 4 seasons in a day, each day of our tour let us experience just that! Life is simple on the Azores; good wine local cheese, wonderful sea food and two cows to every man - every corner you turn you will see a dairy cow grazing on a hill or volcano side. 

We visited the west of the island to view the Blue & Green Lake; the emerald green water contrasts against the royal blue of the lake perfectly. The tale of the lake is a blue eyed princess fell in love with a green eyed Sheppard but their love was forbidden, so they met one last time and cried so much their tears filled each side of the Blue & Green Lake. The sky was blue and the sun was beating down, the moment I took my camera out to take a picture the weather changed, mist and clouds started to form and the air became cooler, the lake was no longer in our view, nor was half of the group! After a few minutes the mist and cloud began to clear and the beautiful lake was back in view again. A moment I would never forget, the lake slowly revealingly itself again from behind the mist was like a private show just for our group. 

 
Seeing the dramatic landscape created by years of volcanic eruptions and lava streams was so interesting. Each island and its residents have embraced their volcanoes with the “baby of the family” being only 60 years old. Stop in any restaurant or shop and someone will be able to recall the last eruption and how the islanders moved safely to one side of the island while the months of eruptions continued. If you’re lucky you might even see some of the original black and white photographs. 

We visited a light house on the island of Faial, set on the edge of a cliff and covered in ash from the volcano, now only visible is the top storey and the light house tower itself. We entered through what used to be a window and found a modern museum concealed under all the ash. As we left the area you could see the roofs of houses emerging from the volcanic ash dotted in the distance.

 
You will not have to go far to find an area to swim in the sea; the rugged coast line allows for large rocks to form pools where you can swim in the clear blue sea water sheltered from the dramatic waves crashing beyond the rocks. On the island of Terceira, we dipped our toes in the fresh salt water and enjoyed the sun’s rays beating down. The roar of the waves could be heard all around us, while we enjoyed our very own little piece of the ocean. With the Atlantic sea all around us we took the opportunity to spend an afternoon on the lookout for whales. Historically the Azores have always been home to whales and although we didn’t see them on this occasion we had plenty of entertainment from the families of dolphins who would swim and jump all around our boat.

 
The islands have an unique way of using flora & fauna to maintain its landscape, nothing goes to waste - plants are used as land dividers, and loose rocks are used to build walls to trap heat and protect the grapes from the wind so wine can be produced.  On the island of Pico we visited a small red windmill set in the middle of rock walled vineyards that stretched as far as the eye could see. Our next stop was a visit to the wine making factory to learn about the grapes journey and to enjoy a tasting. 

We visited boiling hot natural springs surrounded by lush green trees for a swim; to be able to stand under a free flowing waterfall was an experience. We also tasted local grown organic pineapples, and visited cheese factories and a gin distillery – there really is so much to do.

Everyone should experience the Atlantic’s most verdant, volcanic and historic archipelago at least once. I was amazed by its interesting flora & fauna, as well as the spectacular viewpoints and delicious food.