This is a destination we love, one of the most beautiful places we’ve been: Azores. The nine islands of this archipelago are extraordinarily beautiful and diverse, so we will speak of them one at a time, starting by the main island, São Miguel.
Start your journey by a visit to the capital Ponta Delgada, a very nice city, where white and grey from basalt are the predominant colours. This is a very calm city, with great and welcoming people, so you’ll enjoy walking around the historic center, buy souvenirs (you’ll find beautiful handicraft), and delight yourself in the numerous restaurants: the food is delicious – fresh fish, sea food, meat, cheese, vegetables.. Whatever your preferences, we can assure you’ll enjoy great meals.
Start exploring the island by seeing the lagoons: Lagoa do Fogo, Lagoa das Sete Cidades… Stop at Caldeira Velha, a magical place not to be missed (a waterfall with hot water). The views along the way are incredibly beautiful, with extinct craters covered by green contrasting with the blue ocean.
Spend one day exploring Furnas, where the volcanic origin of these islands still manifest itself in an intense way, and taste the famous Cozido, prepared in the heat of the earth… Make a reservation in one of the specialised restaurants, and don’t miss the cooking process, as you can go to the place where the meals are prepared: the pans are put in holes during the night, covered and left there for hours. Because of the volcanic activity, the food cooks very slowly… Around noon the “chefs” come back to take the pans out, a ritual not to be missed, and it is ready to eat! The flavour is different from anything you had before, believe us! It is very good 🙂
Bathe in the hot iron-rich waters of the Poça de D.Beija and at the amazing Terra Nostra Park. Don’t hesitate because of the color of the water… these hot waters feel great… Take old swim clothes though, they will have strange colors afterwards…
Don’t lose the opportunity to visit a pineapple plantation, nor one of the unique tea plantations in Europe. Take a day to visit Nordeste, the most remote part of the island, and if you’re up on time, go see the sun rise at Ponta da Madrugada. Go to Ponta da ferraria, where the ocean waters are warm, due to volcanic activity, it feels really good as waves mix cold with warm water… This island is full of incredible places!
There are many activities for your unforgettable days here: trekking, boat rides, off road 4×4 tours… You can find lots of useful information on the Official Tourism Website of the Azores
You will have a great and very relaxing time, as here everything happens at a very calm pace. This is definitely a great place for your vacations. Come visit us, and don’t forget… Wish&Travel!
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Wish&Travel 
February 10, 2014 at 9:57 am
Great post about the beautiful Azores! I really enjoyed the Breathtaking S. Miguel Island
February 10, 2014 at 10:43 pm
Many thanks AnaLucia, we’re glad you enjoyed it! We love this island, it is a very special place, breathtaking is the right word, you’re right 🙂