It was 6 a.m. — 2 a.m. to my confused East Coast brain — and my husband, daughter, and I were limping through customs at Ponta Delgada airport, on São Miguel Island, the largest of the nine islands that are part of the Portuguese Azores Archipelago.
Despite the fog in my head, my energy was high. A fellow mom who had been to our redeye in Boston marveled at the beautiful weather forecast, eliciting a chuckle from the security guard. “Wonderful, I don’t know,” he said. “But you experience all four seasons every day.”
He was right. During our week long visit we experienced steady rain and bright sunshine, put on bathing suits and layers of fleece. But don’t mind the weather; it was the natural theater of the four elements – earth, water, fire and air – that made São Miguel a unique adventure.
About 36 million years ago, the Azores Plateau was formed in the Atlantic Ocean where the North American, Eurasian, and African tectonic plates meet. As these plates on the ocean floor pulled apart, molten volcanic material rose up and formed new oceanic crust. The chain of islands formed from the upper parts of the volcanoes that rose from this plateau. In other words, the Azores are volcanic islands and their distinctive geology makes for a vibrant landscape and environment.
Carpets of green and bubbling fumaroles
Our adventures through the elements began with the early morning drive from the airport to our first hotel, Furnas Lake Forest Living, in the Furnas Valley, a dormant crater of high geothermal activity in southeastern São Miguel. After re-acquainting ourselves with the adrenaline rush of a gearshift in a hilly environment, we drove past vast, green, almost glowing meadows criss-crossed with darker green lines, where volcanic rock walls were covered with moss and plants.
As we descended into the valley these vast green carpets – dotted with the black and white dairy cows so important to the local economy – were obscured by thick sycamores and pink azaleas. The hydrangeas the island is known for were still in bloom for two months after blooming. The proximity of the foliage to the road created tunnels that seemed to take us to a magical destination.
As we entered Furnas Lake Forest Living through a grove of Japanese cedars, the storybook enchantment was complete. Manuel Gago da Câmara, who owns the resort with his wife Helena and who had planted imported cedars, traces his family roots back to the late 15th century, about 50 years after the island was said to have been settled by the Portuguese explorer. Goncalo Velho Cabral. When Mr. Gago da Camara took over the family property in 1984, the 270 hectares were overgrown with weeds. It took him nearly 40 years to transform them into a sustainable forest surrounding the resort of 14 villas, which opened in 2004. (Prices start at 320 euros, or about $349.)
“My dream is to make it a place where people can also learn how to farm and get quality food in an easy way,” said Mr. Gago da Camara. The couple make their own honey and have garden beds and fruit trees that supply the on-site restaurant. “Nature gives you everything if you take good care of it,” said Mr Gago da Camara, a perspective that seemed shared by many on the island, where pride in and protection of the land has created an inherently eco-friendly travel experience. .
We spent our first days in the lush, gurgling, sometimes sulphur-smelling region, admiring its alternate beauty and otherworldliness. The large lake, Lagoa das Furnas, looked as if it could have been in Switzerland with its aqua water surrounded by a tree-covered rim. But on the north coast was a turbulent piece of land: the Caldeiras das Furnas.
As we watched the bubbling fumaroles and plumes of steam rise through the air, a small van pulled up. Two men jumped out and sauntered over to one of dozens of mini-earth mounds marked with a sign with the name of a restaurant. They exposed the deep holes and pulled out two kettles with long metal hooks. Inside each pot was the coveted cozido: a Portuguese meat and vegetable stew that includes everything from chorizo and chicken to cabbage and carrots. The stew had cooked in the earth for six or seven hours before the men hoisted the kettles out, loaded them into the van, and drove back to their restaurant.
We went to the lake side cafe about 50 steps from the boiling ground to taste the cozido there. The meat was tender, the vegetables tender, and the taste, unsurprisingly, earthy.
Just beyond the gray-and-taupe soil around the caldeiras, the landscape turned steep and green. Grená Park, a wooded area with hiking trails, was once a private residence in the 19th century. Over the years it changed hands and was finally bought by the Portuguese government in 1987 as a place to house traveling officials, then handed over to the local government of the Azores in 2009. Despite all the moves, it remained largely abandoned until it was finally sold. back to private owners who transformed the property into its current state.
After paying a fee and entering through a metal turnstile, we chose one of three trails and began to ascend through towering trees, past waterfalls, and through fertile air. It almost felt like we were playing in a life-sized board game of trees: paths were marked by slices of logs, miniature garbage cans were made from logs, and wooden ladders led us to different levels of the park. A dense canopy and creeping moss created a timeless atmosphere, even though the park only opened in 2019.
Thermal baths and lava flows
In the nearby village of Furnas, Terra Nostra Garden was an entirely different convergence of natural and man-made elements. The celebrated botanical garden dates back to 1776, when American orange merchant Thomas Hickling built a modest home and surrounded it with mostly North American trees. In the 19th century, the property was enlarged by the Visconde da Praia and later by his son, who continued to add land and plant imported trees. Today it is 30 acres of gardens and groves scattered with specimens from New Zealand, China, South Africa and other countries. There are palms intersecting with eucalyptus trees, giving way to redwoods, and an extensive collection of camellias. It was a lovely place to get lost – despite having a map, we did – and take a soothing dip in the naturally warm, iron-rich thermal pool popular with locals and tourists alike.
After a few days exploring firm, if sometimes molten, ground, we were ready to take to the seas. The ocean surrounding São Miguel is home to many cetaceans and more than a few tour companies that will take you close to them in low-riding Zodiacs and larger catamarans. Definitely not a seafaring family, we opted for a ride in the latter, offered by a tour company called Futurismo.
About 15 minutes after we departed from Ponta Delgada, the island’s main port, we saw our first dolphins gliding through the water, their smooth backs and dorsal fins eliciting cheery cries from everyone on board. For the next three hours, our boat’s captain followed directions from Futurismo’s punt, which sat on a lookout on the island and reported visible marine activity. The result was a successful expedition: Groups of bottlenose and common dolphins and several sperm whales, including a mother and calf, gracefully broke through the water before diving back into the ocean depths with a flick of their tail.
The next day was also filled with dramatic ocean views, this time from the heights of the west coast. We took another winding road lined with plane trees and grassy banks to one of the most photographed points on the island: Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado. A spectacularly sunny day, the rolling green interior contrasting with sheer sea cliffs, blue skies and white billowing clouds could have been ripped right off a travel agency poster.
Down on the waterfront, in the town of Mosteiros, the green grass gave way to black lava flows, frozen into jagged formations. It was an ominous but irresistible sight, and we climbed their jagged peaks, poked through clear tide pools, and kept an eye on the Atlantic Ocean, here a sublime turquoise, as it pounded the shore, sending salt spray through the air.
After we got tired of running, we went to nearby Ponta da Ferraria to enjoy. A bubbling hot spring beneath the lava rocks creates a heated bay in the middle of the ocean. We followed the trail of sunbathers and adventurers past the indoor spa to the black, sometimes jagged rocks where dozens of people lay. We paused to consider the wisdom of joining others in the narrow channel where cold ocean waves rolled through, mixing with the hot water to create the perfect tepid temperature, but also hitting the rocks before returning to the sea .
Perhaps emboldened by the epic falls and literally gaping and burning parts of the island we had seen, we were forced to descend into battle. Warm and churning, stimulating and intimidating, the water bounced us between the rocky ledges and a rope strewn across the waterway to hold us safely. For a moment I felt at one with the history, geology and beauty of the island.
Wild wind and low clouds
On our last day, we visited one of our favorite places: Lagoa do Fogo, Lake of Fire, a protected area of more than 1200 hectares in the center of the island. Winding up another winding road to get there, we watched the blue sky disappear and we were enveloped in a whole new climate. The higher we got, the denser the fog. Or was it clouds? As the guard promised, we’d experienced every season—every landscape, climate, and element—during the past week in São Miguel’s 290 square miles.
We parked and walked to the trailhead, the wind blowing against us, foaming white caps on the volcanic lake thousands of feet below. We once again wondered if we weren’t taking on a bit too much adventure, but decided to start the walk anyway. There was a pumice beach along one of the lake shores that we wanted to see.
The farther we descended into the caldera, the more protection the steep ridges offered. Seagulls and terns shrieked their welcome. The air was purifying.
Down by the water, the clouds still drifted close enough to seem to touch. Passing through ferns and laurel trees, we wanted to extend the journey to this lush but fiery island, though the wind and distance from the beach were eventually persistent enough to force us to turn back.
We didn’t make it to the pumice beach, but we had already taken in so many sights and experiences. We left to catch our flight, knowing that São Miguel had an incomparable place in the world, and now in our minds.
Follow DailyExpertNews Travel on Instagram And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on smarter travel and inspiration for your next vacation. Are you dreaming of a future getaway or just traveling in your lounge chair? Check out our 52 places to go in 2023.
