Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores

 

October 13 – Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores

Today we docked at Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores our first stop on this 45-day Mediterranean cruise. It is the largest and most populated of the Azore Islands. There are nine islands in total in the Azores, with Ponta Delgada being the heart of them all.

We were looking forward to seeing the Sete Cidades Crater Lake. When people picture the Azores, in travel ads, guidebooks, or postcards, the view from the rim of the Sete Cidades caldera with the twin-colored lakes below is usually what is used to represent the area.

The Sete Cidades Crater Lake is an active but dormant caldera, about 3 miles wide. Do you know what a caldera is? I had to look it up myself: it’s a large, bowl-shaped depression that forms after a volcano erupts and its magma chamber empties, causing the ground above it to collapse.  Inside the crater are two connected lakes, separated by a narrow bridge: the Blue Lake and the Green Lake. The lakes appear to be different colors, depending on how the light hits them, due to the different algae in each lake. The different colors are part of what makes this so incredibly beautiful.

It was easiest to get to the volcano via a group tour. Along the way, our guide provided us with lots of interesting facts about the area.

  • Population of São Miguel: about 135,000
  • Population of all the Azores: about 240,000
  • The islands were discovered in 1427 by Portuguese explorers and settled around 1439.
  • When the islands were discovered, they were completely uninhabited — no indigenous people lived here. The Portuguese rushed to settle the islands because they recognized their importance as a trade center.
  • Dairy is the main industry – with there being 1.5 cows per person here.
  • The island is 43 miles long and 6-9 miles wide.
  • Most buildings here are white with black trim. The black comes from volcanic stone, used to frame windows and doors, while the white is lime wash that reflects sunlight and keeps the homes cool. This look has become part of the Azorean identity.
  • The island even has a prison, though our guide laughed and said the most common offense is DUI. “We need a prison,” he joked, “so we can tell people — you must be good!”

As we left the city, the landscape changed to lush, rolling farmland. Everywhere we looked, hydrangeas and other flowers lined the roads and fields. Hydrangeas bloom in June here (maybe everywhere?), so we didn’t see too many blooms right now, but there were a few stragglers. I can only imagine how beautiful the roads would have been with all of these plants in full bloom!

The road we took to the The Sete Cidades Crater Lake was a narrow, winding road around the top of the volcano. That alone was something to give me pause. Breathtaking views were in every direction. I knew my photos would be nothing like the ones that I see on postcards, but I gave it a shot anyway.

Oh, and here’s something else that was fascinating:  down inside the crater is the small village of Sete Cidades, founded in the 1800s and home to about 800 residents. I tried to imagine what it must be like to wake up each morning inside a volcano surrounded by silence and green walls that once burned with fire. Peaceful? I’m not sure I could achieve that state of mind there. I think I would always be just a tad bit on edge, even if the volcano is labeled “dormant.” It’s also still labeled “active.”

After visiting the volcano, our guide told us we would be taking a scenic drive back to our ship. Really? I thought we had already taken a scenic drive! Honestly…. there was just beauty everywhere you looked.

We stopped for a quick view at another lake, and we also stopped at a pineapple plantation. Pineapples aren’t native here — they’ve been grown since 1963, but only inside greenhouses since the climate isn’t tropical. Each pineapple takes two full years from planting to harvest. Interesting!

Once we were back at the ship, we took the short walk from the pier into town. We wanted to see the the Portas da Cidade, the city gates of Ponta Delgada. Built around 1783, they were originally part of a wall meant to protect the town from pirates and invaders. Today, the wall is gone, but the gates remain as a reminder of the city’s history and a striking entrance into the heart of Ponta Delgada. Walking around the center of town, we found an antique phone booth that had been transformed into a lending library. Take a book – leave a book.

We also saw the Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião, the main church in Ponta Delgada. Built between the 16th and 17th centuries, it stands out in the main square. The bell tower marks it as a city landmark.

This island is small, beautiful, and remote feeling. It is easy to get lost in all of its beauty and forget the rest of the world.  Not such a bad thing, I’m thinking.

 

Good morning, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores

 
View from our ship


At the pineapple plantation


Just wandering around town. 







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