Azores Islands: we warn you, you will fall in love
The Atlantic hides a portuguese archipelago where, in just twenty-four hours, you can live the four seasons of the year. Chaos and harmony, therein lies the charm of the Azores, a small paradise made up of nine islands that can only be enjoyed in one way: abandoning yourself to the mercy of your explosive nature.
From east to west, the islands have been baptized as Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo . In all of them you can feel the heat emanating from the center of the Earth, the coolness of an ocean that intensely caresses its rugged shores and that enigmatic aura typical of remote places.
It is impossible for an orchard of this magnitude not to be invaded by an inevitable feeling of happiness , the same that is reflected in the smile of the Azoreans. Azoreans yes, not Asturians. that its sweet Lusitanian phonetics and its humid meteorology, which could well be the sister of the one that dominates the north of Spain, do not confuse you.
In Azores you will feel the four seasons in just 24 hours
We landed on a huge green carpet with black sand finishes: Sao Miguel Island . We leave in the heights those rays of sun that accompanied our route through the skies that separate Europe from America and a compact blanket of gray clouds welcomes us to the beat of the question: “Have you brought a swimsuit and a raincoat?”.
This is what the Azores are like, that minimum expression capable of generating one of the most famous anticyclones in the world, that dreamy corner in which one has the feeling that absolutely nothing is happening , not even the time and, where, however, life has much more meaning.
VINTAGE ENVIRONMENTS
A good first contact with the Azores is to explore Sao Miguel l, the largest island, with about 62 kilometers in length. On the way to the hotel, the large number of cows strikes, to which our guide responds with laughter: “Here there are more cows than people”.
Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, what seemed like a simple chirimiri it becomes a rogue rain that the windshield is unable to fight. And it is that, in these parts, nature resists being dominated by man who cares for her and admires her.
A clear example is the Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort , an accommodation located on the north coast, very close to the city of Ribeira Grande , whose philosophy is respect for nature. The hotel has been designed to blend in with its surroundings, so much so that, from the road, its chameleon effect prevents us from noticing its existence.
Rain threatens behind the glass of the Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort lounge
A project that has been transmitting to guests since 2015 the passion for the sea and nature of the area felt by its owners –Rodrigo Herédia and João Reis–, two surfers who share the same dream : make this island your home.
His concern to integrate the 30 villas with its surroundings is reflected in the use of natural materials such as cryptomeria –a local wood–, cork, bamboo and wicker. All of them have a small equipped kitchen, living room and an ideal terrace to enjoy a spectacular sunset.
On the other hand, studies Blue&Green They have a heated saltwater pool (at 30º C) or a private Jacuzzi.
After allowing our palates to taste the best flavors of the sea in the Santa Barbara Eco-Beach restaurant –in which the tuna is the absolute protagonist–, we set course for Ponta Delgada , the capital of the archipelago.
Views of the Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort hotel
Once there, Gates of the City , its most emblematic monument, invites you to cross its gothic style arches to get lost in the cobbled streets of a city with whitewashed facades and basalt, a volcanic stone that abounds on the island.
The curiosity to discover what is hidden under the silence that reigns in Ponta Delgada leads us to our first stop: the ** Bamba Bazar **, a two-story store with a vintage air that every vinyl lover should visit. Down, Peter and Violet offer all kinds of souvenirs, while upstairs a charming space is revealed where you can find a selection of Brazilian and African music records from the 70s, jazz, folk and independent and emerging music, from smaller labels.
their owners are Rubén Monfort, from Castellón , resident in São Miguel for five years, and Luis Banrezes , from Porto, who landed on “the green island” eleven years ago. Both share the desire to provide honest tourist information that is reflected in two projects. one is one agenda that includes the cultural events of São Miguel and the other, the Ponta Delgada map for the curious , an alternative guide to the use and enjoyment of the city.
In turn, they are also part of the organization of the ** Tremor festival ** (from April 9 to 13), which surprises with concerts in locations as diverse as a pineapple plantation.
Facade of the Jesuit College
The afternoon advances while we admire the street art, street art . We browse the premises of the effervescent Hintze Ribeiro street and we admire the grayish stone facade of the Jesuit college . We walked between the stalls Graca market , we get lost by gardens of the neoclassical palace of Santa Ana and we dare with the cheeses of the famous store ** O Príncipe dos Queijos ** to end up exhausted on a terrace at the foot of the iconic church of São Sebastião , Manueline, late Gothic and Baroque style.
During our journey through a city with clear English and French Brittany influences, a garland of purple flowers that decorates a door innocently catches our attention. Inside, in the so-called Louvre Michaelense , expect a trip back in time.
Four years ago, ladybug she took over this old shop where hats and fabrics imported from Paris were sold in 1904, and transformed it into a cafeteria that bets on artisan and local products . A perfect space to have a coffee while you read crouched in a corner, sit down to find out what the menu of the day offers or have some of its tempting cakes for breakfast.
Views of Caloura
THE FLAVOR OF THE LAND
Nothing better to start the day than a dip in the hotel's saltwater pool that captivates the eye with its panoramic views of the beach Santa Barbara black sand . Guilty also that you bolus lêvedo –a typical Azorean bun– sinks into the cup of coffee for capturing all your attention with the hypnotic swaying of the waves. But no, the Azores are not for staying in a hotel.
A string of hydrangeas and some very curious pink flowers known as belladonnas or meninas-pra-escola (who seem to plan a colonization of the island) accompany us during our route. We stop to contemplate the scenic beauty of warmth –the hottest town on the island– from the Pisao viewpoint.
Our enchantment is interrupted by our guide, an expert in botany, who invites us to try a araça, a small Brazilian wild fruit of the guava family. “In the Azores you have to have the present sustainability . It is important to choose the suppliers well, if possible local, and generate the least possible volume of waste”, he tells us. Joana Damião Melo, General Director of Santa Bárbara , on the way to Vila Franca do Campo.
Complaints of Vila Franca do Campo
In this village we taste the queijadas do Morgado , a typical sweet that has been made with care since 1961 by different generations of pastry chefs in Vila Franca do Campo. A breath away from there stands the hermitage of Our Lady of Peace. Climbing the labyrinthine flight of stairs that leads to it and fighting against a wind that insists on making us fly rewards the effort with spectacular views.
Winding roads weave their way past pineapple plantations, towering cryptomerias, huge planters and tea fields that dye the hills emerald, like those of ** Gorreana ,** which has always boasted of being the last great plantation in Europe.
After exploring the ins and outs of the factory, we sip a fiery mug and we notice that pure flavor of a green tea without preservatives . Also, some artisans like Paul do Vale , who is also dedicated to creating jewelry with basalt, do wonders with it, such as chocolate dipped in edible gold.
But the true power of the Earth is concentrated in the locality of furnas. Looking out of the viewpoint Pico do Ferro we glimpse our next target, the Lagoa das Furnas, a landscape drawn by the steam released by the magma of our planet.
The Azoreans have taken advantage of the geothermal energy that emanates from the Caldeiras de Furnas to make stews underground. The aroma of sulfur invades us while we admire how the **chef of the Terra Nostra hotel restaurant** unearths the delicious stew that, after seven hours of cooking, will be served on our plate.
Lagoa do Fogo
East Furnas hotel It is the oldest of the Azores, built under the influence of the art deco in 1932. After the banquet, we walked under a cloudy sky through its impressive park, where a yellowish pool, due to the high concentration of iron, and at about 25ºC, competes with the beauty of a centennial orchard which could well be the set of the movie Jumanji.
Throughout the twelve hectares of the exotic garden we can find Norfolk pines and lush New Zealand palms, going through the largest collection of camellias in the world , with more than 600 varieties.
A festival of fumaroles, yam plantations, sources of natural sparkling water with three different types of minerals (iron, magnesium and calcium)... Is there anyone capable of refuting why they say that Furnas is an enchanted valley?
São Miguel has a special magic that makes the day seem infinite . We still have enough time to go surfing, have a cocktail at the beach club, meditate in a yoga class in the greenhouse or for the savoir faire of Nuno , the mystical pilates teacher and physical therapist from Santa Bárbara, takes us to another dimension with a relaxing massage with Tibetan bowls.
We put the finishing touch to the day with a well-deserved tribute of Japanese snacks, accompanied by a wine from the island of Pico. A live jazz concert and an excellent dinner at the first sushi restaurant on the island (open to the public). Thus, saying goodbye to Santa Bárbara becomes less hard.
ONCE AGAIN: NATURE
On the way to our next accommodation we make a stop at the vieira pottery factory, in Lagoa, a small town on the south coast of São Miguel. Its fame is such that the locals have the custom give one of the pieces sold here to newlyweds.
The Portuguese passion for tiles is evident in this small family business, where a team of eight people molds the most kitsch figurines and hand-paints each of the names of the streets that make up São Miguel since 1862.
Vieira pottery factory
As we walk through the wooden gate of the ** White Exclusive Suites & Villas **, our expression returns to a true state of fascination. an idyllic hotel , with little more than a year of life, who bets on intimacy with only nine suites and a restaurant exclusively for guests, stands before us.
The stone arches evoke its wine past, the immaculate white keeps us in a state of absolute peace and the decorative elements carved in wood remind us, once again, of its owner's commitment to nature – Joao Reis , one of the partners of Santa Bárbara – and his wife Catarina.
beyond his bohemian and minimalist rooms overlooking the open sea, decorated with macramé tapestries from Oficina 166, what really impresses the White is its dramatic location: over a cliff.
Delight yourself with a plate of confit tuna with passion fruit sauce in its restaurant with views of the Atlantic (or whatever the guest pleases), fix the world with a cocktail in its cozy lounge, sail when the good weather blesses Lagoa or contemplate a purple sunset from its warm infinity pool are just some of the reasons to stay here forever.
The desire to feel at home but with the comforts of a hotel is located down a narrow country alley from the White. La Maison, former home of João and Catarina Reis, is the most intimate lodging in Lagoa and, sinning on the daring, in São Miguel.
The villa has a heated pool, a playground and a cricket pitch, sport that is part of the English legacy of the Azores. In addition, its four bedrooms, its two full bathrooms, a couple of toilets, a living room with a wood stove, a dining room, a covered terrace and a large equipped kitchen make it the perfect place to spend a few days with the family.
“The purpose of Santa Bárbara, White and La Maison is to create a total experience in the Azores and make guests feel at home ”, tells us João Reis. An enclave that is the result of the sweet dichotomy of dawn with a breakfast of freshly made banana pancakes, scrambled eggs and a tropical fruit juice -prepared by White's chef- and be able to completely isolate yourself from the world.
White Exclusive Suites & Villas
Our attempt to fill ourselves with natural beauty guides us to the Parish of Sete Cidades , where signs warning that cows may cross the road dot a road that might as well be located on a Canadian mountain.
We start by looking at the popular Green and Blue lagoons from the Vista do Rei viewpoint . Legend has it that this pair of puddles, housed in the crater of a volcano, owe their color to the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shed them because of their impossible love.
The postcard is a spectacle , but neither the viewpoint of Grota do Inferno , with its panoramic views of the Lagoa do Canario , nor the picture that stars the Lagoa do Fogo, with their white sand shores, they have nothing to envy.
After giving our retinas the best attributes of Pachamama and connect with her through an essential oil massage at the hands of Nuno, in the pergola of La Maison, we are ready to recharge energy in the parish of fish tail , in the council of Ribeira Grande, where a healthy and homemade dinner will give us the necessary strength to be able to say the dreaded "goodbye".
We knock on the door of a farm with a bell and Paulo welcomes us with a big smile, inviting us to enter the restaurant Fifth two flavors.
In 2014, he and his wife, Inês, decided to change the busy Lisbon life for this haven of peace. Every night, a surprise menu presents the most succulent recipes through about five dishes, made with products grown in the farm's orchard.
The feast consists of dipping the loaf in polenta or beet hummus; open mouth with a bean soup; continue with a roast beef accompanied by pumpkin, rice with raisins and spinach ; to end a homemade blackberry ice cream with butter cookies while Paulo says goodbye, table by table, to each of the diners. Meanwhile, we psyched ourselves up to have to do the same with this beautiful place.
Still wondering what the secret to happiness is? In the Azores, the answer is hidden
***** _This report was published in **number 126 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (March)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The March issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _