MY 14 DAY TOUR
Finding yourself on a house on the rocks, surrounded by small houses dark bricks, with a light morning drizzle, hanging between Ocean mountains greens. A dream? No. A place remote, di ffi cult to achieve? Neither. There we find to Sun two hours from the magical Lisbon at islands Azores.
While I was traveling I thought about why I hadn't added it to the “List” yet from the things from Do absolutely" these islands Like this close And Like this far away, there, to the center of the Atlantic. There is little of them on Instagram, some videos on TikTok and no Lonely Planet. So, armed with courage and with a modest budget established months before, I decided to read all the existing blogs, take notes, And organize a mini tours Of 14 days. Departure from Lisbon with Rayanair, e Then everyone flights interior with the only one company local (there SATA Azores Airlines).
Destinations: Terceira, Pico And Sao Miguel.
THIRD
Small island that can be visited in a few days, where you take it slowly familiarity with what will be the main scenario of these islands: expanses infinite Of all the nuances of the green, hills Of vineyards to sapling enclosed in small stone fences (to protect them from the wind), cows and pastures with ocean views, corn and banana crops among them walk, swimming pools built on the rocks to allow bathing Despite the waves Very strong in some moments from the day. Yes Breathe air Of mountain even though being on the sea, and And possible reserve tours organized in all languages to experience the area, taste local cheeses and make experiences in the open sea. The house I stayed in had a balcony sea view on one side, a cliff and a beach on another and fields wheat towards the east . Not having found a machine to disposition (well Yes, if you don't move in time you could end up without a car), it's still a lot easy from visit with the tours operator locals (That Yes they find is on Internet That in site). What should be underlined is that the Portuguese and in general the inhabitants of Azores I don't know much about the precision. Timetables and agreements with the guides can to be a bit variables. Advise: take All with a lot calm!
PICO
A piece of heart is still there, on the dark cliff made of lava flows prehistoric, surround yourself from homes Of bricks black, streets gray with churches clear in contrast and expanses of greenery surrounding the mountain - highest volcano of all Portugal: Mount Pico. A shy mountain, which loves to hide among the fog, and very di ffi cult to climb: to climb to the top you have to book and, for the complete climb it takes a good six hours of walking, taking the risk of not seeing anything once you reach your destination. The the mountain is in fact almost always hidden by fog (I, for example, am not I've never been able to see it in its entirety except in photos). The landscape is fascinating barren, Done Of craters Of volcanoes turned off (Today pastures For cows lucky!), dry stone walls, water pools for animals with breathtaking views and lakes between the mountains and the sea. Walking among these landscapes makes you get used to one again silence Perhaps never known, filling The eyes Of a place ancient, Almost to to say "Here you are, Perhaps Before of man, there Earth era Like this!".
SÃO MIGUEL
The island more great And modern Of All The complex, hides many unexpected attractions. Here There Yes remember Well That Yes And in a territory volcanic, Where the man lives together ( e lives) together to a underground heat, incandescent, And has always made the most of its potential. It is indeed possible taste one of the dishes typical as the " Cozido Das Furnas", one stew Done from meat cooked by the heat of the underground (the famous fumaroles); bathe in hot waters rich in iron, in the historic thermal complex of Furnas, perhaps after a regenerating walk in the woods. In fact, the park is wonderful fumarole Das Furnas: you pay the entrance and you can stay until closing, cross bridges Tibetans Between shrubs never seen (That they echo Almost those seen in the Jurassic Park films), bathing in the small waterfalls spring, and stop on the benches overlooking the lake. Also not to be missed is the ancient one factory Of you “Cha Gorreana" (entrance to offer, tasting Of you included) where you can see the production of the classic drink known throughout the world world, from the collection to the packaging.
REGENERATE
A world to part that from the Azores, well insert In the context modern but That Not they forget the They traditions, the They origins, That they respect, they live And by hand. Mass tourism as we fully know it does not exist here August, or rather not yet, and perhaps that is precisely the beauty of these places. It's worth it absolutely worth visiting the islands on the border between Europe and America for regenerate under everyone the points Of view.