How is it that this place feels so familiar?

That question was one of the first things that popped into my head when our plane landed on São Miguel, one of the nine islands of the Azores.

I had never been to the Azores before, and so it was unexplainable how at-home I felt right from the beginning. My husband credited it to all the pictures I’ve seen and books I’ve read about the Azores and Portugal, as well as growing up in the Portuguese culture. He’s probably right, but that explanation lacks magic and wonder. All I can say is it was as though somewhere in my DNA I felt saudade for that place. Arriving there enlivened my soul. I was in the land of my ancestors.

We spent only a handful of days on São Miguel before moving on to the next island, yet we saw and did so much! Below are some photos and highlights from this island.

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These are some photos of Ponta Delgada, which is São Miguel’s capital, as well as the capital of the Azores. In the two photos on the left, you see the iconic Portas da Cidade (City Gates) from the 18th century. The third photo shows Town Hall. The very last photo shows Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião, a Catholic church from the 16th century.

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We visited the oldest and only tea plantation in Europe: Chá Gorreana. The fields of tea plants were so green and lush! We got to tour the factory and see the machinery at work. Sampled some of their teas (the jasmine green tea was quite nice), nibbled on a couple of yummy pastries, and purchased a couple of boxes of tea to take home.

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There’s still plenty of volcanic activity on the Azores. In Furnas, we saw steam coming out of lots of geothermal vents in the land. We even took a swim in a natural thermal pool in Terra Nostra. The water’s temperature averages around 99°F (37°C) and is yellow due to all of the iron and minerals in it. Near this area, there are numerous spouts on the hillsides. Some of them have cold, naturally carbonated spring water, while some others have hot, carbonated water. Both are drinkable straight out of the spouts–although you would want a cup for the hot water rather than using your hand! It’s hotter than the hot springs pool.

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We even had a special lunch that had been cooked by the steam of the geothermal vents: cozido das Furnas. It’s a hearty stew of meats, root vegetables, and some leafy greens that have been cooked in a pot underground for at least 6 hours. The photo I took didn’t turn out looking all that appetizing, so I’ve scoured the internet and found this article with a better explanation and decent photograph of the dish.

The last thing I want to show you was probably the top thing on my to-see list in all of the Azores: the lakes of Sete Cidades. One is blue, while the other right next to it is green.

I hope you liked this post! Check back again, as this is only the first post about my Iberian vacation with my family. Be sure to hit the “Like” button, and if you have any questions about any of the sights I mentioned or about São Miguel in general, leave them in the comments below.

As always, thanks for stopping by. ❤