As we landed in the Azores, the cloudy skies matched my fuzzy knowledge of the islands. I’d heard of them, but knew little else. Fueled by excitement more than sleep, we headed straight to Sete Cidades, an extinct caldera with several lakes. The pictures in our guidebooks were incredible, but at the overlook we were in the clouds with nothing to overlook. Still, we enjoyed a brief hike to see the remains of an aqueduct called Muro das Nove Janelas, and driving down into the caldera enjoyed the village of the same name and views across the lakes before driving up, out, and to the coast.
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| Muro das Nove Janelas |
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Pines through the arches of Muro das Nove Janelas
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The sun was shining in a sleepy village of tight streets and homes with their favorite saint on the walls, and as we walked to the beach I was blown away by the beauty of Ponta do castelo. I knew from my geology classes that we were just off the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and that these islands were formed volcanically, but wasn’t expecting the clear turquoise water and black basalt formations just off the coast. There wasn’t much of a beach here, but I eagerly clambered down to the boulders for a closer look and was giddy to see olivine crystals shining back at me, confirming that these materials got their start deep in the earth.
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| Ponta do castelo |
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| Olivine in the rocks at Ponta do castelo |
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| Ponta do castelo |
From there we headed back to the island’s main city, Ponta Delgada. We started with a quick visit to a military history museum in their old fort, which left more questions than answers. Thankfully we encountered a few American tourists who helped explain the island’s importance in WW2 to the Allies, and that there is still a US military base on another island. Strolling around the city center, I loved seeing the black and white buildings that incorporated basalt into their architecture.
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| Portas da Cidade (city gates), Ponta Delgada |
Our overnight flight started to catch up with us, and we drove to our hotel in Povoacao for an early night. The hotel was a good deal, and I was delighted our room overlooked the ocean! I’d later learn this was also where the Portuguese first landed in the Azores.
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Coastal view from Povoacao's harbor
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