A 50th birthday celebration

By Sandra Marsian – Special to Prime

     As we drove the narrow winding roads from Ponta Delgada airport to Furnas, we were in awe of the bodacious blue hydrangeas that endlessly trimmed our path. This was the first hint that our birthday trip to the Azores would be a complete feast for our senses.  

     To commemorate our 50th birthdays, four fellow 1990 graduates of East Longmeadow High School and I decided to gift ourselves an adventure to The Azores. These Portuguese islands – Corvo, Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Pico, Santa Maria, São Jorge, São Miguel and Terceira, all nestled in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic – are a short five-hour flight from Boston.  They are affordable, beautiful and provide ample culture, history and eco fun. We chose to spend the majority of our seven-day trip on São Miguel  – with a quick day trip to Terceira.

     It was a very special way to mark over 35 years of friendship

First stop  – Furnas

     Furnas, located on the eastern side of São Miguel Island, is a giant volcanic crater. Dormant since 1630, its origins are still evident despite enveloping tall green mountains, grazing cows and waving crops of corn. Furnas welcomes visitors with a slight aroma of sulfur from its scented thermal pools, steam holes, hot springs and natural volcanic springs. Natural carbonic water springs are located throughout the town, equipped with taps allowing access. In close walking distance from our boutique- style hotel, Octant, were several steaming calderas (large volcanic craters) that you can easily and safely explore.  The most significant one – Furnas Volcano Caldera at Furnace Lake – is a terrestrial Azorean geosite of educational and cultural significance that is used to prepare Cozido das Furnas, a hearty tender stew of beef, pork, chicken, sausage, blood pudding, carrots, potatoes, and yams slow cooked beneath the earth via volcanic heat. For $3 euro you can visit the vast area of dirt, fenced off and dotted with steaming mounds, each with a little sign noting the restaurant of ownership. This Azorean feast is unique to Furnas, and we enjoyed this, along with other geothermal cuisine, local cheeses, olives and some Azorean wines at Caldeiras & Vulcoes restaurant bar. The region’s medicinal mineral waters are also used in many baked goods, cheeses and meats, perfect for gals hitting 50! A unique, authentic dining experience, it was my favorite of the trip.

     Although Furnas is a small town, you could spend days exploring shops such as Queijaria Furnese for cheese, chocolates and ice cream, hiking the trails at Furnas Lake and enjoying the thermal pools. We soaked our aches and pains away at Poça da Dona Beija, which, for $8 euro offers one and a half hours in its six natural thermal pools surrounded by lush flora and fauna and waterfall features designed to target those tense shoulders for a hands-free massage. A small price for a peaceful and rejuvenating experience known to heal and hydrate the skin, reduce wrinkles, circles under the eyes, and soothe rheumatism.

Next stop- “Lilac Island”

     After our time in Furnas, we headed to the airport for a 45-minute flight to the magical island of Terceira where our guide, Mario, helped us maximize our one day to ensure we experienced as much as possible while on ‘Lilac Island’. We began in the capital, Angra do Heroísmo, which is as historic as it is beautiful.  A UNESCO world heritage site, this town is the oldest in the Azores and is home to multicolored chapels of unique architecture, a 16th century fortress, botanical gardens, an extinct volcano and more cows than people. Marina d’Angra allowed us a distant view of Forte de São Sebastião the first sea fortress of the city built in the 16th century to protect Terceira from pirates. Walking the mosaic-like cobblestone streets, we passed buildings bursting with color and visited Igreja Matrix de São Sebastiao, the oldest church on the island housing ancient frescas. Each building, park and monument was like eye candy, making it difficult to leave, but I was eager to explore Algar do Carvão, a 2,000-year-old lava tube and one of only two volcanos in the world that you can descend into.  After taking 338 zigzagging steps below the surface, you are enveloped by green. Algae and vegetation coat the surface of the cavern walls, nurtured by the cool, damp environment that also provided a refreshing escape from the days’ humidity. This stunning island also offered many viewpoints to stop, learn more about the region and take in its grandeur, including Serra do Cume, allowing a view over the bay and the island interior where the volcanic stone walls create the appearance of a patchwork over the green pastures. 

A view of the ocean

     Back on São Miguel, we moved to a hotel at the oceans edge, Pestana Bahia Praia, located in Vila Franca do Campo.   As we relocated our explorations included visiting beautiful miradouros (viewpoints), we sought out waterfalls, seascapes, lighthouses, and windmills such as the Moinho do Pico Vermelho.  Daunted by the very steep, tight road, we almost aborted our windmill mission but thanks to an alternate route we were able to take in both the red and white windmill, the tiny sea blue Ermido Sto. Antonio chapel beside it and look out over the homes of Mosteiros rolling down to the ocean.

     Sete Cidades, one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal, are two large lagoons named Green Lake and Blue Lake situated in the lush green crater of a giant dormant volcano. Legend has it that the two lakes were formed from the tears of a green-eyed princess and a blue-eyed shepherd as their love was forbidden.  In actuality, the color variation is attributed to the way the light reflects off each lake. Outdoor enthusiasts can find several hiking trails in this vicinity, but we chose to drive to Miradouro Da Vista Do Rei to take photos and were surprised to also find the dilapidated former Hotel Monte Palace, erected in 1989. This unofficial attraction is deemed forbidden but many visitors were investigating the abandoned hotel which closed after 18-months due to low occupancy, despite being the finest five-star resort in the Azores. 

     Next, we traveled to lake level for a walk around the 1,000-resident village within the inactive volcano.  There we approached Casa de Cha “O Poejo” for lunch, lured in by its quaint stone exterior and the baby cows grazing in the yard.  This tea house was modern and bright and offered an extensive array of tea sandwiches, cakes, salads, cheeses, fruits and meats along with teas. I sampled savory local Portuguese sausages, fresh pineapple, delicious orange cake and of course a spot ‘o Chá Gorreana tea. The Chá Gorreana tea plantation, established in 1883, is also located on São Miguel and the special microclimate of the northern region of the island – year-round high humidity and frost-free conditions with a bit of daily rain – is ideal for tea. It remains one of only two European tea plantations, the other being Cha Porta Formosa which is also located on São Miguel.

     To work off our hearty lunch we strolled the streets of this idyllic village in search of São Nicolau church circa 1857. Here we passed by well-maintained stone and white stucco homes topped with terracotta tile roofs along the blue hydrangea lined lanes. It truly felt as if we had traveled back in time and soon, we were rewarded with the sight of an impressive white church trimmed in black, surrounded by a colorful garden.

     Next on our list was a visit to the “gateway to the Azores” and the capital of São Miguel, Ponta Delgada.  As you walk into the seaside city you will find a stunning plaza made of black and white stones and a focal point of arches to welcome you. Scattered across the plaza were various white wicker sculptures – starfish, whale and other sea creatures – as homage to the sea. Even the cobbled streets and sidewalks were art forms, some creating mosaics of stars, fish and other pretty patterns. We spent the afternoon shopping, dining and taking in more striking architecture as well as the spectacularly golden, ornate interior of Igreja do Santo Cristo church.

One final stop

     We could not let our last day be a mere drive to the airport, so we squeezed in a short hike to Cascata do Segredo, a little waterfall tucked away where it once helped power a hydroelectric plant, its channels still viewable today. We then took the winding roads to view Ermida Nossa Senhora da Paz, (Our Lady of Peace Chapel) beautifully perched atop a mountain.  The baroque chapel, constructed in 1764, is impressive as you must climb multiple tiers of stairs, each with blue and white tile religious renderings representative of the rosary and the stations of the cross. According to legend, a shepherd searching for shelter found an image of the Virgin Mary. This image was taken to the priest in the parish church. The next day, the confused shepherd found the same image at the exact same spot, again returning the image to the parish. This happened a few more times, so, the community decided to build a shrine for the image at a better-protected location.  The following day, as the builders were due to start, they found the building materials stacked where the image was originally found and built the Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz on that very spot. A climb to the top not only offers a view of the chapel but also reveals a stonework rosary footpath encircling the large cross as well as majestic views overlooking Vila Franca, Ilhéu de Vila Franca (Vila Franca Island) and the ocean.

     Our climb marked the end of our Azores sightseeing, but we still had time to squeeze in a final seaside lunch at Caloura Bar Esplanada located by the Caloura port, a fishing port and bathing area including a swimming pool surrounded by rock formations as well as the sea. Our Portuguese culinary education continued with more fresh fish such as sardines and octopus, cottage cheese with a side of pimento sauce as fiery in color as it is in flavor, and some fresh Portuguese bread.

There’s more to explore

     With seven more Azorean islands to explore, they beckon a return visit. The friendly people, many of whom speak English, eases travel here, and the food, tours, transportation and accommodations are reasonable priced when compared to other destinations.  Each of us celebrating on this trip had varying lifestyles and interests but São Miguel and Terceira alone provided activities appealing to the historian, the outdoor enthusiast, the theologist, the foodie, the artist and on.  This vacation has reignited my travel flame and has convinced me that 50 will be fantastic.  Where shall we go to celebrate 51?