Azores

This past summer, I planned a trip to the Azores. Many people describe the Azores as the Hawaii of Europe, but it’s more affordable than Hawaii. This collection of islands is for travelers who enjoy immersing themselves into another culture.

There are many activities that I would recommend if you are traveling to the main island Saõ Miguel. First, I would plan your stay in Ponta Delgada. My friend and I booked our stay through Expedia and stayed at Praia deSantos.  The guesthouse had ten rooms and the common areas were fabulous. If you are open to walking twenty to twenty-five minutes to downtown Ponta Delgada, then this is the place for you.

Tours: We booked two tours while we were in the Azores.

1. Seven Natural Wonders: The first tour we did was an all-day excursion and our tour guide took us on a private tour of Saõ Miguel. He took us to the “seven natural wonders” of Saõ Miguel. 

We traveled to the Tea Gorreana and went on a tour of the plantation. After our tour, we were able to enjoy a fresh cup of tea. 

Then we went to the several destinations that had the most incredible views of the island. Our tour guide took us around the island to view the volcanic complexes of Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, and Furnas. We traveled to Furnas and spent an afternoon in the thermal baths and had a lunch prepared under volcanic ash.

Lagoa de Fogo 

Furnas Thermal Baths

Lunch cooked under volcanic ash. 

In addition to traveling to those breathtaking views of the island, we toured a pineapple plantation. It was really cool to see the process in which pineapples are grown and produced.

Pinneapple Plantation

The best part about this excursion was that we had our own tour guide who was giving us a private tour of the island. He was extremely knowledgeable of the Azores and he made additional stops along the way to the "seven natural wonders". I would highly recommend this tour if you are planning to visit.

2. Swimming with the Dolphins: We also scheduled another half-day excursion on a boat to swim with the dolphins. Before booking the trip, I did not realize that this excursion was going to require you to test your swimming abilities. 

When we arrived to the dock, we were instructed to put on wetsuits, goggles, and a snorkel. We rode on a tiny boat off the shore of Ponta Delgada to search for dolphins. Every time our tour guide spotted dolphins, we were instructed to jump out of the boat and swim with the WILD dolphins. 

There were many ranges of emotions that I was feeling during this excursion because I did not have a life vest on and I was swimming to keep up with the dolphins. There were multiple times when I felt nervous because there were also whales in the open waters too. The waves were gigantic and there were many times where I drifted far away from the boat and I was afraid they were going to leave me. Don't worry, it never happened. 

Overall, I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new and checked off another activity off my bucket list. 

Places to Visit: My favorite part about traveling to the Azores was the ability to explore the island day by day. There were so many hidden treasures around the island that were only a bus or taxi ride away. My friend and I stumbled upon black sand beaches to read and relax. 

Black Sand Beaches 

We also traveled to Lagoa and went to an outdoor pool and area to swim along the coast. We also took a forty minute taxi ride to Ginetes to enjoy the hot springs along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. 

Ginetes

Food: The food in the Azores is amazing! The Azores are known for their dairy and seafood. Every meal we had at a restaurant in the Azores was divine and the servers were so kind. You cannot go wrong indulging in delicious meals in the Azores!