Portugal

Portugal

SÃO MIGUEL ,THE GREEN ISLAND OF THE AZORES

Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the archipelago

 

1-SM_Ponta Delgada_01 (1)

 

By Leila Monteiro Lins | Photos by Teresa Oliveira

Sao Miguel is the largest and most populated island of the Azores. It is known as “The Green Island”. The island covers 759 km2 and has around 150,000 inhabitants – 50,000 of them located in Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the archipelago. It has a mountainous terrain with craters from extinct volcanoes that were transformed into enormous lagoons and hot water pools.

4 Must-See Spots

Furnas, in the municipality of Povoação, is home to a significant geodiversity such as a volcanic caldera with a lake fumarolic fields and various thermal springs. It is one of the largest thermal water sources in the world.

 

Receitas tradicionais dos Açores. Foto para Associação de Turismo dos Açores.

Photo by Publiçor

 

 

Regional Food / Cozido das Furnas: This is one of the most emblematic dishes of the island. Baked beneath the earth in the Furnas lagoon, it uses several ingredients placed in a pot that is buried next to the hot water springs. It takes five hours to cook the meal (codfish or meat) in the warm soil.

 

 

 

5SM - Lagoas das Sete Cidades by Antonio Cunha

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Seven Cities Lagoon)  was voted one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal in 2010. There is a 12-km vocalnic crater to the west of Sete Lagoas with two crater lakes lying next to each other: the Green Lake and the Blue Lake.Lying inside a caldera is the idylic village of Seven Cities, with exquisite architecture, green pastures and a picturesque garden with magnificent trees, azaleas and hydrangeas. Photo by Antonio Cunha.

 

 

4-SM CaldeiraVelha

 

 

Caldeira Velha Caldeira Velha is a protected area classified as a Natural Monument of Sao Miguel Natural Park. This place has a thermal spring that feeds two natural pools with temperatures between 27ºC (80º F) and 38ºC (100ºF).

 

 

 

 

 

11SM_Miradouro da Boca do Inferno

 

The Boca do Inferno viewpoint is a special one. Go up to the highest point at 1,000 metres and gaze at the breathtaking views of the Seven Cities Lagoon (Lagoa das Sete Cidades), the Canary Lagoon (Lagoa do Canário) and the Shallow Lagoon (Lagoa Rasa).

 

SERVICE:

Where to Stay : Quinta de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes: www.quintalourdes.com

Hotel Vale do Navio: www.hotelvaledonavio.com

Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort: www.santabarbaraazores.com

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel: +351 296 54 90 90

Where to Eat: Caloura Bar-Esplanada: +351 296 913 283

Alcides: +351 296 629 884

Lagoa Azul: Tel: +351 916405896 +351 296915678

 

DISCOVER magazine’s press trip was hosted by the Azores Promotion Board. 

Leila Monteiro Lins

Leila Monteiro Lins has more than 30 years of experience in journalism and marketing, including media relations, event planning and the development of communication strategies. In April 2010, LML launched Discover Brazil magazine (www.discoverbrazil.ca) in Canada with the goal of making Brazil better known in North America.

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