The Azores

Things to do

• Natural swim spots all around the island (see below)

• Whale watching: from Ponta Delgada, Rob de Peixe or marina de Vila Franca do Campo (use Azores whale watching terra Azul or futurisma)

• Beaches: praia do fogo, praia dos mosteiros

• Surfing

• Hiking: trails all around the island

• White party (once a year to celebrate the sea)

• Tea plantations: tea porto Formosa or gorreana tea factory

• Tobacco museum in Maia

• Kayak or take the boat from marina de Vila Franca do Campo to Ilhéu de vila franca (rent kayaks or get the ferry, be there at 9am as there is a queue, leaves at 10am)

• Canyoneering (fun activities Azores adventure)

• Waterfalls: Salto do Cabrito, Cascata do Teofilo, Miradouro do Salto da Farinha, Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiro, Salto do Cigarrão, Cascata do Salto do Prego,

• Sete cidades (lots of viewpoints and hiking trails here, miradors da boca do inferno)

• Go to Fernas, see them removing the cooked meal from the ground around 12/12.30 midday, try this dish in restaurant Tony)

• Hot springs: Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha (book online in advance)

• Lots of viewpoints around the island: Ponta do Cintrao, to see the elephant trunk (miradors was Pedras Negras)

Sunset spots

• Praia dos Mosteiros

• Piscinas Naturais Caneiros

Swim spots

• Piscina Natural Da Boca De Ribeira

• Salto do Cabrito (waterfall in waterfall : swim here)

• Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha (thermal baths)

• Piscinas naturais maia

• Piscina natural da boca de ribeira

• Ponta/termas de ferraria (go here at low tide, there is natural heat from the rock below you’ll feel this at low tide)

• Piscinas naturais caneiros

• Praia dos mosteiros

Weather check

• Spot Azores (live cameras around the island)

Whale watching

• Resident: sperm whale, Rissos dolphin, Bottlenose, common dolphin, there are 24 species in the Azores but some are migratory.

• Rissos becomes white at its nose with age because they interact with each other with their nose so they lose the colour

• Sei whale (50km/hour) : juvenile + they were travelling that’s why they were going up + down to breathe

TO EAT

• Bar coloura

• O America de barbosa (mosteiros)

• Restuarante tixico (Ponta Delgada)

• Louvre michaelense

• A tasca (Ponta Delgada)

Azores Pineapples

• 6,000 houses growing the fruit in over a span of 2 years

• Unique to the Azores! No where else in the world grows them in this manner.

• Pineapples were introduced to Portugal in the 16th century (they’re native to South America)