A Visit to the Azores

Nine hundred miles west of Lisbon in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands called the Azores. Although no one knows for sure when the islands were discovered, the Portuguese mark their official discovery in 1431 by Gonçalo Velho Cabral, a captain who sailed for Portugal's godfather of discoveries, Henry the Navigator. The Portuguese began to colonize the previously uninhabited islands in the ensuing decades. 

The Azores have a rich agricultural tradition thanks to fertile black volcanic soil. The region is home to large dairy operations that supply milk to Portugal and further in Europe. The islands also held geopolitical significance beginning in World War II when neutral Portugal allowed British and American forces to build an airstrip on one island and use the region as a base for controlling the North Atlantic. A U.S. Air Force Wing remains on Terceira Island and the U.S. government operates its oldest continuously open consulate on São Miguel Island. The Azores were also home to a large portion of Portuguese immigrants to the United States, especially those who settled in the northeast to work in the whaling and fishing industry.

I traveled to São Miguel three times during my time in Portugal, and Hillary went with me for a four-day trip in January 2012. While I was busy working, Hillary explored the island. One of the island's most famous sites is Lagoa das Sete Cidades, seen at the top of this post. The lake, which lies in a dormant volcanic crater, is actually two lakes, which are ecologically different and have different colors.

The church of Sete Cidades

Because São Miguel's industry is dominated by the dairy industry, there are cows everywhere. 

Downtown Ponta Delgada, capital of the Azores.

Hillary and I stayed the weekend so we were able to explore together and visit a thermal hot spring in the Terra Nostra Park in the center of the island. In addition to a large pool, the park was a great place to explore to see the island's sub-tropical plants along paths that friends said reminded them of Jurassic Park.

The best experience of our trip and among the most unique we have ever had was swimming in the ocean at Ponta Ferraria. Recall that the Azores are in the North Atlantic and we visited in January, so the outside temperature was only in the 60s and the ocean water was about the same. However, there is a small area on the western side of the island where thermal steam flows into the ocean. During low tide, the steam heats the water to where it feels more like a hot tub. Swimming in a warm ocean in the middle of winter was a one of a kind experience.