Blog Posts pertaining to the Azores Islands
Lagoa do Fogo is a lake inside the caldera of the Água de Pau Massif stratovolcano. The volcano is located in the center of Sao Miguel island in the Azores. This volcano is the youngest of several volcanoes on the island. It is estimated to be 15,000 years old. The volcano collapse unto itself about 5,000 …
The Ocean White Party takes place on the first Saturday of August. It is one of the largest outdoor summer parties in Ponta Delgada. White Ocean Motifs decorate the streets. The people were all dressed in white. The wearing of white commemorates the freshness of the summer days and is an allusion to the foam …
On the evening of Friday, August 4th, I was messaged by, Dominic, a friend who I met on the island. The message was simple… “Can you canoe?” Knowing that the British refer to kayaking as canoeing, I simply replied, “Yes”. Dominic swims at Pesqueiro almost every morning. Pesqueiro is the tidal pool swimming area in …
If you’ve been reading along, then you know I like going to the Azores Forever Cafe for breakfast, lunch, or just beers in the afternoon. It’s a great mix of people and a good place to do some socializing. Among the usual crowd, there are college kids that come in from time to time. I’ve …
It was July 29th, 2023. There were few clouds in the sky. The sun was scorchingly hot! A gentle breeze coming off the water did little to cool things down. The relative humidity was about 87%. This was not the weather to be doing boat work. The humidity was too high for varnish work, and …
Sao Miguel Island is home to several pineapple plantations. The climate is such that this fruit is grown solely in greenhouses. These are the only pineapple plantations in Europe. Pineapple Greenhouses I believe these are the only pineapple greenhouses in the world. On July 27th, 2023, I took a self-guided tour of the pineapple plantation …
Ribeira Dos Caldeirōes Park On Thursday, July 20th, I went to Ribeira dos Caldeirões Natural Park. There are several waterfalls at the park. The biggest and most famous waterfall known is the Bride’s Veil. It is a prominent feature when you enter the park. Bride’s Veil Waterfall The park includes five historic water mills and …
Furnas is a volcano. It last erupted in 1630. There are two calderas. One is just 6km wide. The older one is undetermined because the caldera overlaps that of another volcano on the island just east of Furnas. The area is still very active, but mostly in the form of hot springs and volcanic gasses. …
On Saturday, July 15th, I enjoyed a late afternoon beer at my favorite cafe’; Azores Forever. UB40’s remake of “Red, Red, Wine” was playing. I looked over at a table slightly behind me. The conversation was interesting; part English, Portuguese, and Spanish. All three languages are common, but not in one conversation. There I saw …
It has been overwhelming to decide how to write this post. The Azores are an island archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean near Europe. I am on the largest island, Sao Miguel, in the capital city Ponta Delgada. The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal. The streets are beautifully decorated with black basalt from …
