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 in Ponta Delgada.
Pineapple Greenhouse
The greenhouse shown above was not part of the tour. The fruit in this greenhouse was still maturing. It takes two years from the time a bulb is planted until the fruit is ready to be harvested. The Azores harvests about two million pineapples each year.
A Young Pineapple About Two Months Old
The pineapples shown below will be harvested this year.
Inside a Pineapple Greenhouse
The pineapples grown in the Azores are a little smaller than those in Costa Rica or Hawaii, which are grown outdoors. However, these are really sweet and have almost no bitter or acidic taste.
Here, on Sao Miguel, you can get pineapple jam, mustard, chutney, desserts, and main meals have pineapple… It’s amazing with fish! There are also pineapple liquors.