Looking for a nature-enriched place to visit? A place that feels magical? Then you must visit the Azores!
The Azores, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, is a warm place of a vast community whose geological elements make the set of islands unique and its inhabitants proud of it, with it being made of nine islands. The one that I visited was São Miguel, North of Santa Maria, most known for its volcanic eruption that affected many lives, forcing its many residents to relocate to other places like the US. It's also known for its hot springs and the ravishing green and blue lake, Lagoa das Sete Cidades, having undertaken the crater of the volcano over many years.
Image credit: Damir Babacic from Unsplash
Earlier last year I went on a residential trip to the Azores to explore all the different geological aspects and history and fell very fond of it; it was one of the best places I'd ever visited. The climate was somewhat humid, feeling like the tropics, but not with temperatures ranging from 20-30 degrees Celsius. Being felt so beautiful as the climate is nothing like that in England, where it's raining most of the time. The Azores helped me realise the beauty of nature and what it has to offer us.
Image credit: Gaetan Denaisse from Unsplash
Lagoa Das Sete Cidades
This beautiful spot in the Azores, listed as one of the “7 Wonders of Portugal”, is one of the most breathtaking views one can embark on when exploring this island. Having seen this in person, although the journey was formidable and mountainous, the view was what made the trek entirely worth it, especially the history and legends that it entails. The Lagoa das Sete Cidades is the largest lake in the Azores, measuring around 4.3 kilometres in area, with a depth of 33 metres.
From the dynamic colours of the lake to the overarching trees that overlook this lagoon, it's not originally a lake, but rather the crater of a volcano that had its historic eruption in 1445. Geographically, the set of islands in the Azores is located right on the Eurasian and African plates, moving on a conservative plate margin. To put it briefly, two parts of the ground are moving apart from each other, creating earthquakes as the ground is more prone to be shaken.
There were even reported over 1100 small earthquakes in 48 hours, showing us how much seismic or earthquake activity there is. Although, the earthquakes are always so small that they can be hardly noticeable.
Image credit: Giuseppe B. from Unsplash
There is an interesting legend about Sete Cidades that could, indeed, justify the two tones of the lagoon - with one side being blue and the other green.
The legend of the Sete Cidades tells the story of a blue-eyed princess who tried to have a forbidden love with a green-eyed shepherd. It's said that she fell in love with him at first sight at the Sete Cidades, always meeting him at the lake.
With this love being of forbidden origin, the princess's father, the King, wanted her to marry a prince from another kingdom, so when after finding out about this outlawed love, he forbade her to visit her lover. Broken-hearted, the princess and the green-eyed shepherd are said to have cried so many tears that the two lakes were filled: one green and the other blue - the colours of their eyes.
I think that this is a beautiful story as it deeply reflects how enchanting the lake can make you feel in person.
Image credit: Mayte Garcia Llorente from Unsplash
Whale Watching
When I was about to embark on the journey of whale watching, I was not expecting to see the amount of different whales and dolphins that I did. From common dolphins to orcas (which I managed to spot), I embarked on a rough ride across the sea with around twenty to thirty people in the same boat. The Azores is one of the best places in the world to go whale watching because of its crystal-clear ocean, abundant supply of food, and the legal protection that is offered for there to be a manifold of sea life.
The most sighted whales that can be seen in the Azores are sperm whales, sei whales, fin whales, pilot whales, mink whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and many more.
It is a lot more fascinating seeing free dolphins rather than those trapped in aquariums, having never seen the wild. This certainty that they are liberated sea creatures is almost fulfilling to the eye.
Image credit: Damir Babacic from Unsplash
Ponta Delgada Mosteiros
The beautiful small coastal town, located on the northwest coast of the island, is most known for its fishing and its sea with its cultural, architectural, and gastronomic heritage. Strangely enough, the Mosteiros is the result of a volcanic eruption. So what exactly is its history as to how it became the way it is today?
The name “Mosterios” derives from a small chapel dedicated to the “Our Lady of the Mosteiros”, a 16th-century Roman Catholic church that existed in the region.
Nowadays, monasteries are on the rise of evolving, as locals are consistently looking for new excuses to preserve their cultural history.
The biggest festival in the parish of Mosteiros takes place every year on the third Sunday of August; a religious festival. This religious festival celebrates the four patron saints of the region (Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Santo Antão, São Pedro and Coração de Jesus).
Image credit: Nuno Antunes from Unsplash
The Furnas
Due to the geological activity on this island, when tourism embarks, there are manifolds of steaming calderas and fumaroles of different temperatures and biological compositions, consisting of sulfur, for those to praise. Temperatures range from 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) to 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), perfect for cooking! When I visited the Furnas, we boiled eggs and used some of the sulfur water as fizzy drink mixers.
There are also other hot springs of lower temperatures that you can visit if you're up to hopping in.
Image credit: Ronan Furuta from Unsplash
Set Out, Explore!
With so much to dissect in the Azores, I recommend visiting it highly. Who knows, maybe this will be the start of your journey from one place to another.
