According to youremailverifier.com, the Azores are part of Portugal and a piece of the European Union – which is about 1,500 km away from mainland Europe in the Atlantic Ocean. The nine large and several smaller islands are also part of Portugal, but have a subtropical climate in which corresponding subtropical plants, as well as Nordic plants, grow. You will come across areas where bananas, pineapples, tobacco, coffee and tea are grown as well as fields with potatoes, wheat and corn and vineyards. The “European” tea of the islands is a specialty that is worth tasting. But the landscape of the Azores makes even more and different things… after all, the archipelago is known among nature lovers – but also among hikers and sailors – for its outstandingly beautiful nature and is considered a flower paradise. Wonderful blue lakes, high mountains and sandy beaches await you as well as lush green landscapes, deep craters of extinct volcanoes and beaches with black sand. With the exception of Santa Maria, the large islands are of volcanic origin and, to be precise, the peaks of gigantic mountains that rise from the bottom of the sea. You can hike through the special crater landscape of the Guilherme Moniz, hike through the 40 square kilometer Sete Cidades crater or go on a climbing tour through a volcanic vent in the Algar do Carvao cave. However, you can also visit Furnas to relax in medicinal springs and thermal baths. And if you are looking for culture in the Azores, you will find it in the capital Ponta Delgada on São Miguel or in the beautiful Renaissance city of Angra do Heroismo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or in Vila do Porto,
Monte Brasil
The Azores archipelago in the Atlantic is an autonomous region of Portugal. The nine islands with a total area of around 2,300 km² are located around 1,400 kilometers west of Portugal. They are divided into the northwest, the southeast and the central group of islands, the Grupo Central. Here on the main island of Terceira, Angra do Heroísmo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the main town. After a severe earthquake in 1980, the city of Angra do Heroísmo was rebuilt.
Region and circular hiking trail
As a volcanic crater on Terceira, Monte Brasil is a popular destination for hiking, trekking or mountain biking. The highest point of the 205 meter high Monte Brasil is the Pico das Cruzinhas. A circular hiking trail leads around Monte Brasil, starting and finishing in the Relvão Park in Angra do Heroísmo. The hiking trail runs through a landscaped area as well as through an almost untouched landscape. The route, which is several kilometers long, is easy to hike overall. On the occasion of a study trip to the Azores, a visit to Angra do Heroísmo is just as natural as an “ascent” on Monte Brasil. The leisurely day trip offers ample opportunity to get to know the fauna and flora, to whale watching and picnicking with a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rest and relax in the Jardim Duque de Terceira
One of the sights in the island’s capital is the almost two-hectare park Jardim Duque de Terceira. Several fountains, arbors and lava stone walls, monument and pavilion create a varied overall picture in the center of Angra do Heroísmo. Monte Brasil, with its remains as a tuff volcano, can be seen from anywhere on the island. It is located between the Bay of Angra and the Bay of Fanal. With the fortress of São João Baptista, Monte Brasil was a central point of defense for the 400 km² island in earlier centuries. The location of the Monte Brasil peninsula on the south coast of Terceira has a romantic to idyllic effect on tourists.
Apart from the main island of São Miguel with the main town of Ponta Delgada, which naturally belongs to a study trip to the Azores, Monte Brasil is an exceptionally beautiful destination for a few relaxing days on the Atlantic beach.
Ponta do Pico
The steep volcanic cone of Ponta do Pico dominates the silhouette of the Azores island of Pico, which is characterized by over 100 craters and cones. At 2,351 meters, the Ponta do Pico is the highest mountain in Portugal.
The huge crater of the sleeping giant volcano
When traveling to the Azores, a visit to the former whaling island of Pico is one of the scenic highlights. Even when you take the ferry from Faial to the Madalena ferry port, the Ponta do Pico mountain can be seen from afar. The huge crater of Ponta do Pico has a diameter of about half a kilometer and is 30 meters deep. Inside rises a small volcanic cone, the “Little Pico”, the Pico Pequeno. Its peak is the highest point of the stratovolcano. The Ponta da Pico consists of stacked layers of rock ejected from eruptions and cooled lava. The last eruption was around 200 years ago.
Panoramic view from the volcanic cone out to sea
Experienced hikers can climb the summit of Ponta do Pico in around 4 hours if they report to the ranger station and attend the safety briefing. Even those who do not want to go up over scree to the summit on their study trip to the Azores can enjoy fascinating views from the stairs at the beginning of the summit path: of the Montanha do Pico, of the green slopes sloping towards the Atlantic and the vastness of the ocean.
Giant caves created by lava
A walk through the huge lava caves, of which Pico has most of all of the Azores’ islands discovered so far, is like a journey into the interior of the earth. A guided tour can be combined with the tour to Ponta do Pico. With a length of 5.2 kilometers and a height of up to 15 meters, the Gruta des Torres is the most impressive cave. It was created because the outer masses of the lava flow cool faster than the inner ones, and huge cavities are formed.
Lagoa das Sete Cidades
The lake Lagoa das Sete Cidades is about 4.37 km² and is located on the Portuguese island of São Miguel. The body of water is the largest lake in the Azores and consists of two lakes, the small southern part Lagoa Verde (Portuguese for “green lake”) and the large northern part Lagoa Azul (Portuguese for “blue lake”), which are connected by a narrow channel are. The lake is beautifully located in the volcanic crater of Sete Cidades and a view from the edge of the crater is one of the biggest visitor attractions in Portugal.
A fantastic panorama
The lakes are about 250 m above sea level and are colored green and blue. It’s actually just a large lake spanned by a curved bridge. The most beautiful view of it is from the main vantage point Vista do Rei, which is 300 meters above the surface of the water. The view from up here is really breathtaking and adorns countless book spines and travel brochures. However, it is possible that you cannot see the lake from up there because the fog or clouds hang over it on some days.
The Lagoa das Sete Cidades is one of Portugal’s seven natural wonders, around which countless legends have grown up. This is where the two lakes Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde meet, which, according to a touching story, were formed from the farewell tears that were shed due to a forbidden love between a princess and a poor shepherd boy. The weeping tears gathered to form the Lagoa Verde and the Lagoa Azul of Sete Cidades, the emerald green lake being created from the tears of the poor shepherd and the sapphire blue lake from the tears of the unfortunate princess.
