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Ribeira Grande - Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort

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How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island

George Cowan

FROM HIKING A ON RUGGED PICO TO SURFING ON QUIET SÃO JORGE. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-explore-the-azores-island-by-island?fbclid=IwAR3KTjlWzIvcM7qFO1d58zvfN_9qkNFu9UN2CQtzz5GA… 1/17 26/12/2019 How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island - Condé Nast Traveler

By TRISH LORENZ November 19, 2019

he Azores, essentially volcanoes in the middle of the Atlantic, are all moody

R E L AT EmounD STO Rtains,I E S jade green forests, waterfalls tumbling into crater lakes, and pasS HtureOW  T hedged by bursts of white, blue, and purple hydrangeas. A five-hour flight from Boston or sixT fromhe Bes Tt Horonotels toin ,I rtheyeland: are 2019 a Rrarityeaders:' Chostillic une Atrammeledwards  by humanity, with only a handful of stone-cottage villages and solitary cliff-top churches—and the first archipelago ever to be assessed for Earth Check certification, the global-sustainability benchmark. The islands are part of , but the people who live here are hardier than their mainland cousins; descendants of whalers and fishermen, winemakers and farmers, who carved their livelihoods out of stone. I've been visiting the Azores for more than six years, drawn back by the high-drama landscapes and calm, unflappable residents, capable of absorbing the elemental force of the sea and nature that surrounds them. As an escape from a frenetic world, the Azores feel like a pretty good place to be right now.

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Rasa lagoon on

George Cowan

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A road running through Flores Island

George Cowan

What to do in the Azores

Climb ,

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-explore-the-azores-island-by-island?fbclid=IwAR3KTjlWzIvcM7qFO1d58zvfN_9qkNFu9UN2CQtzz5GA… 4/17 26/12/2019 How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island - Condé Nast Traveler From afar Pico looks like a child's drawing: an atoll appearing in a cerulean sea, the mountain in the center with a small, slightly off-center triangular peak. It's a rugged four- hour climb to reach the 7,700-foot summit through an extraterrestrial terrain of rippled black surrounded by wispy green ferns and clumps of purple heather. At the top, steam whistles from cracks and the views open up across the more than 200 smaller volcanoes that dot Pico and the other islands.

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https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-explore-the-azores-island-by-island?fbclid=IwAR3KTjlWzIvcM7qFO1d58zvfN_9qkNFu9UN2CQtzz5GA… 5/17 26/12/2019 How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island - Condé Nast Traveler The crashing against São Miguel Island

George Cowan

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Empanadas lagoon on São Miguel

George Cowan

Surf at Fajã de Santo Cristo Lagoon, São Jorge

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-explore-the-azores-island-by-island?fbclid=IwAR3KTjlWzIvcM7qFO1d58zvfN_9qkNFu9UN2CQtzz5GA… 6/17 26/12/2019 How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island - Condé Nast Traveler Santo Cristo is a small village on a circular promontory wedged between mountains and sea —no electricity, no cars, few people. Its hidden surf spot, favored by cheery locals and pro surfers in training, is only accessible by hiking ancient paths down forest-covered cliffs. The almost monastic stillness is broken by the rush of waves rolling onto the stony beach. Even a few hours here is enough to reset your body clock to deep calm.

Take the waters at Furnas, São Miguel R E L AT E D STO R I E S S H OW  The small town of Furnas is in the crater of a volcano that spits, hisses, and exhales sulfur. Locals are blasé;The Btheyest H otuseels sinpecially Ireland: 20 d19ug R pitseaders for' Cho cookingice Awar dsSunda y lunch—cozido à Portuguesa, a stew of meat and vegetables—and bathe in thermal pools. The largest is at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel; just before sunrise, go barefoot to the dun-colored water, vapor forming a cloud above it. Float on your back as the sky turns pink and blue over the mountains.

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The forest surrounding Dos Patos lagoon on Flores Island

George Cowan

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Mount Pico, a 7,700-foot volcano

Reinhard Dirscherl/Cavan Images

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S P O N S O R E D R E L AT E D STO R I E S S H OW  Lagoa - La Maison by White Exclusive Suites & The Best Hotels in Ireland: 2019 Readers' Choice Awards  Villas

Lagoa

Meditate at Dos Patos Lagoon, Flores Island

Flores is probably the most beautiful of the nine islands. Green meets blue in all directions, and at Dos Patos lagoon, a network of waterfalls drop hundreds of feet over emerald cliffs into a small lake. Japanese cedar trees, their bark the color of a fake tan, form a pretty glade around the shore. This place is an immersive spot for the meditative pleasures of true wilderness.

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White, a small cliff-top hotel on Lagoa

Paulo Goulart/Courtesy White Villas

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Pau Pique lagoon, a crater lake on São Miguel

George Cowan

Feast on fish on São Miguel

At Õtaka, creamy limpets are served with yuzu soy, and a delicate whitefish tempura is paired with Azores-grown jalapeño. Assembled by intensely focused 30-something chef

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-explore-the-azores-island-by-island?fbclid=IwAR3KTjlWzIvcM7qFO1d58zvfN_9qkNFu9UN2CQtzz5G… 12/17 26/12/2019 How to Explore the Azores, Island by Island - Condé Nast Traveler José Pereira—born here but trained abroad—the menu combines Portuguese and Japanese influences, with all ingredients line-caught.

WATCH THIS

The Most Under-Appreciated Spot in the Atlantic

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Stay: At one of the 10 cliff-top suites at White on Lagoa, Lava Homes on Pico, or recently opened Sul Villas on São Miguel.

Get around: It's easy to ferry among the five central islands (Pico, Faial, São Jorge, Terceira, ), and between the western (Flores and Corvo) and eastern islands (São Miguel and Santa Maria), but you'll want to fly between groups.*

At sea: From Pico Island, Futurismo employs former whale hunters to help spot the creatures.

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A room at Pico's Lava Homes hotel

Courtesy Lava Homes

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Atlantic bonito sashimi with jalapeños at Õtaka

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