Travel and Automotive

Forlornly nestled among in the azure craters, while seamlessly trickling in to every year since 2011. These © Kristy Alpert © Kristy Alpert waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the the quaint cobblestoned villages. violet hued wines are underap- islands are all at once strangely familiar Ferryboats and regional flights char- preciated by locals and undis- and entirely foreign. Powerful salty waves ter visitors to and from these sparsely covered by industry heads, and Enchanted by the crash harshly against dark volcanic stone situated islands. No two islands in the will age well over the next 8-10 on one coastline, while hearty herds of Azores are alike in terms of ambience years (READ: buy them now cattle graze freely within the low stone- and environment, and, although there is before they’re discovered and stacked walls of pristinely maintained a uniform sense of commonality and har- the price goes up!). green pastures. mony throughout the archipelago, each This grouping of islands could be of the nine islands plays its own unique Sao Jorge Get lost in a world that once was worlds away judging by the unpolluted role in the story of the Azores. landscape and rustic remnants of settlers This long and lanky island was cre- Azorean archipelago, and daily life on the zoresBy Kristy Alpert past, but in reality, a trip to this Portu- São Miguel ated by a series of volcanic eruptions in island is equally as simple. Wooden locks A a straight line, creating an almost vertical guese province only takes about four are the main handicraft on the island, Also known as “The Green Island,” and a half hours via SATA Airlines from coastline of cliffs interrupted sporadically and daily activities are centered around São Miguel is by far the most popular Frankfurt International Airport, making by flat areas along the coast called the watching planes navigate through the island to start with when visiting the the islands the perfect place to escape fajãs. The island is great for exploring on peaks and cliffs toward the small airport Azores. It is the largest in terms of land for a few days without wasting precious foot, but tons of locals tend to take to the or hiking down to the two lagoons set and has the greatest population in the vacation time in the air. sea with sports fishing and scuba diving deep inside a volcanic crater. archipelago, with most of the locals resid- The Azores are made up of nine luring most people to the water. The oth- ing in the main city of . The separate islands that were completely er main draw to this island? Cheese. Sao island is a hub for all types of adventures, Faial uninhabited up until the Portuguese dis- Jorge cheese is famous around the world and one of the best tour operators in covered them in the early half of the 15th for its “Queijo de Sao Jorge,” a cow’s milk Although it’s referred to as the “Blue the Azores (Picos de Aventura) operates century. Not one person had previously cheese, cured for months until the rind Island” due to the abundance of hy- directly out of Ponta Delgada, offering stepped foot on the islands until those turns the color of honey and the cheese drangeas that bloom blue in the central whale-watching trips, dolphin encoun- first sailors walked ashore from their develops an almost peppery aroma that slopes of the island each year, the main ters, hiking guides, canyoning tours, boats, literally laying the path toward works as an appetizer or a dessert. activity on Faial actually takes place on jeep excursions, and more. The only tea what would become one of the world’s another azure part of the island. The tidal plantations in Europe are on this island, most underrated oceanfront retreats. Santa Maria pools, black sand beaches, and busy and there’s a huge surfing scene over Although more than five centuries harbor make the water the place to be in at de Santa Barbara, where it’s not The low altitude of this island sets it have passed since the first group of Por- Faial. Swimming, sailing, fishing, wind- uncommon to see pro surfers lapping up apart from its sister islands in the Azores tuguese pilgrims settled on the islands, surfing, etc.; you name it and you can do spoons full of ice cream with locals and in that it maintains a dry, more Mediter- the Azores have remained relatively it on the water surrounding this island. tourists near the beach. The Hotel Talis- ranean type of climate year round. The un-influenced by mainstream Western man and the Hotel Do Colegio are both island has some of the best beaches in culture, adding to its charm as a raw and Flores great spots to stay for experiencing Ponta the archipelago and it’s said that Christo- unsoiled paradise. Temperatures fluc- Delgada’s day markets (make sure to pher Columbus and his crew celebrated Named for the abundance of … wait tuate only slightly throughout the year buy some pineapple at the Mercado da a mass to celebrate their discovery of the for it … flowers freckling the countryside, between 14°C and 22°C, and one look Graca), local lunch spots (Sardinha, a.k.a. New World at the church of Nossa Sen- the isle of Flores is a raw and rugged around the scenic land- Mane Cigano, is Anthony Bourdain’s hora dos Anjos Chapel before returning frontier, bursting with a sort of weathered scapes proves exactly favorite place to munch on fresh fish with home to Spain. beauty that’s amplified by the waterfalls why the word “stress” locals), and local nightlife scene (check and lakes saturating the landscape. Hik- isn’t part of the local vo- out Cantinho dos Anjos). Terceira ing and canyoning through the diverse cabulary. Sapphire blue terrain on this island is insanely popular Despite its size, Terceira is the second and emerald green and it’s worth the trip to explore the seven Pico most populated island in the Azores, lakes dot the country- lagoas (lakes) in the center of the island. and is home to an American Air Force side between vibrant Anyone looking to unwind with some Base in the village of Lajes. The culture farmlands and volcanic wine will find solace on Pico. The second largest of the islands, Pico is a UNESCO is incredibly vibrant on this island, with © TurismoAcores © TurismoAcores © Kristy Alpert World Heritage site and is home to the colorful chapels and ancient castle walls The island of Graciosa is peppered highest point of all the Azores, Ponta do from a former royal prison acting as the with quaint fishing villages set among Pico, a stratovolcano located 2,351 me- backdrop for festivals like the Touradas a ancient streets and grand manor houses ters above sea level. It’s the volcanic soil Corda (bullfighting on a rope), a Portu- and long-standing windmills. The church- on the island that makes the wines pro- guese version of the Running of the Bulls es on the island date back to the 16th duced here so unique among European that occurs weekly from May 1-Sept. 30. century, and Santo Cristo Church acts as blends. Light and mineral whites are sold the main landmark for the city of Santa all over the world, while visitors would do Corvo Cruz da Graciosa. Definitely check out the well to stock up on the island’s full-bodied Furna do Enxofre around noon when the Ah, little Corvo. This petite stretch of © TurismoAcores © TurismoAcores © Kristy Alpert © Kristy Alpert reds before others catch on to the phe- sunlight dances around a vaulted cave seven square miles is the smallest in the nomenal vintages that have been bottled towering over an underground lake. n

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