the big ride Notes from a small What São Miguel, the largest of The archipelago lacks in size, it more than makes up for in punch... island... Words JOHN WHITNEY Photography Joby Sessions

ão Miguel is one of nine reputation as a mountain biker’s volcanic islands that paradise, there was next to nothing make up The Azores online about what its roads were like archipelgo situated in to ride. What little information I the North found was critical: too many cars, and lying 850 miles off narrow, badly surfaced roads, the west coast of nowhere to hire bikes… . While riding You can’t take a few forum posts around, Spinal Tap’s as gospel, and I was reassured by Nigel Tufnel and his all- Andrew Straw, the founder of the-way-to-11 amps came to mind. cycling holiday company Saddle In places, this lush green island, Skedaddle, who’s just set up its first with its abundance of tight lanes and road tours on the island and who had lactate guzzling climbs, feels as if it set up our trip. could act as a stand-in for our own. I had two people for company, Then it’ll throw in a curve ball that Nuno Cordeiro and Rosa Costa, the reveals it to be a landscape painted island guide and business manager on a far grander canvas. respectively of Futurismo, an It may measure just 40 miles Azorian adventure company based across and 10 miles in width but with in the capital, , who a height of 1103m at the summit of are assisting Skedaddle locally. São Pico da Vara (only Ben Nevis and Miguel born and bred, each was Carn Eige top it in the UK), São fluent in the island’s history. Nuno, Miguel isn’t short on drama. a walking Azores encyclopedia, was Roads rise sharply from the coast, behind the wheel in the trailing van, pass up through dense woodland and Rosa was Lycra-ed up and ready and volcanic crater lakes before to jump out and ride. She knows plunging straight back down again. every strip of tarmac on this island Farmers’ fields are nurtured on and was happy to choose her battles. steep inclines that threaten to fold Skedaddle’s holiday itinerary in on themselves. Sulphur gas burps averages around 45 miles over six out from deep beneath the earth and days but I’d just one to see the the close proximity of the north and island, and so asked Nuno to plot me south coastlines disorientates to the a route that took in the best of it point where you’re not quite sure without me having to hitch a lift in where you are. To go with Tufnel’s the van. I knew it would be around fuzzy logic, it’s an island where 80 miles, but had no clue as to the everything is one louder. elevation involved, though I only had to look up to know I was in for plenty of work. If, like John, you love the climbs this I’d actually hesitated about heading “There’s flat and then there’s could be the ideal to São Miguel. As beautiful as it Azorian flat,” warned Nuno, with a place for you looked in photos, and while it had a smile, early on. Flat roads in São

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Miguel, as it turns out, are what but for the island to be as verdant as was often a case of pouring tarmac on São Miguel and some have taken cyclists in southeast England call the The climb out of Sete this, you have to accept the rough over them. Vehicles plus time equals Top right What a back-to-basics approach to their Surrey Hills. with the smooth. It rains a lot here – a sketchy descent. On the whole the goes up, must work. It adds to the off-the-beaten- Cidades was typical of around 1400mm annually – but Rosa roads are in pretty good nick and for come down. track feel I enjoyed about the place. At last... The only way is up insists its reputation for heavy Brits, given what we have to put up The climb out of Sete Cidades was what I discovered – very Nuno dropped me off just outside rainfall isn’t entirely deserved. “I’ll with on our own roads, there was Above John and typical of what I discovered – very out more roadies and motorists have Ponta Delgada, in the of hear on Portuguese radio that it’s nothing too awkward. island guide Rosa direct, very steep – and there’s become increasingly aware of how , right in the middle of some direct, very steep raining here but I look out the Plenty of extended sections of enjoy the view something quite demoralising about they must drive past cyclists. down to Sete ‘Azorian flat’. It was the main road window and see that it isn’t! We get cobbled roads remain on São Miguel, seeing a climb stretched so far out in Cidades on this part of the island, the EN1- more than the but it’s most notably the road round the front. Ignorance is indeed bliss. 1A, a 2.5-mile stretch that averaged nature’s started to reclaim. Built at spread throughout the year, there’s Lagoa das crater at the end Middle right Another steep descent brought I returned to the point where I took Feeling the burn, 2% until a right turn up towards the Above The island’s great expense in the ’80s, it opened no rainy season, and it tends to come of our ride. Add to this its steep me back onto the main road, EN1- the right turn up to Sete Cidades, John remained summit of the Lagoa Azul crater near climate creates a for a few years but has been shut down in heavy bursts. It’s very rare climbs and you wonder why more 1A, and through the towns of Ginetes but instead took another right to blissfully ignorant very scenic and Sete Cidades. I was on a carbon BH since 1990. It now lies abandoned to have a complete day with rain.” pro teams don’t come here ahead of of the gradients and . Again, this is a main traverse the centre of the island vibrant green bike (rented locally, so already and its architecture and classics season. Perhaps it’s the until it was all over road on the island and it’s empty. and an idyllic lunch by the sea at backdrop to our ride contradicting one of the complaints surroundings bring to mind what Training ground unpredictable weather or because The ’90s saw a major upgrade to the Ribeira Grande. Bottom right I’d read of São Miguel). And apart Jurassic Park might look like 25 years Most people would see the long, the riding is too difficult at that time island’s road networks, with major From there it’s the biggest climb A quick freshen from the ubiquitous tractors, it after the dinosaurs ran riot. One of steep descent into Sete Cidades as of year. It could even be that the road up before tackling roads continuing to be opened as of the day, six miles and a smidgen seemed I was on remarkably empty its main selling points were the payback for the climb, but I’ve cycling world doesn’t know about more of the recently as 2011. This one perhaps under 3000ft, to the highest point roads (which chalks off another). views it could offer of the crater, but always been one for going uphill this island, we certainly didn’t. island’s climbs isn’t the best example, but towards accessible by road above the Lagoa That right turn was the cue for the nobody twigged that for so many rather than down, never more so A common sight in Sete Cidades, the north east of São Miguel, traffic do Fogo crater. Fortunately (I think) start of a steeper, irregular climb of days of the year a heavy morning than here. The gradients towards and one familiar throughout the has been diverted away from the I left my Garmin at home. I used my five miles and over 1000ft. Just mist would descend and ruin it. the bottom are horrible – always island, is the use of horse and carts. smaller roads and the result is a road iPhone to map the ride so had no before the summit, and the Rosa says it would even seep into over 10% and up to 25 – and the The financial crash hit São Miguel cyclist’s dream. For a long time Rosa idea about gradients or climbing spectacular viewpoint above the guests’ rooms. surface was poor in places. Many hard. More cows (300,000) than had doubts about the suitability of until I finished. All I knew was that crater, was the ghost hotel of Monte We were fortunate that our trip roads in São Miguel were cobbled people (240,000) in The Azores the roads for a cycling holiday, but this was among the hardest Palace, a derelict structure that coincided with a spell of blue skies once upon a time and resurfacing makes farming the biggest industry no longer. Investment has brought sustained spells of climbing I’d

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From initial hesitation São Miguel proved to be a revelation, simply a mind- blowing cycling experience

done. It’s got aspects of all ways I’d had enough, in local knowledge the famous terrain in A chance to get a others I felt like I was just – the rolling hills of closer look at the getting started with the Getting there Both are available the Ardennes, the medium lake-filled crater island. A quick Strava Direct: from April to near Sete Cidades from London November. For length climbs of the Lake processing at the end Stansted (prices more information District, the longer climbs revealed I’d climbed a start at £65 return visit skedaddle.co.uk of the Pyrenees, even the cobbles of staggering 10,194ft in 80 miles. in January); SATA or call 0191 Flanders. But it’s the sustained Little wonder I was on the brink from Gatwick. 2651110. Via : TAP steepness that makes it unique. of collapse. Portugal and SATA WHERE TO STAY Skedaddle had hosted its first road It’s not a bad idea to base yourself from Gatwick and Ponta Delgada: tour the week before my arrival and in Furnas if climbing’s your bag. It’s Manchester Hotel do Colégio that was the feedback, for better situated in a , which means (hoteldocolegio. and worse. it’s banked on all sides by steep Food and drink com); São Miguel We ate lunch at Park Hotel The summit revealed darker climbs. I wasn’t in any state to ride Tuká Tulá in (bensaude.pt/blog/ clouds shrouding the south side of any of them at this point but out of Ribeira Grande and sao-miguel-park- the island, compared with the sunny curiosity I asked Nuno to show me dinner at Cais 20 hotel) Furnas: Terra north, and is a common occurrence the worst (best?). Honestly, it made in Ponta Delgada Nostra Garden restaurantecais20. Hotel (bensaude.pt) here. At the end of the descent we the Lake District’s Hardknott Pass pt/pt were back onto the southern main look like a molehill. WHAT TO DO road, a leg-sapping stretch that took CYCLING TOURS us through the towns of Vila Franco Plenty to go round Many of the roads is very popular in in this article are the Azores and Do Campo and Agua De Pau. From initial hesitation São Miguel found in guided Futurismo Azores A hopeless drag inland towards proved to be an absolute revelation, and self-guided Adventures the spa town of Furnas finished my quite simply a mind-blowing road road tours from (futurismo.pt) do ride and with Nuno and his van cycling experience. For a pure riding Saddle Skedaddle boat trips (€55 for (tinyurl.com/ three hours) hovering in eyeshot just up the road experience – strip away, say, the cp-smselfguided, it was so tempting to throw in the history involved in riding the tinyurl.com/ TOURIST INFO towel it had been that hard. In some Tourmalet for the first time – I cp-smguided). visitazores.com

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Every corner of this island makes for prime road cycling and I’d only scratched the surface with what I did

might even have it at the Distance: 80 miles (129km) top right now. With our high Some of you might have praise we may have Grade: Very hard – I tried to see as much of the reservations about how just lifted the lid island in one go, so perhaps break it down as on a secret road small São Miguel is and cycling getaway Skedaddle does Download: mapmyride.com/ whether there’s enough routes/view/686713062 riding to spread over a week. Don’t worry, every corner of Starting from to Varzea, where After lunch, this island makes for prime road the São Miguel you’ll again pick up take the EN5- cycling and I’d only scratched the 1 Park Hotel, the EN1-1A. 4 2A to the surface with what I did. It might follow signs for the summit near Lagoa measure 290 square miles, EN1-1A and head Continue on do Fogo, then west to Relva. Take this coastal descend onto the compared to Majorca’s 1400, but the a right onto the 3 road until you south coast and best of that island is crammed into a EN9-1A signposted reach the left turn take a left and join small in the mountainous Sete Cidades for Sete Cidades. the coast road that northwest. São Miguel has also Take it, then an runs parallel to the After the immediate right main EN1-1A. never been easier to get to. Ryanair viewpoint, the onto the M503. had just started flying direct from 2 road descends Take a left onto Ride through Stansted, for a measly £75 return a little then forks the EN4-1A, the towns of when we went. off. Take the road carry on up the 5 Agua De Pau Take a two- (still in the EN9- climb then turn and Vila Franca Do mile flat I’ll certainly be back. Unlike a lot 1A) that heads back on yourself Campo before 6 cobbled road of cycling destinations in Europe down to the lake. with a right rejoining the EN1- down the right- São Miguel has stayed remarkably Go over the turn onto an 1A and taking a hand side of quiet for a place that’s got so much cobbled bridge, unmarked road. right in the Lagoa das Furnas before ending with to offer. It’s about time it took a leaf through town, and This continues to direction of Furnas. carry on back up the EN3-1A, which This is a long drag another two-mile out of Tufnel’s book and turned the the climb. The you stay on until that climbs from stretch down into volume up. descent continues Ribeiro Grande. sea level to 1600ft. the town.

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