{"id":671909,"date":"2025-04-24T16:16:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T14:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/?p=671909"},"modified":"2025-08-08T13:57:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T11:57:54","slug":"acores-voyage-in-the-middle-of-the-atlantic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/acores-voyage-in-the-middle-of-the-atlantic\/","title":{"rendered":"Azores, a journey in the middle of the Atlantic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine islands lost like Atlantis in the middle of the ocean. The very tip of Europe is an almost tropical garden, with lush vegetation rising from the lava. Nine islands, nine different microcosms. We visited four of them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Eric Vancleynenbreugel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Portugal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Azores are one of the farthest places from any other land and, above all, from any continent. Not quite in Europe, 1300 km to the east, but still too far from America. An almost tropical garden, with lush vegetation rising out of lava. A peaceful, zen-like universe, far removed from the rest of the world. It's this exhilarating feeling of having arrived in a world apart that pervades as soon as you land on the island of S\u00e3o Miguel, one of the closest to Europe. S\u00e3o Miguel is also the largest (70 kilometers long and 20 wide), the most populous, home to over half the population, and the \u00abliveliest\u00bb. At least in Ponta Delgada, because as soon as you leave the capital, you enter a world that seems to have remained unchanged for centuries. The pure Atlantic air and limpid light add an extra dimension. Far from the rest of the world, you paradoxically feel closer to the elements that make it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S<\/strong>\u00e3o Miguel, the green island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e3o Miguel is the flagship of the Azorean fleet! And a fabulous botanical garden to which it owes its nickname of green island. A slightly misleading color, since, as my guide Eduardo explains, \u00abwe have no idea to what extent the Azoreans had to struggle to survive as soon as they arrived in a place that was so remote from Europe that there was no way out in the event of a shortage, earthquake or volcanic eruption\u00bb. Almost everything grows, but it took time to acclimatize what was needed to eat. With contributions from other worlds, the islanders developed a multitude of techniques, crops and means of subsistence: wheat, sugar cane, vines, citrus fruits, olive trees, pineapples, tea, tobacco, cattle breeding and even whale hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of a high-pressure system, it's always sunny in the Azores, don't you think? However, the famous weather phenomenon is not synonymous with radiant weather every time it passes. \u00abWhen it's positioned just above the archipelago, the weather can change very quickly. It's better if it's a bit off,\u00bb confirms Eduardo. \u00abSo we sometimes experience four seasons in one day. On the other hand, temperatures never drop below 15\u00b0C, and summers are sunny, without the long periods of rain so traditional here. If it starts to rain, just wait a few minutes or change altitude, and you'll often find a lull or even a ray of sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who still doubt the volcanic origin of the Azores will be definitively convinced by a visit to the Furnas site. The fumes rising from the bowels of the Earth, the smell of sulfur and the mud pots are a reminder that we're right on the fault line that separates Europe, Africa and America. Cleverly, the locals have long made use of this free heat. On the shores of Lake Furnas, they have dug holes in the lava into which they plunge hermetically sealed pots. After cooking for seven hours, they feast on cozido<\/em>, a kind of Azorean pot-au-feu. We also love Furnas for its fantastic botanical park. Conceived at the end of the 18th century by the American consul, it was constantly improved and enlarged by successive owners. Today's 12-hectare park boasts thousands of specimens from all over the world, some of which are unique in Europe. As you venture along the narrow inland roads, the panorama changes at every turn. From belvedere to dormant crater, you'll be amazed. The most famous site, Sete Cidades, is a volcano caldera now covered by two lakes of different colors: lagoa Verde and lagoa Azul. Legend has it that seven cities were buried here by an eruption, fuelling the myth of Atlantis. Meadows perched between mountain and ocean recall Ireland, lava fields Iceland, cedar forests Japan, vineyards planted in ash the Italian island of Pantelleria, giant tree ferns New Zealand. Remnants of the laurisylve (subtropical rainforest) typical of Macaronesia put things back in place. And wherever possible, flowers galore: hydrangeas, agapanthus, azaleas, rhododendrons, strelitzias, even on the roadsides... No, the Azores are far from monotonous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Terceira, the purple island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Terceira means \u00abthird\u00bb in Portuguese, as it was the third of the Azores to be discovered. In the 15e<\/sup> and 16e<\/sup> In the 16th century, the heavy Spanish and Portuguese galleons called here and stored all the riches (spices, gold, silver, precious stones, silks and porcelain) brought back from distant lands in the warehouses of Angra, the first European city to develop in the middle of the Atlantic. To keep the spices fresh, transactions took place directly on the boats in the bay. Angra remains a marvel to behold, inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List. With its steep, cobbled streets lined with palaces, monasteries, churches and colorful houses, it is already reminiscent of Brazil's colonial towns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All summer long, Terceira lives to the rhythm of the bull runs (tourada a corda<\/em>). Held on a rope by four men, they wreak havoc on village streets, jostling the slower ones and sometimes venturing where they're least expected. It's a chance to show off your bravery to neighbors and friends. Chronicles recount that it was these animals that saved the island from the first Spanish invasion. About to be overrun, <\/a>the Azoreans rounded up all the bulls they could find grazing on the heights, set their tails on fire and drove them towards the Spanish army in what was undoubtedly the biggest bullfight in history. Even today, bulls are released on any occasion, including weddings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terceira has kept its traditions and architecture intact. The small, colourful chapels (the imperios<\/em>) raised in almost every village. They are linked to the tradition of the feast of the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday, from Pentecost to summer, processions set off from the imperios<\/em> and criss-cross the villages, with the aim of warding off any disasters that might threaten the Azores. Each week, the procession elects an \u00abemperor\u00bb, and all culminates in a grand meal offered to all and, of course, a \"festival\". tourada a corda<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Terceira, as in the 9 islands of the archipelago, volcanoes were a major factor. The lava stones that covered the land were patiently piled up to build low walls and protect the crops. In Biscoitos, the boulders surrounding the vines reminded sailors of the hard cookies (long-life breads baked several times) they ate at sea, to the point of giving the village its name. Expelled from the depths of the ocean, the Azores lack beaches. This doesn't stop people from taking a dip in the many natural pools along the coast, which fill up with the tides. Those at Biscoitos, surrounded by black lava, are among the most surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Faial, the blue island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, there's the pastel blue of the hydrangeas that bloom here by the millions every summer. Then there's the deep blue of the ocean. More than any other island in the Azores, Faial's destiny is closely linked to the Atlantic. Since time immemorial, it has served as a stopover for transatlantic links: ships, telecommunications and the first airplanes all passed through Faial, which has become the aircraft carrier of the Atlantic. And sailors from all over the world still call here. In the port of Horta, old riggings and fishing boats rub shoulders with small hulls and the massive yachts of billionaires. In this little haven at the end of the world, so long hoped for after sometimes long weeks at sea, sailors have their habits, including getting out their paintbrushes and leaving a lasting trace of their stopover on the quays. Each time they pass through, they add a date and add a few colors to their frescoes, weathered by wind and sea spray. Then they meet up at Peter's place, Caf\u00e9 Sport, just opposite the quays. It's the haunt of all the sea wolves who come to tell their seafaring stories over a gin and tonic. The founder, the grandfather of Jos\u00e9, the current owner, used to help visiting sailors. One day, an English sailor saw Jos\u00e9's son, whom he said resembled his own son, and asked if he too could call him Peter. The name has since been added to the bar sign, which still serves as a resting post for sailors. An inexplicable and unforgettable atmosphere, complemented by a visit to the upstairs Scrimshaw Museum, a superb collection of engraved sperm whale teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life on Faial and Pico was punctuated throughout the 20th century by whaling. It was an activity that remained traditional in its methods: the Azoreans hunted cetaceans by rowing long boats. This hunting activity complemented their occupations on the land. Until 1986, when a lookout spotted the blow of a sperm whale, the men would leave their fields or businesses and climb into their long boats. box<\/em>. Six rowers, a harpooner and a crew chief prepared for a fight with an uncertain outcome. Today, the harpoons are put away and the whalers are reconverted. They are farmers, cafe owners or fishermen, and they still tell each other stories about... whales. Whales, sperm whales and dolphins, duly protected, are now only approached for observation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten volcanoes follow one another from the center of the island to the coast! 1957: at the tip of the island, a volcano suddenly erupts from the waves just off the coast. Nearby villages were quickly evacuated as houses began to crumble under the ashes. This initiative prevented any casualties. For thirteen months, the bowels of the Earth spewed lava, ash and incandescent bombs, and the island gained 2.4 square kilometers, now reduced by erosion. The nearby lighthouse was buried up to the second floor. Since 2007, this relic building has formed the basis of a highly successful interpretation center. The scenery remains Dantesque, and you can walk around it like an astronaut on the Moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pico, the grey island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Four kilometers of sea separate Faial from Pico and its volcano, a gigantic, almost perfect gray cone which, when covered in snow, takes on the air of the Fujiyama of the Atlantic. Pico can't leave you indifferent. More than any other island in the Azores, it lives to the rhythm of its enormous volcano. The youngest in the archipelago. A monster that has awoken several times since the beginning of human occupation. Pico is the Atlantic island par excellence. Small, perched roads cling between volcano and ocean, from which the view plunges vertiginously down to an inky-blue sea. Sleeping craters invaded by freshwater, fat pastures and cows that often have no other limit than the precipice. A rare phenomenon, the volcano was completely free of its usual crown of white clouds when we visited, allowing us to appreciate all the more the sheer size of Portugal's highest peak. You can walk for hours without seeing anyone. The few volcanic stone villages, all located on the coast, still seem to bear witness to the harsh life of the past. Not so long ago, Pico made its living from whales and wine. verdelho<\/em> which it exported as far away as Russia and Brazil. The farmers here are the most renowned in the archipelago, having succeeded in working the land under the worst conditions: patiently clearing their small plots of land cluttered with volcanic stones and piling them into low windbreaks, not to mention periods of drought. These currais<\/em> still dot the landscape along the coast and have been classified by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. As soon as you move away from the island's three micro-towns, or go up towards the heights, Pico once again unfolds its wild valleys, still covered with their original vegetation. For total solitude, there are still two islands to the west, Flores and Corvo, and then nothing before New England...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carnet de voyage<\/u><\/strong> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n