Not many people think of the Azores when they think of Portugal. They look at the big cities and the coast lines. With a new route added from the UK, it was added to the top of the bucket list. We headed there over Thanksgiving, which was perfect, as the weather was still in the high 60’s to 70’s. We picked the destination for waterfall trekking and hot springs. We stayed in the Azorean Urban Lodge which offered parking, pool and full kitchen. On arrival the owner mapped out all the sites on the island for us and provided us a list of places to eat. We rented the car through Europcar. If you feel inclined you can book some tours in advance, but I highly recommend getting a car and doing it all on your own.
Western Part of Island
We started the first day off to explore the lakes and craters of Sete Cidades. This is the most photographic part of the Azores and it lived up to all expectations. You can reach this viewpoint if you follow the road up the hill to the abandoned hotel. We decided to enter the hotel, as the rooftop offered some incredible views of the island. It was there that we ran into some of the crew from National Geographic. We headed back down the mountain for the hot springs. Centro de Interpretacao Ambiental Caldeira Velha was gorgeous and easy to find along the road. There is limited parking, so go early if you plan to do this. Don’t forget a towel and flip flops. My daughter still raves about how cool it was to sit in a real life hot tub. There are two swimming areas both varying in temperatures. There is a trekking area which is open twice per day, that offers hiking well above the springs and onto more waterfalls.
Eastern Part of Island
The next day we set out for Lagoa do Fogo and Furnas area. Bring your swimming suit as there are numerous waterfalls and hot springs along the route. Now the Lagoa do Fogo area was a long winding road up the mountain. It took us about 1 hour to make it all the way to the top to capture this incredible photo. We stopped off at the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, which had so much to offer. Behind the large waterfall is an area to reach numerous other falls along the way, you have to cross the river where you see paving stones. From here we headed to Furnas and the hot spring river at Poca Da Dona Beija. Here they offered showers and a more spa experience versus Caldeira Velha, which was more the backpacker’s paradise. We spent the rest of the afternoon in Furnas relaxing and taking in numerous lagoons in the area.
Whale Watching and Dolphins
The final day was the day of our Whale Watching and Dolphin tour. We booked this experience through viator, which I am glad we did as it was sold out when we went to see about other excursions to do. We had an early morning arrival to the port of Ponta Delgada in which we were given full rubber suits, taught some facts about the animals we were about to see and a quick safety brief. Having done these kinds of tours before I expected a full catamaran of people, but on arrival to our boat I knew we were in for more than I bargained for. The boat was a long speed boat in which you sat it in like you were riding a horse. My daughter was thrilled with the speed of the boat and the joy ride past the island to where they had spotted a large variety of whales that morning. The Azores is a migration point so November through March is the best time to see most of the whales. After about 4 hours and many whales and playful dolphins putting on a show we headed back to port. Our tour guide stopped over to Ilheu Vila Franca Campo which is open for swimming and diving in the summer months. The sunken in volcano is limited to visitors and must be booked well in advance. It offers everything from coral, fish and turtle spotting’s as it protected from the oceans current. We ended our trip with a visit to the local cathedral which was decorated for the holidays.
Good tips:
Good hiking shoes, bathing suit and waterproof coat. If you plan to swim in the hot spring bring baby shampoo and a swim suit you are not fond of as the smell of sulphur from the springs is pretty intense and can ruin your clothes and jewellery.
