Mostly forgotten by travelers wishing to discover Portugal, the Azores Archipelago yet hides many surprises. This group of nine islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, is located approximately at 1 500km of Lisbon and north-west of Morocco. True ecological paradise, the archipelago will delight all nature lovers as it offers a rare experience, far from popular destinations of mass tourism.
The first thing you notice in the Azores , are the " fajãs " and the touch of unusual beauty they introduce in this landscape of the other end of the world. Created from collapsing cliffs or lava flows, “fajas” are flat surfaces near the sea.
They are particularly fertile and the microclimate that prevails allows varied and exotic crops such as coffee, especially on the " Faja dos Vimes ". Although they exist in all the archipelago , the vast majority are concentrated on the island of São Jorge . There are in fact a series of 30 small fajãs on the north coast , some of which deserve some attention by their singularity. For example , the Caldeira de Santo Cristo , with its underwater cave and lagoon . Or the " fajã dos Cubres " with another lagoon with crystal clear waters , and the Ouvidor’s one, wich limits seems shaped by the sea.
Note also that the " fajã de la Caldeira de Santo Cristo " is the only place in the Azores where we can find clams, that are said to be delicious . Unfortunately, many of them have recently been abandoned, but it gives the opportunity to take a fascinating journey through time and discover the houses, water mills and fountains used by people for centuries.
For nature lovers , the island of Faial, known as " Blue Island " because of the many hydrangeas that border the fields and paths to the sea, is one of the most beautiful . Point Capelinhos in the extreme west of the island, is one of the main attractions because of the paradoxical landscape it offers compared to the lush vegetation of the island. It is also one of the only places where you can see what remains of the last manifestations of volcanic activity in Faial.
The Volcano of Capelinhos, when it woke up in 1957, added a new section to the island, formed by sedimentation from the ashes. In an almost lunar landscape, is the oldest lighthouse, buried under the ashes.
To be seen also, the "Caldeira das Sete Cidades," which is one of the most beautiful lagoons of the island of São Miguel, with its large crater of 12 kilometers.The view of the “Lagoa Verde” and “Lagoa Azul”, both framed by steep slopes covered with trees and flowers, invite to relaxing walks. Inside the caldera, lies the small village of Sete Cidades, with its houses of popular architecture, its pastures and the small “Lagoa de Santiago”. The towers of Vista do Rei and Cerrado das Freiras offer interesting panoramic views on the road that runs through part of the crest of the caldera with its rows of hydrangeas.
The “Lagoa do Fogo” is also one of the most impressive. Located in the crater of an extinct volcano, it has a huge lagoon with clear water and a beach like a peninsula. It offers an impressive view of the sea and the mountain, and you can find not so far the two lagoons of Congro and Nenúfares, which are of small dimensions but of great beauty.
And this is just a taste of what appears in every way a trip to the other side of the world ...
