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In São Miguel, largest and most verdantly beautiful
of the islands, we shall be staying at a boutique hotel, formerly a 17th-century
monastery, in Vila Franca do Campo, the first capital
of the island. A walk through the town provides our introduction to Azorean
architecture, with its typical old churches and mansions. We will drive
to the hot springs at Furnas - where the local dish,
Cozida das Furnas, is cooked in the volcanic soil – and visit the
Botanic Garden, laid out in the 18th century by a prosperous merchant
from Boston. We return along the scenic north coast, visiting a tea plantation.
From the great volcanic crater of Sete Cidades, with
its lush vegetation and twin lakes of emerald and sapphire waters we continue
along the mountain road to Lagoa do Fogo, ‘Lake
of Fire’ and Ribeira Grande, known for its baroque
basalt architecture. Lunch will be at a private country estate or quinta.
We fly on to Terceira, a pleasant island of pastures,
woods and gently rolling hills. Angra do Heroismo has
been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its Renaissance city plan
and fine architecture, reflecting centuries as a port of call on trade
routes with Africa, India and the Americas. We will be staying at the
Pousada de São Sebastião, a 16th-century fort of Italian
design. After a walking tour of the churches and noble mansions, we will
explore the island, including the spectacular grottoes of Algar
do Carvão, the lovely sandy beach of Praia da
Vitoria and the wine-growing village of Biscoitos.
There will be an opportunity to attend Easter Mass in Angra before we
depart for Faial and our second pousada, on the site
of a 16th-century fortress at Horta. A mountain road
overlooking the Valley of Flamencos brings us to the
astonishing sight of the immense crater of Caldeira,
carpeted in green. Equally awesome is the mysterious landscape of the
volcano of Capelinhos, westernmost point of the island.
Snow-capped Pico Alto, the highest mountain in Portugal,
beckons us to the unspoilt island of Pico, a short boat
trip from Horta. The landscape and villages are characterised by stone
walls and rustic homes built from black lava blocks. We will absorb memories
of the traditional whaling industry in São Roque and
Lajes, and see the revival of the production of verdelho
wine, once appreciated at the court of the tsars. We return from Madalena,
on the south coast of Pico, for a final night at the pousada in Horta.
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