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Portugal's adventure playground, where you'll forget about the pandemic

Scattered way out in the Atlantic Ocean, but part of Portugal, the Azores seems designed to escape a world in chaos - getty
Scattered way out in the Atlantic Ocean, but part of Portugal, the Azores seems designed to escape a world in chaos - getty

Somewhere between the beach and the day’s second waterfall I have a sudden realisation: I haven’t thought about the pandemic for hours. Maybe even all day. It’s a similar experience the next day. And the day after that.

Scattered way out in the Atlantic Ocean, but part of Portugal, the Azores seems designed to escape a world in chaos. Almost as close to Boston as London, the nine islands have been left almost untouched by the pandemic: roughly 200 cases and 15 deaths.

But it’s not just the limited spread and mandatory testing on entry that helps you feel as mentally separated from the rest of the world as you are geographically. Criss-crossing São Miguel for a week on winding roads hemmed by brilliant, football-sized blue hydrangea flowers, I was rarely in close contact with anyone outside my family. The rolling, cow-studded fields, natural hot springs, waterfalls, rainforest hikes and volcanic beaches are the attraction, not nightclubs and bars.

An hour’s drive feels like a whirlwind tour of three or four different countries: Ireland’s oversaturated green pastures, New Zealand’s mystic mountain paths, the rainforests of north-eastern Australia and craggy volcanic beachfront reminiscent of Iceland. Not to mention the diversity of the other eight islands and the ocean itself, where boat tours allow whale watching and swimming with dolphins.

An hour’s drive feels like a whirlwind tour of three or four different countries - getty
An hour’s drive feels like a whirlwind tour of three or four different countries - getty

On a clear day, the stunning Vista do Rei (King’s View) over the two-toned Sete Cidades (Seven Cities) lakes is almost worth the four-hour flight from London alone. The view is even better from the roof of the once-luxurious Monte Palacio, an abandoned hotel that’s become an attraction in itself for more adventurous visitors since going bust in 1990. Staff were reportedly given the bad news on the same day it was crowned Hotel of the Year, and the insides have been so thoroughly looted even the elevators are gone.

When clouds inevitably arrive to spoil the spectacular views, (this is a real “four seasons in one day” kind of place, even in August), the island’s many natural hot springs beckon. Boiling, iron-laden water courses through São Miguel’s volcanic veins, bubbling to the surface to create some of the island’s most enchanting moments. At Ponta da Ferraria, where the grassy cliff plunges down to harsh black lava rock, low tide turns an ocean pool into a heated open-air spa.

There are waterfalls and hot springs to enjoy - getty
There are waterfalls and hot springs to enjoy - getty

High up in the island’s mountainous centre, the Caldeira Velha hot springs start at a luke-warm natural pool fed by a burbling waterfall and trickle down through three ever hotter man-made ponds sheathed by tropical rainforest. Park Terra Nostra, nestled in the valley formed by the Furnas volcano, offers a more refined take on thermal relaxation. The 12,000-litre iron-rich thermal pool is significantly larger than when American Consul Thomas Hickling built it in the shadow of Yankee Hall 240 years ago but the whole park, with its rich vegetation and soothing secret-garden natural “Jacuzzis”, still exudes a kind of old-world extravagance.

Those same volcanic highways force their way to the surface nearby, where steaming vents, bubbling mud and an almost overpowering sulfur stench lend a somewhat Jurassic air to the tiny village. Visitors are encouraged to sample the water that trickles from countless fountains, each with its own unique flavour ranging from what a melted down ancient Roman spear must taste like, through to slightly off soda water. I took a passing tour guide’s suggestion that a certain fountain was good for pregnant women and another combined well with whiskey with a few grains of salt. By the Furnas lake, families and local restaurants fill large pots with meats, sausages and vegetables and bury them in the volcanic waters to cook the rich, stew-like cozido das furnas.

Many come to spot whales off the coast - getty
Many come to spot whales off the coast - getty

Despite, or perhaps because of, their remoteness, the Azores, and São Miguel in particular, are remarkably self-sustaining. The seafood is rich and varied, from tuna, sea bream, prawns and lobster through to more unusual treats such as grilled ray and limpets. Bar Caloura, a sprawling outdoor restaurant wedged in in the island’s most sought after neighbourhood between a swimmable harbour and a hillside, offers some of the best (and most affordable) seafood I’ve eaten.

On land, the rich, volcanic earth beneath the rolling pastures helps produce some of Europe’s best beef, along with super-sweet pineapples and even tea. The Associação Agrícola de São Miguel Restaurant (São Miguel Agricultural Association) in Ribeira Grande (€18.50 for a 300gr tenderloin, egg and chips) is the gold standard but cheaper options are limitless.

The bulk of São Miguel’s most stunning views and thermal pools are within a short walk of the road. But hiking truly opens up another world, from the roaring waterfall at Salto do Prego and the wind-battered trail approaching Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell) to the terraced Gorreana tea fields and the difficult and diverse Mistérios Negros (Black Mysteries).

Covid impacts, opportunities and bad luck

A mandatory Covid-19 test is worth it for access to this paradise. Of course, that’s part of the reason these islands have the pandemic in check. Regional Secretary for Tourism Marta Guerreiro insists this testing regime is the best way to keep locals and tourists safe and wants all countries to guarantee free tests to any citizen planning to travel overseas and require proof of a negative test on entry.

Coronavirus Portugal Spotlight Chart - Cases default
Coronavirus Portugal Spotlight Chart - Cases default

Whether because of the isolation, the slightly unpredictable weather or just a lack of marketing, international tourists have never flocked to the Azores in the same numbers as the Algarve or even the other autonomous island region of Madeira. But that has been changing every year and Ms Guerreiro says the UK is, without doubt, a strategic market for the region’s tourism sector. With barely any cases and direct flights from London, São Miguel in particular seemed perfectly positioned to attract holidaying Britons. But even though the Foreign and Commonwealth Office declared the Azores a safe destination, they were left off the “air bridge” list in July, due to outbreaks in Lisbon more than 1400 kilometres away.

Last week, just as Portugal was added back onto the travel whitelist, all direct flights from the UK were cancelled for September and October. Ms Guerreiro said even though the timing wasn’t ideal the Azores had great potential for future demand thanks to its reputation as a sustainable destination with unmatched natural beauty, tranquility and security.

“Nature tourism is definitely our anchor product... complemented by nautical tourism, cultural and landscape touring and health and wellbeing,” she said.

As it stands, Ryanair is flying from London to Ponta Delgada weekly from November, while TAP flies there via Lisbon.

Highlights

  • Viewpoints: Vista do Rei, Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo

  • Hot springs: Caldeira Velha, Park Terra Nostra, Poça da Dona Beija

  • Beaches: Praia do Fogo (Ribeira Quente), Mosteiros, Praia Dos Moinhos

  • Restaurants: Bar Caloura, Restaurante da Associação Agrícola de São Miguel (AASM Restaurant), A Tasca, Louvre Michaelense

  • Trails: Faial da Terra - Salto do Prego, Lagoa das Furnas, Chá Gorreana, Mistérios Negros

Tips

  • Always take a rain jacket

  • The iron-laden hot springs can stain light clothing. Wear a dark-coloured bathing suit

  • Use the SpotAzores camera website to check the weather at key attractions

  • Plan your day based on the weather

  • If a viewpoint is cloudy when you get there, just wait. They’ll likely pass in 20 minutes

  • See visitazores.com for more information