Tag: romanna skysurf travel adventure

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

“Are you kidding? I want to spend my life on this island; I’m in love with it!” That was Joao’s answer. He was born on San Miguel island and lived here all his life – 25 years. I was wondering whether he ever thought to move somewhere else. Usually, young people are trying to find a better life in big and crowded cities. But he doesn’t.

We came to the beach with friends early in the morning. There was a strong wind blowing from the ocean, and waves crushed cliffs so loud every few seconds. This view and sound were wild — pure nature beauty without any human impact.

“You see? How can I move from this place? Just imagine, I can see and hear this every day. And every day I’m impressed with it.” I understood him now 100 percent. To tell you the truth, I was jealous. Isn’t it a dream life?

Ponta Delgada city.

More and more people discover the Azores every year. Even though the amount of travelers is growing, it is still not a well-known destination. Locals have their routine, and it is not much affected by tourism. At least I had such a feeling.

So let me tell you about the capital city, Ponta Delgada, located near the ocean. There is a comfy airport near the city – you don’t need to spend too much money to get to your accommodation. I was in a good mood that day and made it on foot. Anyway, you can catch a taxi, and it will cost you 10-20 euros (in Ponta Delgada).

I can’t say there was something incredible there. But I am sure that you need to walk through this city at least for a few hours. It seems like anything I saw before. Some areas are full of colored one-floor houses; in others, there are black and white, three-floor buildings. Quiet and tiny streets seem inhabited in the evening.

I am sure there should be some fancy places, but I had not seen one. We found a few places where locals eat. Lovely budget cafes where you can get some meat or fish, French fries or rice, salad, coffee + one more drink just for 6.5 euros! Also every day we used to cook by ourselves. For example, the cost of products including wine, seafood or meat, and fresh vegetables was 20 euros for three people, isn’t it nice?

There are three-night clubs on San Miguel island. Locals say that two of them are not worth visiting. Usually, young people gather in one of them on weekend nights. But during my visit, the San Joao celebration was held, and I was told that all the people on the island would gather in one place. Even though I was expecting something boring from the religious celebration, it surprised me!

I couldn’t imagine so many people are on the island. There was some music festival with Portuguese popular bands and DJs. I never heard of any of them. But when all those people were singing songs, that was so incredible! I think that experience was much better than a night spent in a club. Entrance for one day cost 5 euros. 2 days – 10 euros.

What else to see on San Miguel

There is no industrial production here and no fish exporting. So I wondered – what do they do here? Local people develop agriculture and livestock.

You will be astonished by the fact the most famous fruit on the Azores is pineapple. I found it strange at first because the climate is too cold for them. For many years one family is an owner of pineapple plantations where they grow in the greenhouses.

Did you know that pineapples need two years to grow?

There are a few greenhouses that you can enter free. There you can see how they grow. From 1-3 months until ready to eat.

Interesting fact Azorean pineapples are much smaller than the usual ones. Their core is edible and has a rich aroma. For example, if you will leave the fruit in a room for a few hours, it will fill the room with its smell.

Another place worth visiting – tea plantations.

In the 19th century, the Azores were producing 250 tones of tea per year, but now there are only tea plantations on San Miguel.

The same as with pineapples, this is a family business, and now the fifth generation is taking care of it. Except for plantations you can visit a tea fabric, see how everything works, and try the tea. It is named Cha Gorreana, and it was established in 1883. Exported are the most significant parts of the harvest; to continental Portugal and other countries.

Discovering the island, you can find lots of cows. But you need to know that on Terceira island there are more cows than people! Because of the climate in Azores cattle spend all-time outdoor eating fresh grass – this is one of the main rules of the “Happy Cow” program. Local dairy products are one of the best in the world because of the highest standards. Locals make sure the cows are happy – they have perfect fields with grass and fresh ocean air 365 days per year.

Raging fumaroles, boiling water, dust and a smell of sulfur; Feels like you found yourself in Iceland! This place is a complex of geothermal springs near Lagoa das Furnas and Furnas village. Entrance fee – 2 euro.

It seems better to avoid this place. Nevertheless, locals found to benefit from it. Vat das Furnas is famous for its Cozido das Furnas dish. A vat with meat and vegetables is buried under the ground over hot springs for 6 hours; This is how it’s prepared in a “natural oven.” After the vat is rigged up and transferred to the restaurant where you can try it.

This is life on the Azores!
Hope you enjoyed my story.

See you soon!

– Romanna

Previous post: To See Everything in Two Days – the Fast Itinerary of the Azores

Next post: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean – Madeira Island

Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only).  To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram

To read more of Romanna’s SkySurf.Travel adventure blogs, click here.

 

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

How to travel in San Miguel island without a car? On the first day, I realized that it would be difficult. However, I found the optimal solution that saved my visit.

The Yellow Bus Sightseeing goes from the city of Ponta Delgada every day except on Monday. There are two ring routes for one day. I already wrote earlier that you could buy a one-day pass for 18 euros, and a two-day pass for 22 euros. Every day the route changes, so in two days you can see most of the natural attractions of the island.

Of course, you need to understand that sightseeing in the Azores is mostly by walking. Do not forget to bring trekking shoes or at least comfortable ones, as you will have to be on foot all day long. Do not worry about the wild nature – there are no dangerous and poisonous animals on the island, so feel free to go on a trip!

Day 1

The route starts in the center of Ponta Delgada; there are two stops where you can catch a bus. They depart every hour, which is very convenient.

First stop is Ribeira Grande, a small cozy town where we quickly walked and decided to have breakfast and gain strength for a long day.

The second stop is Salto do Cabrito. From the bus stop, you need to walk for 20 minutes to get to the waterfall. There is also a walking trail for 3 hours, but we were worried about not having time to see all the sights for that day. That is why we decided to be limited to only a waterfall.

The third stop is Caldeira Velha. Do not forget to take a swimsuit – it is a park with thermal springs. Entrance fee – 5 euros for a walk, and 8 euros if you want to swim in the thermal pools. The ticket is valid for two hours, and after that, you need to leave the park. On the territory, there are three pools, and each has varying temperatures – from warm to hot. Surprisingly, there are a lot of people here. We returned to the park twice. We hoped that during the rain there would be fewer tourists in the pools.

But we were wrong! Even during the rain, dozens of people enjoyed the warm water in the springs. Upon request, you will receive a key for the locker where you can leave your belongings, and then rest easy.

Fourth stop – Lagoa do Fogo

In Portuguese, the word “Lagoa” means the lake. Interestingly, Fogo means fire, although I would call this place “foggy one” – most often clouds gather over it and the fog thickens. I advise you not to get upset if you come and see nothing. Throughout the territory of the Azores, where the weather changes quickly, the fog can dispel within 15 minutes.

Located in the central part of the island is the lake. The bus stops here for 10 minutes; you can take a few photos and go farther, or you can stay and wait for the next flight in an hour. There are several hiking trails – one leads down to the lake, and the second one – upwards, where it offers a great view.

The last stop of the route is the observation deck Lagoa do Fogo. The view is almost the same, only from a higher height. On this stop, the first-day route ends. The bus takes you to the Ponta Delgada city, where the itinerary started in the morning.

Day 2

The route starts at the same point in the center of Ponta Delgada but then changes its direction.

First stop is Lagoa das Empadadas. There are two lakes along the trekking route. Honestly, they did not impress me much. But a walk through the forest that leads to the lake was spectacular. I even was jealous of the people who rode the quad bikes there; it is a very convenient way to travel the area.

The second stop is Lagoa do Canario. It was funny because when we first came to this stop, we did not know where to go and spent an hour at the not so beautiful lake. As it turned out, we needed to continue our journey in a completely different direction. Half an hour on foot and here we come to the most famous place on the island!

Here you can see three lakes – Lagoa Verde, Azul, and Santiago. Interestingly, the water is of different colors – green and blue. We spent more than three hours there, and it was impossible to stop staring at such beauty!

The last stops are Vila das Sete Cidades and the observation deck. At these stops, you can go out if you want to walk around the city and have dinner. We were impressed with the intense day and were so tired that we decided to go home. Our host lives in the suburb of Ponta Delgada; we had to spend another hour to get to the place where we were staying.

So in just two days, we saw the main attractions of the island of San Miguel, considering that public transportation was our only way of getting around; I think we did the maximum possible.

But that is not all! I will tell you about other exciting places and life on the island in the next article. See you!

– Romanna

Previous post: Have You Ever Heard of the Azores?

Next post: Life on Azores

Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only).  To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram

To read more of Romanna’s SkySurf.Travel adventure blogs, click here.

 

This is a series of blog entries from SkySurf.Travel’s first travel hiree, Romanna.

Surprisingly, most of my friends did not even know about the existence of the Azores, and could not guess the location. Those who know about this fantastic archipelago, who at least once saw the photos, unanimity claim that this is a fabulous place!

I first found out about the Azores a year ago. I saw a photo of hydrangeas growing along the road and fell in love with the view. In my town, only flower shops have hydrangeas; and here they grow like regular bushes along the road. Then I began to look for the location of the Azores and came across information about the island of Sao Miguel. I could not even dream that I would get here in a year!

Why you should choose the Azores

Located in the center of the Atlantic, between Europe and America, is the Azores archipelago of nine islands. For example, from the main island, the flight to Boston last only five hours!

Sao Miguel is called the Green Island. Not surprisingly, remembered for a lifetime are the views of the lush green plants. It is the largest of the Azores; its length is 75 kilometers, and the tire is 14 kilometers.

If you are interested in a beach holiday, this direction is hardly suitable for you. Of course, there are some beaches here, but the weather does not always dispose of it. In the winter the average temperature is 14 degrees and in the summer, 21! A very mild climate, but with character. Most of the time, clouds gather over the islands – they “cling” to the mountains. And you may not be surprised if the pouring rain will go on for five minutes, and then the sun will shine brightly for ten minutes; then everything will fog up, and it will rain again, and then the sun will return. Oh, to predict the weather on the Azores is not possible! Therefore, every day in a backpack, you need to have sunscreen, sunglasses, and a raincoat!

There are very few tourists on the island, so if you want to visit a non-banal direction, you will like it here! It is quiet and calm, and civilization has hardly touched wildlife.

How to get to the Azores

The easiest way to get to the Azores is by plane. Several airlines fly from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, and it’s easy to find a flight. Just two hours and you’re on a fabulous Green Island! Also, in the warmer months, you can come here by ferry.

Transport

On the island, you can rent a car, use public transport, or touristic. And now more about each island:

In the capital city, Ponta Delgada, public transportation is well developed. There are four lines of minibus routes. For convenience, you can download the PDL application on your mobile phone to know the exact schedule. Please note – buses operate from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm and only on weekdays!

Also on the island of Sao Miguel, ten bus routes travel between cities.

Car rental

Traveling around the Azores by public transport is complicated; I was unprepared – rare shuttles, high cost, short hours of work, all this caused inconvenience. But when I decided to rent a car for at least a couple of days, I was amazed! For the smallest car with a manual transmission with full insurance, provided that I do not want to leave a deposit on the card of 1,500 euros, the cost was 120 euros per day! I was shocked – it’s more expensive than renting a car in Iceland! Of course, if you book in advance and for a more extended period, the price will be lower. But in one of the companies I contacted, all the cars were booked for two months. If you want to travel in comfort, you need to take care of this in advance.

Tourist transport

In Ponta Delgada, many travel companies organize tours and provide transport. Prices are very different, most often high. Also, you can take advantage of the Portuguese tourist company Yellow Bus, which does hop on – hop off tours. The cost of a ticket for one day is 18 euros, for two days – 22 euros.

Where to live

Of course, there are many hotels and apartments on the island, and they are quite expensive. But my trip is budget, and therefore I will tell you about cheap accommodation on the island of Sao Miguel.

Hostels

The first day after arriving on the island, I had to spend a night at the hostel. On the Internet, I found the one closest to the airport and went there. I must say, I was struck by the appearance, not to compare with hostels in Lisbon! The cost of one night in the standard room – 22 euros.

Couchsurfing

There are not many couchsurfers in the Azores, but I managed to find a few hosts with good reviews. One of them agreed to accept my friend and me for five days!
I think my Couchsurfing experience on this trip is very positive. Do you know how many scary stories I heard? However, every time I follow the rules and try to be attentive before writing a request. This time we had a separate room in the apartment of the local policeman. He was very kind to us, told us a lot about the Azores, and even drove us to several interesting places on weekends.

Want to learn more about the Green Island of the Azores archipelago? Stay tuned for blog updates!

– Romanna

Previous post: Lisbon: Places Where Young People Go, What They Eat, and Where to See the Best Sunset of Your Life

Next post: To See Everything in Two Days – the Fast Itinerary of the Azores

Romanna’s trip to eight cities (five islands) in Europe cost a total of $815 (flights only).  To build your own cheap multicity itinerary, visit SkySurf.Travel.

View more photos of Romanna’s European SkySurf.Travel adventure on Instagram

To read more of Romanna’s SkySurf.Travel adventure blogs, click here.