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São Miguel

Top 10 Things to Do in São Miguel

Posted on April 26, 2019April 27, 2019 by jennifer froese
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São Miguel, Azores Islands, Portugal

I decided that in celebration of Earth Day earlier this week, it seems only fitting to share a post about my favorite place on earth – São Miguel Island. It is by far the most breathtaking, magical place I’ve ever been. Every square inch of the island is unimaginably beautiful. And oh my goodness, the hydrangeas! They are everywhere – lining the streets, in the fields, along the sidewalks. You can’t go more than 5 minutes without seeing giant hydrangeas. We visited a lot of different places while we were there, but I’ve compiled a list of my very favorites – the top 10 things to do in São Miguel.

São Miguel
São Miguel
São Miguel Hydrangeas

Dave and I traveled to São Miguel during the summer of 2018. We first heard of the Azores a few months before our trip, and after seeing only a few pictures I instantly fell in love. Over the next few months, we spent time dreaming of all the places we wanted to see on the island, and came up with a plan of what we wanted to do. We pretty much checked off all the items on our wish list, with the exception of a couple of short hikes that we ran out of time for.

São Miguel
São Miguel
São Miguel

About The Azores Islands

The Azores are an archipelago made up of nine volcanic islands off the coast of Portugal. São Miguel is the largest of the Azores islands, at around 290 square miles. Historically, the Azores haven’t been a very popular destination (at least for North Americans). One of the main reasons for this is that until 2015, the only flights available operated through Azores Airlines, a private airline. They made the decision to open the airspace to other private airlines in 2015. Now, many airlines offer flights and in general the prices have decreased. The island is still relatively uncommercialized, and tourism hasn’t been a huge part of the economy until recent years. São Miguel is still pretty untouched and wild compared to a lot of the other places I’ve been, and I think this is one of the things that makes it so magical!

São Miguel
São Miguel Caloura
São Miguel
São Miguel

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the top 10 things to do in São Miguel.

Top 10 Things to Do in São Miguel

1. Take in the View From the Top of Castelo Branco

In Portuguese, Castelo Branco means “White Castle.” I think that Castelo Branco in Vila Franco do Campo is one of the most underrated attractions on São Miguel. It is more of a tower than an actual castle, and it was actually a lookout tower to watch for approaching pirates in order to alert the nearby villagers. The view from the top of the castle is amazing!

São Miguel Castelo Branco
São Miguel Castelo Branco
São Miguel Castelo Branco

2. Visit Ananases A Arruda Pineapple Plantation

Ananases A Arruda Pineapple Plantation is also a must-see on the island! In addition to the tiny (and so instagrammable) pineapple greenhouses, the grounds also are home to a cute cafe and gift shop. The cafe serves various foods and beverages made with fresh pineapples.

São Miguel Ananases A Arruda Pineapple Plantation
São Miguel Ananases A Arruda Pineapple Plantation

3. Visit the City Gates in Ponta Delgada

We didn’t spend much time in Ponta Delgada, as we usually try to get out of the cities ASAP since crowds stress me out so much! 🙂 However, we did take the time to visit the City Gates in Ponta Delgada, and I’m glad we did.

São Miguel Ponta Delgada City Gates

4. Hike to Salto do Cabrito Waterfall

This is more of a walk than an actual hike, but the waterfall is absolutely beautiful. Here is the link for the AllTrails guide that we followed in order to find it, although the trail is pretty well marked. You can even swim in the water at the bottom of the waterfall!

São Miguel Salto do Cabrito
São Miguel Salto do Cabrito
São Miguel Salto do Cabrito

5. Walk the Paths and Swim in the Thermal Pools at Terra Nostra Garden

The Terra Nostra Gardens are so beautiful! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the gardens as much as I did. I thought they would be overrated since it is such popular place to visit, but I was definitely wrong! It’s absolutely worth a visit while you’re on the island.

São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden
São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden
São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden
São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden
São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden
São Miguel Terra Nostra Garden

6. Swim in the Thermal Springs at Termas da Ferraria

At Termas da Ferraria, thermal water heated by an underwater volcanic fissure mixes with water from the Atlantic ocean creating a pleasant thermal pool. The temperature of the pool changes based on the level of the tide. When the tide is low, the water becomes much hotter. When the tide is high, you may not even be able to feel the thermal water at all. It’s also a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy the views from the rocky shore.

São Miguel Termas da Ferraria
São Miguel Termas da Ferraria
São Miguel Termas da Ferraria
São Miguel Termas da Ferraria

7. Visit Miradouro da Vista do Rei & the Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel

“Vista do Rei” translates to View of the King in English, which is not an exaggeration! When it’s bright and sunny, the two halves of the lake (Lagoa das Sete Cidades) actually appear to be two different colors. According to local lore, there was a shepherd and a princess who fell in love, but were forbidden from seeing one another. The lakes were formed by their tears – the princesses’s green eyes formed green half of the lake, and the shepherd’s blue eyes formed the blue half of the lake. The abandoned Monte Palace Hotel sits just beside the official “miradouro” (or viewpoint) of the Vista do Rei. This previously five-star hotel was abandoned in the early 1990s after being open for only a couple of years. You can go all the way up onto the roof of the hotel, and the view is absolutely unforgettable.

São Miguel Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel
São Miguel Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel
São Miguel Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel
São Miguel Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel
São Miguel Abandoned Monte Palace Hotel
São Miguel Vista do Rei

8. Sip Tea at the Chá Gorreana Tea Plantation

Chá Gorreana is actually the only tea plantation in all of Europe, and they have been cultivating tea since 1883. It is a family-run business that has been passed down through five different generations. Here at Chá Gorreana, you can walk through their tea processing/packaging factory, and watch the process first-hand. You can also wander through the beautiful tea fields as well.

São Miguel Chá Gorreana Tea Plantation
São Miguel Chá Gorreana Tea Plantation
São Miguel Chá Gorreana Tea Plantation
São Miguel Chá Gorreana Tea Plantation

9. Visit the Miradouro da Grota do Inferno

The Miradouro da Grota do Inferno is one of the most iconic viewpoints on the entire island, and it’s easy to see why! Pictures from this viewpoint are what made me fall in love with this island before I ever stepped foot on it.

Miradouro da Grota do Inferno

10. Watch the Sunset from Mosteiros Beach

If I could choose to relive one evening of my life over and over again, it would be the evening that we spent on Mosteiros beach watching the sunset. As the sun was setting to our right over the Atlantic Ocean, there was a small soccer game happening on the black sand beach to our left. It was so magical, and whenever I think of the trip we took to São Miguel, this is the place that I go back to in my mind. Sitting on the black sand beach, we watched the sun set behind the rock formations out in the ocean, their shadows growing longer as the sun sank closer towards the horizon.

São Miguel Mosteiros
São Miguel Mosteiros Sunset
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    cedarandstonefarmhouse

    Jennifer Froese
    🌿 Living a slow, simple life in our 1832 farmhouse | western ny | 5w6 | the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do ✨

    Cedar & Stone Farmhouse
    This window takes the cake for my favorite one in This window takes the cake for my favorite one in the house! It overlooks a giant silver maple from the second story of our old farmhouse and gets the absolute best light throughout the day ✨
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#home #homedecor #homestyle #homeinterior #simpleinteriors #simpleinterior #minimal #cozyminimal #interiors #simplicity #doingneutralright #hygge #buffalo #buffalohomes #bflo #716 #thrifteddecor #instadesign #interiør #vintagedecor #farrowandball #oldfarmhouse #slowliving #linenduet #linen #benjaminmore #edgecombgray #whitedove
    The coziest place to be on a cold winter night # The coziest place to be on a cold winter night 

#cozy #hygge #hyggehome #hyggelife #jotul #jøtul #woodstovelife #woodstove #fireside
    Egg production for our hens has come to a screechi Egg production for our hens has come to a screeching halt lately with the exception of this white leghorn, who continues to faithfully lay one white egg each day! I don't blame them at all, these girls have endured quite the winter so far.
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This white leghorn is the newest addition to our flock, and she actually showed up randomly in the fall and would hang out near the run during the day and disappear towards the evening. This went on for a couple of weeks, and then one day she wandered in when I had the door open and I couldn't get her out. So in she stayed!
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One egg a day is not quite enough to keep up with the baking and cooking for us, so I did have to buy eggs at the store the other week. Talk about sticker shock! I'm curious what prices everyone has been paying for eggs these days.
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#chickencoop #chickenpalace #chickencoopsofinstagram #cluckinghampalace #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #farmhouse #weatheredcedar #cedar #chickens #chicken #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #country #countryliving #backyardchickens #growyourown #homegrown #countrywinter #winterwonderland #slowliving #simplelife #simpleliving #snowfall #winter #perfectlyimperfect #oldfarmhouse #whiteleghorn #dominique
    Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not di Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not disappoint! Normally I do a lot more fall baking, but I've been soaking up all the newborn snuggles every chance I get 🥰

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    Eloise Willow Froese 💕 Born 9.3.22 at 2:33am 8 Eloise Willow Froese 💕

Born 9.3.22 at 2:33am
8lbs 12oz, 21” long
    Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully so Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully sooner rather than later 😅), but we've been busy harvesting honey from our hives! We just restocked with our freshly harvested raw honey at @martins.mercantile on Friday last week, so if you live in WNY you can head over there for your honey fix #🍯 I think it's extra delicious this year!! 😋 Just check out that beautiful golden color in the second picture 😍
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By popular demand, we'll have a couple of new size jars available at @martins.mercantile soon!
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#rawhoney #honey #honeyharvest #honeybees #honeybee #beekeeper #beekeeping #backyardbeekeeping #backyardbees #smallbusiness #beehive #beehives #langstroth #savethebees #pollinators #honeycomb #cappedhoney #beautifulhoney #beeswax #apiary #beekeepersofwny #buffalobeekeeping #homestead #homesteading #selfsufficiency #growyourown #martinsmercantile
    I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for the I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for their Farm-to-Table campaign! 
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We took a trip to Joe’s Farm Market in town to gather some of the produce we needed for dinner alfresco the other night! We enjoyed caprese salad with farm fresh tomatoes and basil, pasta salad with roasted veggies, iced tea made with mint from our garden, and focaccia from a local bakery.
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My favorite was the homemade peach and blackberry galette, topped with raw honey from our own bee hives! 🍯 The peaches were some of the best ones we’ve had all summer, and there almost weren’t enough left to make the galette because they were being eaten as fast as I could cut them up!
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Longaberger has the most beautiful vitrified pottery serving dishes! And I love how their baking dishes are pretty enough to use as serving dishes too, making it easy to simplify your kitchen since they are so versatile. They’re also pretty enough to use for special occasions, but simple and durable enough for everyday use. The matching plates and bowls are definitely on my wish list!!
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#longabergerlifestyle #longaberger #farmtotable #longabergerpartner #longabergerstyle #longabergerbasket #longabergerbaskets #longabergerpottery #heirloom #timeless #farmersmarket #eatlocal #buylocal #homemade #dinneralfresco #focaccia #galette #blackberrypeachgalette #halfbakedharvest #feedfeed #bakelite #rawhoney #beekeeping #beekeeper #farmfresh #🍯🍯
    The rest of the house is a complete disaster and t The rest of the house is a complete disaster and the to-do list is a mile long, but at least this little corner of the kitchen is still looking pretty 😅
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#home #homedecor #homestyle #homeinterior #simpleinteriors #simpleinterior #minimal #cozyminimal #interiors #simple #simplicity #doingneutralright #hygge #buffalo #buffalohomes #bflo #716 #thrifteddecor #instadesign #interiør #kitchen #farmhousekitchen #simplekitchen #vintagedecor #farrowandball #oldfarmhouse #slowliving #longaberger #longabergerstyle
    It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you o It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you on a tour of our chicken coop! I’ve had a years-long dream to have chickens, and we were finally able to get them last spring.
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I just shared a blog post about how we converted this wonky old shed into a perfectly imperfect chicken coop last year! Definitely a labor of love, especially with the pandemic lumber prices 😅
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The link is in my bio if you want to check it out!
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https://cedarandstonefarmhouse.com/perfectly-imperfect-chicken-coop/
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#chickencoop #chickenpalace #chickencoopsofinstagram #cluckinghampalace #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #farmhouse #weatheredcedar #cedar #chickens #chicken #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #country #countryliving #backyardchickens #growyourown #homegrown #countrywinter #winterwonderland #slowliving #simplelife #simpleliving #snowfall #winter #perfectlyimperfect #oldfarmhouse
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