Finally, I have a full day to explore Sao Miguel island and start to experience the natural beauty for which the Azores are famed. And the Azores are stunning. Almost around every bend in the road there is another staggering vista - verdant, tree covered volcanic cones, lakes and wild coastline.
This is all well and good, but the driving can be quite challenging. Although there are many decent, fast roads between the towns, some of the coastal and mountain roads have many switchbacks and hairpin bends. So concentration is required. Also, the locals drive like maniacs, so there is that too! I had read that the locals like to move fast and that it is considered polite to pull over and let them pass, which is fine if there is anywhere that can accommodate this.
I am heading towards Sete Cidades. This is one of the iconic locations that appears in many shots of the Azores - a series of calderas and mountain lakes. The intention was to go straight there and try to beat the crowds, but I am easily distracted and there was this enroute…
Then on to the main event. Of course it is already busy and parking at these places is quite challenging. The car parks tend to be quite small and fairly hard to turn around in when you realise there are no spaces. I quickly discover that it is best to just bite the bullet and park on the road nearby. I am quickly learning that there are very few parking restrictions in the Azores (or indeed adherence to any motoring rules - Azoreans seem to take pride in overtaking right by the ubiquitous No Overtaking signs).
It is actually possible to do a rim walk around the caldera. I had thought that I might like to do this but quickly discover that (a) the humidity is quite oppressive and (b) I seem to be coming down with a cold (I expect incubated in 20 or 30 hours recently spent on planes). I walk part of it to get some different viewpoints, but then whilst standing still and yet still sweating profusely, I see this and the desire to do the walk drains away
Still the sections that I did walk opened up some more great views
I begin to find the crowds a bit tiresome and in addition, Ethan sent me an article
https://www.gaia-legacy.ch/sete-cidades-azores/
that made up my mind to head down into the Caldera and explore some more at that level. This turns out to be a great idea as most people are fighting for parking at the viewpoints on the rim, but down by the lakes it is not too busy at all. There are two lakes and a village at Sete Cidade. The lakes have distinctly different colours (blue and green) due to differences in depth, algae content and reflection. I opt to wander around Lago Verde.
It is remarkably beautiful and peaceful. There is even a “Bay of Silence” at one point were the acoustics get really strange. My footsteps sound as though they are coming back at me in stereo.
This being Atlantis (yes, yes, I won’t bore you with all the details of why the Azores are the best fit for Plato’s description of Atlantis, let’s just take it as read shall we?), I decided to do some dowsing. Oh my goodness, I have never had such dramatic reactions. Whatever is here has some juice!
I am so taken with the place that I decide I need to have a paddle in the waters. As soon as I get my feet into the lake, a bird (a tern I believe - I’m no expert but Google Lens speaks with authority) screeches, takes to the air and starts dive bombing me. Well that was a little unexpected. But its not going to give up, so I beat a hasty retreat, thankful that I was wearing my sturdy Tilly bird-proof hat. Luckily, it seemed that the exclusion zone was quite small.
I was mildly impressed that it had a go but, as previously been established, I completely fail to instil fear in any animals. Not being frightened is one thing, being a vicious little bugger is something else.
From a safe distance, I see the reason for the attack. There is another bird sat stationary on the bank, I assume nesting. Fair enough then I guess, but stupid place to be sitting on eggs. Get some elevation for goodness sake!
That has very much harshed my mellow. I can hear the Cosmic Joker sniggering at the back of my mind. Still not done, eh?
Weirdly, other birds in the Azores seem remarkably friendly and come right up to you.
Then again, maybe they are not friendly but just fearless. Must be that Atlantean energy!
I wander back towards the village and have a look around, including at the church mentioned in the article above. The article seemed to read something into the fact that the nearby fountain had represented the seven cities (yes, that’s what Sete Cidades means) as pyramids. I am somewhat underwhelmed by the the actual sight of this
Hot (and mildly bothered by my recent assault), I decide to head back to Ponta Delgada via the coast. I assume it will be cooler there (it is not!) and strike out for A Porta do Diabo. The Devil’s Door. One might think that, with the way my luck is going, something with a name like this might best be avoided, but I am keen to see some of that rugged Azorean coastline. It’s no Nazare, I think it was worth it…
There is a a pool for bathing a little further along the coast. This seems to be quite a common thing in the Azores. They are at places were warm water from hot springs mixes with cold sea water. In this case the pool looked brutal. The pool is open to the sea and folk seemed to be getting pretty well buffeted by the waves. It did not look like a comfortable experience. There are a number of these spots around. Perhaps I should give it a go while I am here… then again being pummelled by waves and bashed into sharp volcanic rocks doesn’t sound like that much fun. I guess it is all in the tide and timing.
And for some reason, the Azores just keeps making me think about pyramids…
A bit of a Jurassic Park vibe, a good job you know Unix systems 😁