They were used like walls to keep the cows to certain fields. Hydrangeas are not an indigenous species – they were introduced by Portuguese settlers in the 17th century – but became invasive because of the conditions (the rain, the rich earth) and had a devastating effect on some of the local flora. Faial is also known as the blue island – a volcanic eruption in 1957 left behind a fertile soil full of acidity and aluminium, which makes the flowers blue. Hydrangeasĭrive, walk or cycle along the roads of the Azores and you will be greeted by banks of hydrangeas, often tall bushes full of large floral heads in shades of blue, pink, white and purple. The ice-cream, yoghurt and ghee (from Azorghee) are also exceptional. Two cheeses have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status: tangy Queijo São Jorge (try it at Queijaria Canada on São Jorge) and buttery Queijo do Pico, but every island produces wonderful ones (O Morro on Faial is incredible). Butter, milk, cream and cheese produced across the Azores are likely to be some of the best you have ever tasted. They did, especially the cows with abundant grass to graze on grazing. When the Portuguese discovered the Azores they shipped over livestock to the islands to see if the animals could survive. Espé cies de São Jorge are horseshoe-shaped cookies stuffed with a spiced filling that includes fennel, black pepper, cinnamon and lemon – those made by Dulçores on São Jorge are good. Pudim conde da praia is made from potatoes, sugar, butter, lemon, eggs and cinnamon. Created to celebrate the visit of King Don Carlos and his wife, Dona Amélia, in 1901, try them at Pastelaria O Forno in Angra do Heroísmo. The islands have their own cakes and biscuits, of which my favourites are Dona Amélia, small cakes made from melkana (like molasses, brought from Brazil), sugar, eggs, cornflour, cinnamon and raisins. Dolphin- and whale-watching trips are widely available. There are also waterfalls and volcanic springs to plunge under and into. In August, the sea temperature can reach 23C, but given this is the Atlantic, the water is cold for much of the year. Swimming “pools” dot the shoreline of all the islands: sometimes ladders hang on the edge of rocks, some can be accessed directly from the shore, and others are in little harbours. There are beaches across the Azores, but since these are volcanic islands the sand is dark or the shore is rocky. Beaches, swimming, dolphin- and whale-watchingĪ natural ocean swimming pool, Poça dos Frades, in Velas, São Jorge. Pico makes the more well-known wines but Biscoitos, on Terceira, has a similar landscape and also produces great stuff. Try them at Pico Wines, a cooperative, or at the Azores Wine Company, which recently opened an architecturally impressive winery with views across the squares of dry-stone corrais that comprise the vineyards. The most famous Azorean wines are from Pico, an island dominated by Mount Pico. These conditions provide distinctive salty notes. What the Azores produces is astonishing: not just for its quality but because the vines are grown in seemingly inhospitable cracks in rocks and hardened lava, buffeted by winds and storms. The town of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira and the landscape of Pico’s vineyard culture are Unesco world heritage-listed sites. Tea and coffee are grown here, as well as pineapples. Lots of rain makes for a lush landscape with many waterfalls and hot springs. The weather can vary even across a day, with locals (about 245,000 residents) often calling each other to find out where on an island the sun is.
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