Ponta Delgada: the green craters of the Azores

Capital of the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic, Ponta Delgada opens the door to green volcanic landscapes dotted with lakes of different colors inside the craters themselves.

A rental car remains necessary to explore the island of São Miguel.

The Portas da Cidade, three eighteenth-century arches in black volcanic stone, mark the historic entrance to the center of Ponta Delgada from the harbor.

In the afternoon it is advisable to reach Sete Cidades, a twin crater with two lakes of different colors, one green and one blue, according to legend born from the tears of two separated lovers.

Continuing inland, you visit the Furnas, a volcanic valley with steaming thermal springs where the traditional stew is still cooked today buried in the hot ground.

Toward evening, the pineapple plantations of São Miguel, cultivated in traditional greenhouses, offer tastings of an unusual fruit for such a northern Atlantic latitude.

The celebrated stufado das Furnas is still buried today in iron pots in the volcanic hot ground, where it cooks slowly for hours thanks to natural geothermal heat, before being served in local restaurants.

The legend of the two lakes of Sete Cidades, one green like a princess's eyes and one blue like a shepherd's, remains one of the most told stories of the entire Azores archipelago.