November 2017 (by YK)
Another popular stop on a trans-Atlantic cruise itinerary is Ponta Delgada, Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal comprised of 9 islands. The first time we were there, we just walked off the ship and walked around town. There were lots of little shops and restaurants. Of course most of the cafes near the port offered free wifi.
This time we wanted to venture out and see more of the island of San Miguel on which the capital of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, is located. My research suggested hiring a cab & sharing the cost with another couple would be a good way to go. We noticed a lot more going on right at the port with places to shop, eat or drink compared to the last time.
As we were looking for a cab, a gentleman approached us offering an 8-passenger van tour for Euro 30pp to visit Sete Citades area. As more people gathered around, he threw in another point of interest, Fire Lake, for Euro5 each extra. Eight of us went & had a great tour. He turned out to be a very knowledgeable guide.
We drove 25-30 minutes west passing through green hills to reach our first stop. Sete Citades is known as Green & Blue Lakes, but, it actually is one lake artificially divided by a bridge added by humans. Colors reflect the surrounding scenery, not the color of the water. After looking down at the lakes, we drove down to the lakeside and the village by the lakes. After some free time for snacks and a peek into the local life of dairy farmers, we were driven to the western edge of the island for a photo op.
Cows were everywhere on the island. Our guide claimed them to be real laughing cows: how can they be sad living in a place like Azores with plenty of organic food and plush playgrounds! The van hugged the southern coast of the island & passed by the port and climbed another hilly area more to the east of Ponta Delgada. Lagoa do Fogo(Lagoon of Fire) is a crater lake formed about 5 million years ago, which is considered ‘young’ as far as a caldera goes.
As we descended the hill on the north side of the lake, there was a hot spring that we could stop for. Everybody said, “no swimsuit, no go.” So we drove slowly back to the port & arrived way before our ship’s departure time. The whole tour took 4-5 hours.
Small Wide World 