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Abroad, Azores, Portugal

Azores (São Miguel Island) – East part

posted by Dario
Oct 22, 2019 1542 0 0
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The adventure of being a Portuguese #Azores 3

The Azores have an extremely diverse nature, attractions and more. That is why today we will look at the last part of San Miguel, namely the eastern part, plus the administrative capital Ponte Delgada. The eastern suburbs of the island are famous for the steep slopes and beautiful panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, which provides us a sense of how small we are, compared to nature.

Table of Contents

  • Ponta Delgado
  • Gorreana Tea Factory
  • Praia de Santa Barbara
  • Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego
  • Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada
  • Miradouro Pico Long

Ponta Delgado

Ponta Delgada is the (non) official capital of the Azores and is the largest and most developed city in the archipelago, with approximately 46,000 people living in the city. The first thing that will catch your attention here is the interesting architecture that is present in all the cities on the island, the beautiful pure white buildings, decorated with elements of basalt stone, of which they abound.

Понта Делгада

I have to admit that we made a quick visit of the city as we were constantly on the move from other parts of the island, but we certainly did have a nice and memorable view of Ponta Delgada. Most historical and major landmarks are in the center.

Понта Делгада нощ

The symbol of Ponta Delgada is the “door” that was built in the 18th century and served as the entrance to the old port of the city through its walls. To this day, it is located on the site where it was originally built. Behind it is the Church of São Sebastião, the capital’s main church. Built between 1531 and 1547 on the site of a small chapel dedicated to the first patron saint of the island. This church has the tallest tower and also the only one that has a clock on the island.

Понта Делгада
Понта Делгада кула

Понта Делгада църква

I highly recommend walking down the small streets of the city to take a closer look at the beautiful and interesting island architecture of the Azores. In this way you will have the opportunity to visit numerous shops with traditional products from the place, as well as to learn some interesting facts about the locals.

Понта Делгада дъга

Gorreana Tea Factory

The tea plantations were one of the most interesting places I visited on the islands. The Gorreana plant is the oldest and only black tea plantation in Europe. The tradition here dates from 1883, preserving the way of cultivation and the ancient qualities of the product, which have been passed down for five generations.

Gorreana Tea Factory

The place is impressive and interesting, it is the factory itself, where you can enter the museum section and look at the whole process of preparing tea from start to finish, which gives a clear idea of ​​the entire working life of this product. The factory itself also has a cafe, where you can taste their teas for free and buy if you wish.

Gorreana Tea Factory музей вътре
Gorreana Tea Factory музей
Gorreana Tea Factory работници
Gorreana Tea Factory производство

But perhaps the sweetest part of this experience was the opportunity to wander freely in the tea plantations, they transfer you to a different world. The idea of ​​walking in the green rows of tea, sensing its flavored and all that, accompanied by a view of the ocean, is an invaluable moment.

Gorreana Tea Factory начало

Gorreana Tea Factory пътека
Gorreana Tea Factory полета
Gorreana Tea Factory разходка
Gorreana Tea Factory край

Praia de Santa Barbara

Who needs to go all the way to Iceland to see the black sand beach, as can be found on the Azores! Have to emphasize that this beach is located in the northern part of the island, but we visited it on the day we explored the “eastern” part.

Praia de Santa Barbara

Saint Barbara, as this beach would translate, is one of the longest sandy stripes in the Azores and has exceptional scenery. This beach is best known for surfers as it hosts some of the largest surfing championships in the world, suggesting that some of the most magnificent and impressive waves will be observed here.

Praia de Santa Barbara разходка
Praia de Santa Barbara вълни

Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego

As I mentioned, in the eastern part of San Miguel there are mostly high slopes, which is the perfect spot for panoramic landscapes or better known as miradouros. Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego is one of the many panoramic sites in this part, but its uniqueness comes from the fact that it has about 13,000 m2 of garden, spread over several terraces.

Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego
Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego градина

Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego приятел

Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego гледка
Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego панорама

Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada

The view from Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada is located right on top of a beautiful rock with abundant vegetation. From here you have panoramas over the magnificent beauty of the fantastic Atlantic Ocean and the scattered island of Sao Miguel, where nature shows its essence.

Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada

Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada панорама

Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada гледка

Miradouro Pico Long

We ended our day with a panoramic view of Pico Long, which in size is nothing special, but offers a more interesting view of the city of Povoacao and the surrounding mountains. In that way we enjoyed our last sunset over the Azores and the Atlantic.

Miradouro Pico Long площадка

Miradouro Pico Long гледка

That’s how we ended our small stroll in the Azores. There are certainly things I haven’t been able to visit, but no problem, I won’t mind going back to this piece of paradise.

Miradouro Pico Long панорама

The place is amazing and worth a visit, with every year becoming more accessible and popular amongst tourists. This is not always a positive thing, of course, because it can be overload the island’s capacity with mass tourism, so always be responsible wherever you travel and set an example for others.

Learn more about the central and westen part of the Azores.

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Dario Dionisi



If you want to know something more about me – my soul is a traveler, my origin is Italian and my true essence is a faithful friend. I am always open to new ideas and will be very happy if you want to contact me at dario@beyondsofia.com

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Let’s dive in together into the amazing world of Let’s dive in together into the amazing world of Costa Rica! 🇨🇷

To many, Costa Rica’s charm lies in its lush rainforests, unspoiled beaches and abundance of wildlife. With breathtaking landscapes and a myriad of creatures – from toucans to monkeys to jaguars – it’s easy to see why. 

Where else can you hike active volcanoes, zip line through cloud-covered rainforests and surf warm turquoise waters within the span of just a few days? In this compact but diverse tropical paradise, exhilarating outdoor activities are abundant. 

Nature-seekers will roam thick jungles while beachgoers will sprawl across the powdery sands. It’s hard not to admire all the splendors this “Rich Coast” has to offer.

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Heading to the next stage of life ~ Since soon I Heading to the next stage of life ~

Since soon I will celebrate my 30th birthday, I’ve been reflecting back to the person I was when I entered my twenties, and while I still feel young at heart, I’ve evolved into a completely different person.

I must confess, I have mixed feelings about turning 30. While I cherish the memories and experiences I have gathered during this time, I have also however, had my share of setbacks. The most important aspect that has inspired me are the experiences that I have gathered during my travels. Meeting new people, understanding their culture and trying new cuisines have changed my perspective towards life in general. While I am still a child somewhere in my heart, turning 30 is a big deal because it is assumed that I am an adult now.

Here are my 30 most precious travel experiences before turning 30:

1. Exploring my home country.
2. Travelling solo.
3. Supporting small local businesses and entrepreneurs.
4. Learning a foreign language.
5. Saving money for traveling.
6. Making friends while traveling.
7. Cooking traditional dishes.
8. Trying traditional food everywhere I go.
9. Overcoming my fear.
10. Trying something new.
11. Travelling with family.
12. Travelling with friends.
13. Travelling for myself and not social media.
14. Going out my comfort zone -  uncomfortable makes life more comfortable.
15. Living in a foreign country.
16. Packing like a pro.
17. Visiting my (some of) dream destinations.
18. Falling in love in a foreign country.
19. Blending in with different cultures.
20. Taking a piece of every place with me.
21. Learning to say no (in different languages).
22. Learning to take decent pictures.
23. Documenting my trips.
24. Valuing experiences.
25. Making memories.
26. Rediscovering my favourite places.
27. Planning elaborate itineraries
28. Keeping it positive and never regretting to have climbed that mountain.
29. Some people around the world are born disadvantaged, not biologically, but socially.
30. Realising that the most incredible thing I can witness happens twice a day, and it’s free.

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Your positive friendly reminder… Travel is, at Your positive friendly reminder…

Travel is, at its very essence, a tool – nothing more… nothing less. Broken down to its very essence, it becomes an instrument to fulfil our desires, attain new experiences and to discover a difference that is at least a step away from our local surroundings.

One thing that we can often forget is that travel also has the added benefit of helping us build a pretty solid amount of confidence too, something that we all stand to benefit from in the long-term, in our own personal development.

Follow this 5 simple steps and enjoy the best ways to develop your confidence, which can be learned whilst travelling:

✅ Be positive
✅ Embrace strengths
✅ Acknowledge weakness
✅ Listen to your head and heart
✅ Be an assertive traveller

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Have you ever wondered what it is really like to travel often? Living the life of a traveler is full of paradoxes. Full of strange feelings. Full of grandiosity. Let me tell you what traveling is really like.

Choosing this life is more than a temporary escape. It will completely and entirely transform who you are.

So are you prepared for a journey of beauty, adventure and heartbreak? Read the next few rows.

✔️ Traveling is saying yes to life.
✔️ Uncertainty is a traveler’s homeland.
✔️ Traveling is a life of extremes.
✔️ About the unknown driving force.
✔️ Discomfort as a teacher.
✔️ Traveling is falling in love deeply with the world.
✔️ Always a stranger, but at home in the world.
✔️ Experiencing exhilarating freedom.
✔️ Understanding different perspectives.
✔️ In the life of a traveler, nothing lasts.
✔️ Travel teaches you everything.

This is what the life of a traveler is like: Be courageous. Follow the calling of your heart. It will lead you to a million places you would have never expected. And you will grow big. You will grow beautiful. You will grow so full of life it will make your heart burst with happiness. Some of us simply belong to the road.

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The magic of Spain 🇪🇸 Double trouble - Dou The magic of Spain 🇪🇸 

Double trouble - Double S

Dive in the magnificent atmosphere of Segovia and Salamanca - two unique, original and beautiful cities 🌆
Photo dump Spain 🇪🇸 ⚔️ Portugal 🇵🇹 Photo dump Spain 🇪🇸 ⚔️ Portugal 🇵🇹 

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Dear Portugal, I would never have pointed to a ma Dear Portugal,

I would never have pointed to a map and picked you. I wasn’t sure we would even like each other. I came with only a few belongings and even fewer expectations. But I had the desire to get to know you and see if I would stay. And like two people making an acquaintance at a dinner party, we searched for commonalities: exploring, an insatiable appetite for rice and seafood, a bond to the earth and the sea.

At first I fell for the little things. The promise of discovering new things every single day. That dazed feeling after a few glasses of fruity vinho verde. The melancholy while listening to Fado music. The rissois, natas and feijoada, the melt-in-your-mouth queijo fresco, delectable sardinha and unforgettable bacalhau. And surprisingly, even lamprey and percebe.

I loved the quiet irony of your lavish, impressive buildings next to your ancient, dilapidated houses. I even adored your temperamental weather, sunny in the morning and sometimes tempestuous in the afternoon.

And I loved your people. The grandmas dressed in black with their soft faces and culinary secrets. The fishermen with their old fashioned hats. The shopkeepers who actually mean it when they say “obrigada.”

And then I began to love you for your words, and the new feelings they gave name to.  For that elusive feeling of saudade –– untranslatable but described so accurately by the Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo: “a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.” Or the chamego — the sense of intimacy, infatuation, and cuddling, all in one word.

Of course, there are things about you that I will probably never understand. You’re an old soul and I’m too juvenile. I’m impulsive whereas you are cautious and pensive. I have this incessant desire to be happy, but you have this habit of enjoying being triste.

But I’ve lived many lives in different parts of the world, I’ve been running around, not caring where I rest my head, not knowing where I’d end up. Perhaps I met you, Portugal, because something inside me had really been crying out for stillness, for a safe haven where I could finally become myself.

#Portugal #loveletter #Lisbon #porto
At the very lowest point on earth lies a natural w At the very lowest point on earth lies a natural wonder replete with a unique ecosystem, breathtaking desert views, and mineral treasures that have been attracting visitors for thousands of years: The Dead Sea. 

Located in the desert between Jordan and Israel, it is also the world’s deepest hypersaline lake. Although the high salinity of the water makes it almost impossible to dive.

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Jordan’s Photo Dump 🇯🇴 #Jordan #album #A Jordan’s Photo Dump 🇯🇴 

#Jordan #album #Asia
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