Most cruise passengers treat the Azores as a fuel stop between Europe and North America. They spend four hours buying postcards in Ponta Delgada and call it cultural immersion.
This chain of nine volcanic islands sits 900 miles west of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic. The water is impossibly blue. The landscapes look like someone mixed Ireland with Hawaii and forgot to add the crowds.
São Miguel island offers hot springs that actually feel natural, not like a resort amenity. The twin lakes at Sete Cidades sit in an ancient volcanic crater. One appears blue, the other green, depending on the light and your angle.
Here’s what your cruise director won’t mention: the local pineapples grow in greenhouses heated by volcanic steam. You can tour these operations and taste fruit that makes Hawaiian pineapples seem ordinary. Also, the Azores produce some of Portugal’s best wine on volcanic soil that shouldn’t support anything, yet somehow does.
Most ships dock for six to eight hours. That’s enough time to see why Portuguese sailors used these islands as their secret weapon for centuries. If you want help planning a longer stay before or after your cruise, that is literally what we do.
Like what you’re reading?
The Captain’s Log is published daily by Ernst Travel Agency. We plan, protect, and personalize your vacation at no extra cost to you. If something in today’s post sparked an idea, let’s talk.
Ernst Travel Agency · North Kingsville, OH · Serving clients nationwide · ernst.llc