overlooking the harbor marina in Ponta Delgada. It\u2019s a very pretty place, especially at dusk when we take a stroll through it before a seaview dinner.<\/span><\/p>\nGet ready for the magic that you\u2019ll be infused with for the next few days. Today, we\u2019re on a private drive to the photographic wonders of <\/span>Sete Cidades<\/span><\/i>. Enroute, we stop at the <\/span>Pico do Carvao <\/span><\/i>to see how this is an island of volcanic cones, lakes, and craters.<\/span><\/p>\nSete Cidades<\/span><\/i> means \u201cSeven Cities,\u201d referring to the seven volcanic craters and lagoons within one large caldera at the western end of the island. There is an iconic trail leading to the famous viewpoint called the <\/span>Miradouro Boca do Inferno<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Most iconic of all is <\/span>Miradouro do Rei<\/span><\/i>, the King\u2019s View, of the Green and Blue twin lagoons.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter our visit through the entire caldera, we drive along the north coast, noting how the road is lined with flowers. Perhaps nowhere on Earth is there so many flowers as in the Azores.<\/span><\/p>\nWe reach the beautiful garden city of <\/span>Ribeira Grande<\/span><\/i> for an ocean view lunch.<\/span><\/p>\nWe then get to relax at a magical spot hidden in a tropical forest nearby where a waterfall pours out of a hot spring into a thermal pool: <\/span>Caldeira Velha<\/span><\/i>. Time for a nice warm soak.<\/span><\/p>\nOn the way back to Ponta Delgada, we take time to linger at the idyllic <\/span>Lagoa do Fogo<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Fire Lake. It\u2019s simply mesmerizing.<\/span><\/p>\nWe start the next day by exploring the <\/span>Gruta do Carv\u00e3o<\/span><\/i>, a huge multi-colored ancient lava tube created 12,000 years ago \u2013 walking through it is breathtaking.<\/span><\/p>\nNow it\u2019s time to get out to sea. Right off the south coast at Vila Franca do Campo, we sail to <\/span>Princess Ring Islet<\/span><\/i> \u2013 yes, this really exists. Here\u2019s a drone shot.<\/span><\/p>\nWe\u2019ll explore sea caves along its outer rim and go snorkeling inside the crater lake teeming with tropical fish like an aquarium. Nothing but fun.<\/span><\/p>\nBy noon, we get to have lunch in a furnace \u2013 actually a volcanic wonderland of thermal pools, mineral baths, hot springs, boiling fumaroles and mini-geysers called <\/span>Furnas<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\nIt is here that the emblematic meal of the Azores is cooked \u2013 <\/span>Cozido das Furnas<\/span><\/i>. A selection of meats, vegetables, and spices are placed in a large pot, covered, and lowered into a volcanic steam vent to be slowly cooked for several hours. What emerges is a uniquely delicious dish \u2013 which is on the menu for lunch today. Volcano cooking at its best!<\/span><\/p>\nAmidst all the volcanism, we find a haven of beauty and serenity, the <\/span>Terra Nostra <\/span><\/i>botanical garden well over two hundred years old. 1775 may seem like a long time ago, but not to the Portuguese who first settled Sao Miguel (there were no native inhabitants of the Azores) in 1449!<\/span><\/p>\nWith over 2,000 different kinds of trees and flowering plants from everywhere on earth, plus geothermal streams and pools, immaculately cared for and manicured, Terra Nostra is considered one of the most astoundingly beautiful botanical gardens in the world. This is a place in which to linger and luxuriate \u2013 and let the soothingly warm mineral waters dissolve your cares away.<\/span><\/p>\nWe arrive back at the Azor in time for a sundowner or two at the hotel rooftop pool before dinner.<\/span><\/p>\nOur third day is yours to make it as special as you want. There are so many different things to do on this island that it really is mind-boggling. The variety is so extensive that there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all. \u00a0Here\u2019s a small sample out of many, from high-adrenaline to tranquil.<\/span><\/p>\nYou can rappel down a waterfall\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nFly a motorized parasail over the island\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nGo big game fishing, some of the best in the world\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nOr scuba dive, fabulous for that too\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nThen again, you could go on a flower-strewn coastline walk\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nSoak up some rays at a postcard-perfect beach\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nOr get a massage in a tropical forest\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nThere\u2019s lots more. You just have one job today \u2013 have the most fun you can by doing what you want. We\u2019ll want to hear all about it when we reassemble for our Farewell Dinner celebration that night.<\/span><\/p>\nThis is our last day \u2013 but we\u2019re not done yet! The flight back to Boston doesn\u2019t leave until 3:45 p.m. This gives us all morning for a quick drive up to Ribeira Grande to witness the extraordinary spectacle of the <\/span>Cavalhadas de S\u00e3o Pedro<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIt is St. Peter\u2019s Day, and for over 500 years (the town was founded in 1507), the people have been celebrating it with a medieval procession of gaily dressed knights, lancers, stewards, and clowns on caparisoned horseback with trumpets blaring.<\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s a festive celebration with five centuries of tradition, food, wine, and happiness galore. We get to join right in \u2013 one final wonderful time in our Atlantic Paradises.<\/span><\/p>\nWe\u2019ll return home filled with so many memories of all we discovered and experienced in these magical places. Memories so vivid they will always be a part of our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\nHere is<\/b> probably the most extensive ebook on <\/b>Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Eliminating Your Taxes, Protecting Your Assets And Regaining Privacy Over Your Life And Investments<\/i><\/b>. It is called<\/b> The<\/b> Ultimate Guide To Going Offshore<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a magical island where everything grows \u2013 forests of fir, cedar, and sycamore trees along with forests of giant tropical tree ferns, fields of corn, fields of taro (the starchy staple of Polynesia \u2013 Hawaiian\u00a0poi\u00a0is made from taro), and every kind of flower in riotous abundance. Orchards produce every kind of fruit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":366,"featured_media":23862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[3722,10259,10261,2477,5147,7335,2476,28927,9753,10258,1916,10253,10262,10255,2479,10254,10256,2198,7375,10260],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image11-3.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/366"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23884"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43192,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23884\/revisions\/43192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23884"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=23884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}