Postcards from São Miguel

Hey, readers! I'm in the air as I’m writing this, headed to Mexico City to deal with our home flooding from the historic rains. On the bright side, I’m really excited to start furniture shopping in person, as the galleries and showrooms in Mexico City are next level. I’m excited to share more behind the scenes from the process soon! Between the admin chaos and actually furnishing the place, I'm taking the week off from posting, but I'll be back next week with everything from Peru (I know, overdue). In the meantime, my friend Brittany generously shared her postcards from São Miguel below.

São Miguel has been on my radar—and everyone else's it seems—for quite some time now. I've sent clients who came back raving about the stunning landscapes, the verdant hikes, the incredible beaches. But I've also heard my share of stories of cancelled flights and blanketing fog and cancelling plans due to inclement weather… you have to be a flexible person to truly bask in its beauty! I've wanted to publish a guide for ages but never felt like I had the firsthand experience, so I enlisted Brittany, who has excellent taste, to share her rundown.

xx,

Bella

Mindholiday friends, Brittany here.

I’ve recently returned from a week-long solo road trip to São Miguel, and I’m excited to be sharing corners of the island that emanated Azorean charm and personality.

I first heard about the Azores through my travel enthusiast cousin who completed her Fulbright Scholarship in Portugal. Imagine my surprise when a Google search showed me nine lush volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic, only 5-6 hours from New York! As I planned this trip, I had two major criteria: I wanted to (safely) travel alone, and I wanted to be outside. This trip would mark the end of a chapter of life—the completion of my PhD—and I was itching to touch grass without anyone asking what the plan is for dinner.

I was looking for travel that rewards taking your time, hoping to immerse myself in a place whose inhabitants respected and adapted alongside its flora and fauna. I opted for 6 days on São Miguel, the largest and most populated island, with the intention of seeing for myself why its nickname is “Ilha Verde,” or “The Green Island.”

Whether it was the airline losing my carry-on or repeatedly cancelling my Lagoa do Fogo hike due to low visibility, traveling to the Azores required flexibility. This trip reminded me that I did just spend years honing my problem solving skills for a doctorate. It was time to use them! A bad day of weather in one town on São Miguel usually means it’s gorgeous somewhere else, so after checking the live webcams, I hopped into my rental car and chased the sun.

São Miguel, in her June hydrangea-adorned beauty, absolutely delivered. As is often the case with solo travel, I was encouraged to address limiting beliefs, and the island rewarded me with stunning vistas where I was humbled and awestruck by nature’s architectural mastery. There were a few overwhelming moments where it dawned on me that I was halfway between continents by myself. Mostly, it was freeing to allow the barrier between my thoughts and my actions to dissipate. The time alone was a mirror to my innermost self, and I’m deeply appreciative of the privilege to move through the world and approach it from a place of curiosity, not fear.

The drive from Ponta Delgada Airport into the city proper only took ten minutes—ten minutes where I willed myself to invoke years of driving in southern California to navigate narrow one-way streets after an hour of sleep on my red eye. I set my home base among the black and white cobblestones of Ponta Delgada’s historic center via Nine Dots. This boutique hotel was created from restoring two buildings on Rua dos Mercadores, a street with urban planning dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

Upon my suitcase-less arrival, I was reassured that a guest had run into my exact predicament the prior week; in her case, she came down the next morning to her baggage delivered in the lobby. I suspected that my trip would not be without some hiccups, so thank you Bella for helping me buy travel insurance!

I spent the hours between arriving at Nine Dots and accessing my room doing the unglamorous task of scrounging for essentials. At the very least, I joined the hotel’s complimentary breakfast and helped myself to plates of cut fruit, including the infamous Azorean pineapple. (Verdict: sweet and refreshing!) The following evening, I made use of the wellness center’s indoor pool and steam room, unwinding after a big day outside.

I also drove through winding highways to the volcanic hot spring town of Furnas, staying at the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel for two nights. The property is surrounded by sprawling botanic gardens of the same name, but one of the perks of being a guest is luxuriating in 24/7 access to its iconic orange, iron-rich geothermal pools. One of my hiking guides had instructed me to take a dip after dark, and stargazing in my post-dinner digestive haze was the perfect sendoff to a restful sleep.

I kept my meals generally unfussy, finding that Ponta Delgada had far more restaurant options with later hours. I had lovely brunches at the cafe at Jardim Antonio Borges and Terra Verde Tea House, both specifically sought out because my body was screaming at me to eat vegetables. For an afternoon treat, I picked up passionfruit pastéis de nata at Colmeia Avenida and got a beer alongside locals watching the World Cup at Café Clipper. On an evening where I fell asleep for three hours and woke up ravenous, I sauntered over to Nonna’s Teeth & Tomatoes, where flashing lights and 80’s throwbacks kept me company while I dug into their Pettinata pizza, a dream of pear, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and honey.

My two best meals were at Bar Caloura, where I feasted on octopus salad and bolo de ananás (pineapple cake) for a post-hike lunch, and A Tasca, a homestyle restaurant with generous portions and long lines at peak hours. I ordered their sesame-crusted tuna steak and a crisp citrusy glass of Frei Gigante, a white wine from the Azorean island of Pico. On a hike, I learned of the Netflix show Turn of the Tide, a fictionalized retelling of the aftermath of a massive cocaine shipment washing ashore in Rabo de Peixe. It turns out that several scenes were shot in front of A Tasca, leading to a friendship between one of the chefs and the lead actor!

I wanted to try one properly indulgent Azorean burger, and I got my fix at the Terra Nostra’s garden restaurant. Their cheeseburger had not only a beef patty, but also pulled beef and bacon. When combined with a beer, a side of fries, and a late night dip into the thermal pool, it was immediately time for bed.

The slight ‘miss’ of my trip were lapas, or limpets, a seafood delicacy described akin to mussels. I’m a fan of scallops and oysters, so I tried a half-sized order by the beach in Ribeira Quente. 15 of them arrived sizzling on a skillet doused in butter and garlic…and I could only eat 2 before tapping out. The brininess and chewy texture weren’t for me, even when drowned in sauce, but I can say that at least I gave them a try.

The idea was to do 3-4 hikes given cooperation from the weather and my own mortal confines. I booked 2 guided group tours for the purpose of socializing and learning about the island from its locals, and I had others saved that I’d play by ear to do on my own.

Serra Devassa, located in the Sete Cidades volcanic complex, was a striking introduction to the island’s natural beauty. In glasses and day-old plane clothes, I managed an elevation gain of over 700 ft with wind whipping through my hair and fast-moving clouds obstructing the vistas. Our guide pointed out moss lined gulleys and the layers of black that chronicled volcanic activity in rocks exposed from landslides. In a couple hours, we headed up Pico das Éguas, one of the highest points in western São Miguel, and passed by several lakes and wetlands. It felt like I was on another planet. To my surprise, waiting for us on the drive down the volcano were the Sete Cidades twin lagoons at full visibility, fog be damned, a stroke of luck that encapsulates how mercurial yet generous the weather can be. Leandro kindly pulled the van over at the Miradouro da Vista do Rei, and we all ran to get our postcard picture of São Miguel’s crown jewels. To make matters even sweeter, I returned to Nine Dots with my carry-on sitting in my room. I was having a fantastic morning.

Sadly, the days I had availability were days that Lagoa do Fogo decidedly did not. My militant on-the-hour webcam checks showed a persistent layer of dense fog covering the lagoon. Even if I ditched the hike and took a shuttle to viewpoints, my reward would be meager. Instead, I opted for a chill morning walk around the perimeter of Lagoa das Furnas and a visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory, Europe’s oldest tea plantation. I really enjoyed wandering through the meticulously maintained fields and people-watching from the cafe veranda, so much that I returned twice. A grey afternoon couldn’t be so bad if I was sipping a hot mug of complimentary black tea and savoring a slice of bolo de ananás.

A standout hike took me into dense forest vegetation to the thunderous Salto do Prego waterfall, where the restored “lost” village Sanguinho awaited on the descent. It’s a hike that feels longer than the ~5 km that it is, but in a good way. With wild roosters lining the trail, it combines patches of more technical hiking with the ultimate payoff. Perhaps a dip in the waterfall on a hot day, if that speaks to you. The Sanguinho hike is a gift that keeps on giving, and I’m glad I did it in a group. There were a few points on the road to the seaside village Faial da Terra, the site of the trailhead, where I was relieved that I wasn’t behind the wheel. It’s bang for your buck hiking, and rounding an unassuming corner to see Faial da Terra nestled between two green peaks is an experience I think every traveler should have.

On a free afternoon, I drove to Moisteros and walked the black sand beach with my mouth agape at its cliffs. The tides weren’t in my favor to visit the natural pools, so I elected to grab a snack and read a book in the shade of the town square. I really wish I’d brought a swimsuit, but it was mild in Ponta Delgada, reiterating what I said earlier: it’s always sunny somewhere else on the island. I made this mistake again on a drizzling day in Furnas, throwing on a long-sleeve before driving 15 minutes south to the beach in Ribeira Quente, only to be greeted by locals walking around in cutoff shorts and bikini tops. I was fascinated by the amount of manmade pools and swimming complexes jutting into the ocean, like the one by Bar Caloura. On a future visit, I’d love to try beginner surfing lessons in Santa Bárbara, but for this trip, I prioritized land over sea. I did buy traveler’s insurance, but I also had some semblance of self-preservation.

I inadvertently saved the best for last.

São Miguel colloquially has more cows than people, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was statistically proven. Given that its economy is primarily driven by agriculture, it became my mission to get up close and personal with these gentle giants. Pulling over on the side of the road and potentially trespassing was too precarious for my liking, so I was thrilled when a late night Reddit rabbit hole led me to Volcanic Beings. After exchanging a few messages with Mariana over Instagram, I was confirmed to tour her father’s dairy farm on Saturday morning, my final day on the island.

Volcanic Beings is a family-run operation that prides itself on regenerative practices and ethical treatment of animals. Mariana and her father Eduardo divide responsibilities, with Mariana serving as a tour guide and the force behind the farm’s ongoing conversion to a fully regenerative model.

After putting on protective shoe coverings, Mariana led me through the rolling hills of her family’s farm. I happened to be the only visitor, and she gamely answered my questions about sustainable practices and her hopes for its wider adoption. “In all the farmer meetings, I am the youngest and also the only woman,” she explained.

I fed her prized horse Europa and became acquainted with a handful of her family’s 100+ roaming cows. Each has its own name—like protective Orange Blossom and calm Jessica—and it became so clear to me that each was respected and cared for. I met a male calf born that very morning, and I thought my heart would explode as I watched him get acquainted with his legs while being envious of his long eyelashes. There was a symbiosis between all living beings, and I was incredibly moved to partake in this connection and have these animals’ trust as a byproduct of their trust in Mariana.

As we made our way back, a tractor approached. It was Eduardo offering to give us a ride. He hopped out of the driver’s seat, and Mariana translated from Portuguese that he asked if I could drive manual. I shook my head.

“He’ll handle the hard part,” she said. “Get in. He said that he saw two princesses struggling up the hill, so he came to pick us up.”

So with Mariana standing on the operator platform and Eduardo pacing beside us, controlling the stick shift, I drove us up the slope to the farmhouse. This, reader, was not on the itinerary, and I was exuberant.

My hour at Volcanic Beings is the type of experience I crave most, an intentional seeing that reveals a glimpse into the heart of a place. This, of course, is only possible through the willingness and generosity of its inhabitants to display it, a truth that exists regardless if there’s fog covering Sete Cidades and nobody can get their photo. I don’t claim to understand the nuances of farming in the Azores, but I’m grateful for the insight into one of the pillars that keeps the island running. I’m even more grateful for interactions, human and bovine, that remind me that curiosity is the best gateway for connection, and down unassuming dirt roads can lay something unexpected, beautiful, and powerful.

Brittany is a writer and newly minted Pharmacology PhD based in New York City. She cohosts the book club at Yu & Me Books, NYC’s first queer Asian American bookstore, and is an active member of the Instagram book community. You can find her searching for her next favorite work of literary fiction @scienceowlreads.

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