Azores Wines
Azores Wines
Islands of Azores - Ilha de São Miguel
This island is 65 Kms long and 16 wide and is the most highly populated of
all the islands with 126.000 inhabitants, acting as the administrative
capital. This island was chosen by Price Henry the Navigator as his
first to be inhabited by Portuguese and ordered that a flock of sheep be
put onshore in 1432 a year prior to the arrival of the first settlers.
During the period when the Portuguese throne was ruled by the Spanish
King Felipe II, the French sent a fleet of 60 ships which took
possession of the Island. However, two week later a Spanish larger fleet
arrived and quickly defeated the French.
A busy port and has nearby one of the three international airports.
Besides its natural beauty (common to all the islands), its two
outstanding tourist attractions are the famous Lagoa do Fogo and
the Caldeiras das Furnas. The island was originally two separate
islands and in 1563 a volcanic eruption joined them together and at the
same time created an inland lake lined with narrow sandy beaches. In this
period the Caldeiras das Furnas was also created and there are
numerous hot steaming geysers which gush up from below the earths crust.
They provide therapeutic mud and mineral water for use as a health
treatment in the local spas. The northern shores of this lake provide
such hot steam that it is used to make a traditional local meat stew.
Gonçalves da Câmara who was the son of the discoverer of the
Island of Madeira was appointed its first Governor. In the 18th Century,
the USA Ambassador to the Azores Islands planted hundreds of trees and
plants to create a 12 hectare garden which today is a popular attraction.
In the north-west side of the island is another volcanic creation with
dramatic drops of up to 300 metres into a crater with three lakes
surrounded by fertile green vegetation.
The capital town of Ponta Delgada has neat white homes, many
churches and convents reflecting its wealthy trading times. The seafront
is dominated by three 18th Century arches which used to be the gates
leading into the town. The main church, Igreja de São Sebastião,
dates from the 16th Century and has some beautiful tiles and attractive
17th Century jacaranda furniture together with its white limestone
doorway. The facade of the Chapel of São Francisco de Asiss is
worth viewing for its ornate stone work as is the Igreja e Convento
de Nossa Senhora da Esperança. The 16th Century fortress of São
Bras has been mainly been restored in the late 19th Century. The
popular Festival de Santo Cristo dos Milagres takes place on the
fifth Sunday after Easter which centres on the nearby Convento da
Esperança, The Convento de Santo André is the home of the
Museu Carlos Machado with its theme featuring the history of the
local fishing and farming industry. In the later half of the 20th Century
the island developed a large export trade in pineapples.
Throughout the world in specialized Tea Shops can be purchased the famous
"Perl" variety which is grown in the Ribeira Grande area,
dried and packaged for shipment in its small factory. This is also a town
worth visiting as some of the buildings show some impressive carved stone
work.
A new tourist attraction has been opened which is a natural tunnel some
five kilometres long and six metres high by thirteen metres wide. This
tunnel can be found at Carvão.
Possibly the most well known dish in the Azores originates from this
island. Its name is Cozido das Furnas and is a rich stew based on
meat. The uniqueness of this dish is that it is placed below ground and
steamed for up to 6 hours in a volcanic surroundings - it is always
necessary to pre-order this meal the day before. Among many other dishes
there are Couves Solteriras, Polvo Guisado, Arroz de Lapa and,
Ensopado de Trutas. Two local cheeses to be tried are Vila
Franca and Covada. When visiting Ribeira Grande on the
north coast try a drink named "Canários" which brings
together three fruits of the Azores, pineapple, "maracujá" and
"amora".
Direct flights from Lisbon and North America with interconnecting flights
within the islands. There is a boat connection with the Ilha de Santa
Maria.
Island of São Miguel Weather (detailed)
Detailed Ilha do São Miguel weather conditions
Island of São Miguel Photos
Ponta Delgada
· São Miguel Church
· São Miguel Countryside
· São Miguel Lago da Sete Cidades
· São Miguel Country Farm
· São Miguel Crater of Fogo
|
Island
of São Miguel Events |
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|
| Procissão de São. Miguel (Vila Franca) |
1st Sunday after Easter |
| Procissão de São. Miguel (Ribeira Grande) |
April |
| Festas do Senhor St. Cristo dos Milagres |
5th Sunday after Easter |
| Cavalhadas de São Pedro |
29th June |
| Festa da Senhora da Assunção |
15th August
|
Azores Islands
Corvo
· Faial
· Flores
· Graciosa
· Pico
· Santa Maria
· São Jorge
· Terceira
Useful São Miguel Telephone Numbers
