Ponto Delgada

Jewel of the Seas, April 29, 2023

On day 8 we arrived in the Azores – an island archipelago that is part of Portugal. This extremely clean city, first settled in the mid 15^th century, has been a vital jumping off port for exploring the Americas. Its mild, subtropical climate, moderated by the gulf stream, provides citrus and other agriculture year-round, which allowed it to flourish in the early 19^th century. Now, it provides a transatlantic respite for cruisers and sailors. 

The cleanliness speaks to its local pride. The beautiful and intricate cobblestone streets (which reminded me of Prague) is a great example of the care they take in maintaining public spaces.

The people are friendly, even when inundated with cruise tourists. The café we parked ourselves for the first hour in port for their wifi charged less than 4E for 2 cappuccinos. The tourist office (about ½ mile from the fort, where the cruise shuttle dropped us off), had maps and laid out a walking tour for us. (There is a Guru walk, but the English one was not available for the day we visited – but if you speak Hungarian – you were in luck!). 

We wandered the cobblestone paths, each main street with a different design, past the cathedral and up the hill.

There are three botanical gardens, we went to the free city one, which was amazing (and the best of the three in talking to fellow travelers whose tours took them to all three). The trees were enormous – including the second largest Norfolk Island Pine in the world, and varied – from the “New Zealand Christmas Tree”,

a eucalyptus with fascinating thin, peeling bark, and a Fig tree that I thought was a banyan from its many thick roots. You can walk through reinforced lava tubes, which speak to the geological origin of the island. 

We only had a few hours in port, so did not go into the Fort – but it resembles many built in the late 16^th-early 17^th century, and houses a maritime military museum. We ended our time in port with a different café – enjoying 1 L steins of local beer (Especial) – 2 of them for 7E. 

The island has a plethora of hot springs, and many of the tours go into the surrounding hills to explore them. And if you want to get on another boat – whale-watching tours are also popular.