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Azores 2026
  • Gina Steiner
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  • Gina Steiner

Azores 2026

A 58-day adventure by Gina Read more
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    🇵🇹 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
    Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Aquamarine

    Today in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Here on the coast, five minutes from my cottage, it becomes clear where the color aquamarine gets its name from. I've never seen such aquamarine blue water before.

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Lagoa do Fogo

    Yesterday in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    After visiting the tea plantation, we drove across the island towards Ponta Delgada. We took the winding road and passed Lagoa do Fogo.

    The island is only 8 km wide at this point and the road goes to 950 meters. Accordingly, there is a lot of wind there and the temperatures are quite cool.

    Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire) is a crater lake within the Água de Pau Massif stratovolcano in the center of the island of São Miguel. The highest lake located on the island of São Miguel, the region is protected by governmental regulation that does not permit any constructions around the lake.

    Since 1974, the Lagoa do Fogo had been under the administration of national legislation as a protected area, forming the Reserva da Lagoa do Fogo an area that includes approximately 2,182 hectares.

    Lagoa do Fogo is one of the largest of the waterbodies in the Azores, and occupies the central caldera of the Água de Pau Massif. The caldera is the youngest volcano on the island, formed approximately 15 000 years ago, resulting from the collapse at the top of the volcano, some 5000 years ago. The last eruption occurred in 1563.

    It is part of the hydrological watershed of the same name. The margins of the lake are located 575 metres above sea level, although the crater rim, which extends to Pico da Barrosa is located at approximately 949 metres altitude. The internal flanks of the crater (characterized by abrupt 48º cliffs) are occupied by the elliptical lake, 3 by 2.5 kilometres and 30 metres deep.

    The carved relief affects the course of hydrographic run-off, which is accentuated by torrential precipitation in the region, resulting in accentuated erosion and deposition along the margins. A majority of the watercourses are temporary or torrential, with the greatest run-off occurring in the winter, and little in the summer, with few permanent ravines. There are only two permanent effluents in the lake, one to the western crater rim in Barrosa, and the other in the south-southeast. The lake is maintained from mainly, direct precipitation over the caldera and from superficial run-off from the watersheds, where nutrient infiltration is common. The lake's waters support local aquifers in the lowlands and provide potable water to the settlements in the southern flanks of the caldera.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Chá Gorreana

    Yesterday in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Today we visited the tea plantation and the museum of Chá Gorreana and tasted tea there. The plantation is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. on) and there is no entrance fee.

    Gorreana is the oldest surviving tea plantation in Europe and one of only two still operating in the Azores.

    Although the Azores were initially famed for growing oranges, blight devastated the orange fields to the point of near-complete destruction by 1864. The farmer José do Canto was the first to import tea, in 1860, as a potential replacement crop. In 1878, the Society for the Promotion of São Miguel Agriculture arranged for two Chinese tea specialists from Macau, Lau-a-Pan and his interpreter Lau-a-Teng, to teach São Miguel the fundamentals of the industry.

    Tea was especially cultivated on the northern slopes of the island. Tea harvesting took place between April and September, mostly employing women and children.

    Although there were previously multiple tea companies on the island, global economic instability during the world wars, immigration from the Azores, and competition with tea from Mozambique led to a decline in the tea industry, with Gorreana being the sole survivor by the 1980s.

    The tea plantation that would become Gorreana was founded in 1883 by Ermelinda Gago da Camara, wife of José Honorato Gago da Camara. Her granddaughter Angelina and her husband Jaime Hintze took over the plantation upon her death in 1913.

    Hintze modernized the plantation and rebranded it as Gorreana in 1926 and it is still in the possession of the family.

    As of 2021, Gorreana was maintaining its operations much as it had in earlier times, producing between 30 and 40 tons of tea per year. Gorreana produces varieties of both black tea (Moinha, Broken Leaf, Pekoe, Orange Pekoe, Ponta Branca, Oolong) and green tea (Hysson, Encosta de Bruma, Pérola). The relatively dry climate and isolation from parasites has allowed Gorreana tea to be produced without the use of pesticides.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Fish barbecue

    January 31 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    What are we supposed to grill in the middle of the Altantic? 🤔

    Today we are doing the first test with the fireplace. Let's see how the heat and smoke develops. Honestly, I've never grilled in this kind of outdoor fireplace and certainly not on such a winding island.

    We preferred not to buy the most expensive fish for the first experiment. 🤣    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    O Rei dos Queijos

    January 30 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    O Rei dos Queijos (King of Cheeses) is a renowned specialty shop in Ponta Delgada's historic center, right next to the Mercado da Graça.

    Founded in the late 1970s by Carlos Bernardo as a conventional grocery store, the business specialized in regional cheeses around the turn of the millennium.

    The selection includes over 40 different cheeses from all nine islands of the Azores. Of particular note is the work of the "Afinador" (cheese refiner): the cheeses are aged and matured in their own cellar, a craft still practiced today by Mário Bernardo.

    Since visitors can sample the different varieties before buying, I took the opportunity to try my way through the selection 🤣.
    The shopkeeper, of course, had to offer his expert advice.

    In addition to cheese, the shop also carries local liqueurs, wines, honey, jams, pastries (such as queijadas), and traditional bread.

    The shop is open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6:30 pm, and until 7 pm on Fridays.

    It is easy to find due to its location and the intense aroma of cheese. 🧀🧀🧀💨🤣    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Camellia sasanqua

    January 29 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I have a camellia in the garden here.
    It blooms very abundantly for the fact that it is now also winter here. So far I have never had a camellia in the garden and now I am learning something about it.
    For example, that it produces flowers extremely early in the season.

    Camellia sasanqua, is a species native to southern Japan. It is usually found growing up to an altitude of 900m.

    At the beginning of the Edo period (1601 until 1868), cultivars of Camellia sasanqua began appearing; the first record of the cultivars of this plant was made by Ihei Ito (1695–1733). The Japanese call it Sazanka.

    This plant was not known in western society until in 1820 Captain Richard Rawes brought it to Thomas Carey Palmer, of Bromley in Kent. Then in 1869, Dutch traders imported some specimens into Europe. It has now also been introduced to Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

    It has a long history of cultivation in Japan for practical rather than decorative reasons. The leaves are used to make tea while the seeds or nuts are used to make tea seed oil, which is used for lighting, lubrication, cooking and cosmetic purposes. Tea oil has a higher calorific content than any other edible oil available naturally in Japan.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    That was close

    January 28 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Yesterday evening I picked Rainer up from the airport.

    As always, thanks to the departure and arrival information from the airports in Hamburg, Lisbon, and Ponta Delgada, I was well-informed.

    Together with Flightradar, I had everything under observation, including the second plane from Lisbon, which was five minutes behind Rainers.

    I had also warned Rainer that it was very windy that day, as it had been the previous two days.

    Long story short, the plane didn't land at the first attempt but aborted the landing. Too much wind, too much turbulence, too unstable. It almost touche ground but only almost.

    Rainer's plane had enough fuel for a second attempt, and the passengers were informed that if that also failed, they would be flown back to Lisbon. Luckily, it worked the second time.

    The second plane didn't even attempt to land but immediately turned around and flew back to Lisbon.

    I monitored this on-site as well as on Flightradar.
    I'd say we were lucky ❤️.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Bifanas

    January 28 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Bifana (lit. 'small steak') is a classic Portuguese sandwich eaten all across the country.

    According to Taste Atlas, the dish may have first been created in Vendas Novas, but it is served throughout the country.

    The typical ingredients are pork chops, steak, or loin, pounded thin or sliced, simmered with garlic and wine, then sandwiched inside heated bread. There are regional variations which include marinating and grilling or roasting the pork and making the sauce separately and drizzling onto the bun and/or serving with mustard, hot sauce or sauteed onions.

    This dish is typically served at festivals that take place all over the country. It is typically viewed as a cheap, fast and easy meal.[citation needed] It is generally seen as a popular dish; McDonalds serves a version called McBifana.

    In the north of Portugal, the sandwich is usually served using shredded pork and a sauce, while in the south it is a lighter sandwich which uses a pork cutlet and a light marinade.

    The bifana has seen international adaptation in various European and North American cities, often in Portuguese immigrant communities. These adaptations sometimes modify traditional ingredients to cater to local tastes or ingredient availability, while still maintaining the essential characteristics of the original.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Cherimoya

    January 27 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Do you know Cherimoyas?
    By now I know them well, because in the meantime I have met them many times. I think the shell looks like snakeskin.

    The fruit in the center of the picture is the cherimoya. It is also known as custard apple, cinnamon apple, or sugar apple.

    The fruit is heart-shaped or conical, about ten centimeters long, and has a green, scaly skin which turns brown as it ripens.

    Originally it comes from the Andes Mountains of South America and is now also cultivated in Spain, Portugal, the Acores and the Canary Islands.

    The Taste and Texture of The flesh is white, creamy, and sweet. The flavor is often described as a mixture of pineapple, strawberry, banana, and pear.
    I don't like it so much, because from time to time it is a bit bitter.

    The flesh can be eaten raw by halving the fruit and scooping it out with a spoon. The black seeds are inedible because Cherimoya seeds contain various alkaloids; consuming them leads to nausea and various symptoms of poisoning. The seeds are used as an insecticide, for parasitic skin diseases, and as a strong emetic and laxative.

    So I don't buy them very often but I think it is a really pretty fruit.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião

    January 26 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    The Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião is located in the old city center of Ponta Delgada near the Portas da Cidade.

    Its construction dates back to a hermitage dedicated to Saint Sebastian , the city's patron saint, erected after a great plague struck the city.

    The construction of the current temple took place between 1531 and 1547 , having received aid from Kings John III and Sebastian . The magnificent Manueline-style portals that have survived to this day date from this period. The doors on the side facades, in Baroque style , are made of basalt from the island.

    Over the centuries, the building underwent profound transformations as a whole, typical of the Gothic style in Portugal, with Manueline and, later, Baroque details. In the 16th century , the bell tower stood in the northeast corner. In the first half of the 18th century , the temple was the subject of an extensive building campaign.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Louvre Michaelense

    January 25 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    When I was hungry, I stopped at Louvre Michaelense. This is a traditional bar and bistro in the historic center of Ponta Delgada on the Azorean island of São Miguel. It's considered one of the city's most charming spots, blending a rich history with modern culinary craftsmanship.

    Founded in 1904, the establishment originally served as a luxury hat and fabric shop, importing goods directly from Paris. After a renovation that won an architectural award in 2021, it reopened in 2015 as a mercearia (delicacy) and evolved into a bistro and cocktail bar by 2020.

    The original interior, with its high ceilings, dark wood shelves, and antique display cases, has been preserved. Today, instead of hats, the shelves hold local specialties such as tea, coffee, and preserves from the Azores.

    The bistro's concept combines regional Azorean ingredients with French flair.

    Highlights include the famous (gluten-free) chocolate cake, Eggs Benedict on local sweet bread (Massa Sovada), fish and rice stew (Arroz Malandrinho), and various seafood dishes. They also have a daily special; mine was chickpea soup, buttered rice with beans, and calamari. It was delicious and cost €13.

    The team is international, and numerous vegetarian and vegan options are available.

    If you are around, go there!    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler
    2

    Torre do Relógio ou Torre Sineira

    January 24 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    The Torre do Relógio ou Torre Sineira is a bell tower in Ponta Delgada near the Portas da Cidade.

    The Bell Tower was built in 1724 and is an integral part of the Ponta Delgada City Hall building. It is approximately 30 meters high and has 106 steps. You can enter the tower on the right side of the building, it's the second door.

    It was reopened on April 18, 2015, World Monuments and Sites Day, after renovation works. At its top you can enjoy a 360º view over the city of Ponta Delgada.

    There are not many steps, 106 like written above, but the top spiral staircase is only 40cm wide, so it is difficult to squeeze through with a bag or backpack. And if you're claustrophobic, it's definitely not for you.

    The tower is really authentic and the stone staircase shows its age. In countless places, the stairs are badly worn out and you can look down through the stairs.

    I definitely recommend to got there, the entrance is free and you get a great overview over the city.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Mercado da Graça

    January 23 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Today I went to the market, because my fruit and vegetable supplies had to be replenished.

    I went to the Mercado da Graça, which is located in the parish of São Pedro, in the city of Ponta Delgada.

    The selection is great 🤩, there are an insane number of locate and also imported fruits and vegetables.

    Every second Saturday is a special fish day, on which there are a lot of fishmongers. Today was Friday and another market visitor told me that tomorrow would be the special Saturday and I put that information into my calendar straight away ✍️🗓️.

    So today there was only one fish stand, the rest of the fish hall was empty. The meat stalls, on the other hand, are always there.

    The market dates back to the mid- 19th century, replacing the original trading posts for agricultural products and livestock on the south side of the Matriz church (the Mercado do Pelourinho) and in the arcades of the Cais Velho, next to the Cais da Terra (Arcadas da Feira).

    This agricultural market located in the grounds of the Convent of Graça, was intended, within the ideals of liberalism that were emerging in the country, to become a new market for the city, in a proper and dignified location, in the same way as the fish Market in Corpo Santo, at Cais da Sardinha, and the livestock Market in the grounds of the Franciscan Friars' Convent at Campo de São Francisco, where the buildings of the Autonomous Port Authority are currently located .

    Construction began in 1848 by resolution of the City Council on March 16 , 1847. On December 30, 1849, the Council decided on the construction of a second market in São José.

    It is a very quiet and spacious market, where you are very well protected from the unstable weather and the wind here.

    There is also a cheese merchant, but I write something about him independently.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Monte Palace Abandoned Hotel

    January 22 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Perched on the edge of a dormant volcano, surrounded by dense vegetation, a ridiculously gigantic building crumbles in on itself.

    Anyone visiting the Miradouro da Vista do Rei viewpoint on the island of São Miguel can't help but notice this enormous and eerie concrete structure. It is the once magnificent 5-star Monte Palace Hotel.

    Built into the hillside to take advantage of the views of the Atlantic Ocean and the colorful lakes, the hotel had the potential to attract many visitors and be a resounding success.

    It boasted five floors with 88 rooms, including a presidential suite, four deluxe suites, four double rooms with sitting areas, 27 double rooms, and 52 suites.

    The hotel featured two restaurants: Dona Amélia Grill and Dom Carlos Restaurant. The restaurants were elegantly furnished with silverware, crystal glasses, and embroidered napkins.

    In addition, the hotel offered a bar, three conference rooms, a games room, a hair salon, a bank, a basement nightclub, and several boutiques. With over 100 employees working daily, the Monte Palace was a symbol of luxury, incorporating many imported materials.

    Unfortunately, the mountaintop hotel closed on November 26, 1990, just 18 months after opening. It was a rather sad end. On the same day that the Monte Palace's director received the Hotel of the Year award in Lisbon, the staff in São Miguel learned that the five-star hotel would be closing within a week.

    For 20 years after the closure, a security guard and his dogs were stationed there daily to prevent vandalism. But in 2011, the guard was no longer paid and left. And that was the beginning of the end.

    Locals began stealing everything from the abandoned hotel, even the elevator! Now, only the concrete walls, the roof, and the floor remain.

    How did it all begin?

    In 1977, the Azores Tourism and Hotel Industry (IATH), backed by French and Belgian shareholders, began investing in the Azores. They planned to build two luxury hotels on the island of São Miguel: the Monte Palace in Sete Cidades, nestled in the mountains, and the Bahia Palace in Água d'Alto, right on the beach.

    After years of delays, the first of the two five-star hotels—the Bahia Palace—opened in 1984. However, it proved difficult to turn a profit. It closed and reopened several times. Finally, on April 15, 1989, both hotels opened, burdened with a debt of 12 million escudos (approximately €60,000). The hotels faced considerable criticism, loans, and debt.

    To prevent collapse, an external investor had to be found, and so new management began with ESTA (Estoril Sol and TAP Air Portugal). They managed to secure government assistance in the form of repayable grants for repairs. The Bahia Palace is still open today, even though it's a 4-star hotel. Unfortunately, the Monte Palace doesn't have the same story.

    I certainly enjoyed strolling around there.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    The rain is over

    January 22 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Yesterday it was rainy. Changing weather is absolutely not unusual here, the weather changes a thousand times a day 🤣.

    But yesterday it was rainy the whole day and we had fog. So it was a day for staying home after the work.

    But today the rain is over so it looks promising for a short after work exploration tour 🤗.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Bolo Lêvedo

    January 20 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Bolos lêvedos are a typical gastronomic specialty of the Furnas Valley, a parish in the municipality of Povoação, São Miguel Island, Azores. This sweet treat originated in the mid-19th century.

    They have a shape similar to small discs, with a porous, toasted, and sweet dough. They are cooked on a skillet or metal griddle dusted with flour. With the advent of tourism, they have become the trademark of Furnas.

    I like them 😋.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Lagoa Azul & Lagoa Verde

    January 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    My house is only a 20-minute drive from Lagoa das Sete Cidades. It's my second favorite place after the coast, and I spend a lot of time there. I can drive over the bridge between the lakes, but I prefer the northern slope of Lagoa Azul.

    Lagoa das Sete Cidades ("Lagoon of the Seven Cities") is a twin lake situated in the crater of a dormant volcano on the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It consists of two small, ecologically different lakes connected by a narrow strait, which is crossed by a bridge. The volcano is located on the western third of the island of São Miguel. The Lagoa das Sete Cidades is part of a natural landscape of communitarian interest: it is the largest body of water in the region and one of the most important freshwater resources in the archipelago.

    Although, hydrologically, the Lagoa das Sete Cidades is one lake, most refer to it as two separate bodies: Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul. Literally, the Green Lake and the Blue Lake (respectively), they are so named because each side of the lake reflects the sunlight in different colors.

    The ancient story recounts the tale of a bad-tempered widower King and his daughter in a Kingdom in the Western Sea. He was a King, Lord of Alchemy and sorcerer, who lived exclusively for his daughter, Antília, and who would not let the Princess speak to anyone. Apart from the King, the Princess was raised by an old nurse, after the Queen had died. As the years progressed, the princess grew up to be a beautiful young woman and able to attract the attentions of any boy in the kingdom. However, the King restricted her movements to the castle and garden, and few ever saw her. But, unintimidated by her father, and with the help of the nurse, she escaped to the local hills and valleys, as her father slept after his lunch. During one of her escape adventures, she heard a song: the music was beautiful and enchanted her to follow it to its origins. Hiding from view, the princess found a young shepherd playing a flute, sitting on top of a hill. For weeks she returned, listening to the young shepherd, until she was discovered behind some bushes. The shepherd boy fell in love with the princess, and they continued to meet afterwards, talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company, until the boy decided to ask for the princess in marriage.

    Early in the morning, the couple knocked on the door of the Castle, and asked the servants to speak to the King. Very nervous but determined, the shepherd asked the King for his daughter in marriage. Reacting angrily, the King refused and expelled him from the Castle, and forbade his daughter from seeing the young boy. Not wishing more ill feelings, she followed the orders of her father, but met secretly with the shepherd that afternoon in order to tell him that she would never see him again. Antília and the shepherd boy cried all afternoon, embracing, and their tears formed two beautiful lakes, one green, for the Princess's eyes were green, and the other blue, for the shepherd's eyes were likewise colored.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Moinho do Pico Vermelho

    January 18 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The Pico Vermelho Mill was built sometime between the 18th and 19th centuries and is one of the few of its kind still standing on the island of São Miguel.

    The mill has been restored and showcases the milling tradition in Ajuda da Bretanha. The Dutch-style building is open to visitors in July and August. It has two floors and is part of a small exhibition of artifacts such as measuring boxes used by the miller, his attire, and that of his wife, who assisted him in the task.Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Miradouro Pico de Mafra

    January 17 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Time to write a bit about Mosteiros, the village I picked to stay for two months.

    It lies in the west of the island of São Miguel in the Azores. The population of the whole civil parish was 1123 in 2011, in an area of 8.95 square kilometres.

    Fishing is still practiced with nets and also with handline method, and agriculture dominates in the interior, with herding of dairy cattle and the cultivation of some fruits and vegetables.

    Viewed from above, you can see 3 sections of coast. The natural sea pools in the rocks on the right, the harbour in the middle and the sandy beach on the left.

    It is a very popular parish in the summer, both by residents of the island and by national and foreign tourists. Ideal place for those who love the coast and the sea, whether for bathing or fishing, or to kayak along the coast. In winter there are very few tourists.

    Since 2016 it has been possible to take boat trips from the port and see whales and dolphins or visit the islets or Ferraria by sea but in January the sea is too wavy.

    It is possible to enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets on the island.

    It was only around 1480, that the first people began to settle this part of the island, mostly by the maritime access, for many years. The community of Mosteiros was built on ancestral fishing for many years, even as its territory was cultivated by farmers.

    The name Mosteiros, meaning monastery, refers to nearby islets: the largest of these islets is shaped like a church.

    "Between the large islet and ponta Ruiva, by the cliffs, until the promontory of Escalvados, there are some large depressions and well made fumaroles, in the form of a church, or monasteries, or of both things, that older settlers called the monasteries [Mosteiros], situated on the fajã that ran from the peak in Sete Cidades".    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Coffee break

    January 16 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    A coffee break is an important thing, I would say…
    I think I need a coffee break at my day off 🤔 - maybe with some knitting 🧶? It’s pretty essential to get breaks I learned… 🤣.

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler
    1
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    Limpets

    January 16 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    It's Friday, I have the day off! ❤️

    First, I picked up my ordered bread 🍞 from the village baker. You have to order the "better" bread here and normally the bakery is only open when they bake, so in the evening and the night 😳. But he tells you when you can pick it up, so it was my personal appointment and he waited for me 👑.

    Then I chit-chatted with the fisherman 🎣 at the harbor ⚓. He told me that no one goes out in January, so I couldn't buy any fish 🐟 here at the harbor, but I could try again in February. So let's see...

    That took care of all my tasks for today 😂, leaving everything open.

    First, I went up to the Miradouro Pico de Mafra and looked at the Mosteiros from above.
    Then it was time to try the local seafood 🐚🐙🐟.

    Have you ever eaten limpets? You're probably familiar with them. They're the things that cling to the rocks at the tideline in the sea like tiny volcanoes.

    They're not as salty as mussels and have a much denser texture - also denser than garden snails. They're served in a bubbling hot cast-iron pan with lemon and garlic. Do I need to eat them more often?
    No 🤪.

    But I interviewed the owner extensively 😂 and now I have his phone number ☎️.

    They not only have special menu and a "normal" menu, they also have a daily menu that you have to order the day before. I've already ordered for tomorrow; they're having octopus 🐙😋.

    We'll see if I use that phone number more often.

    As a side note: In summer the restaurant has the perfect view 🌊 but in winter the terrace is closed.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Praia dos Mosteiros

    January 15 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    There are not only jagged cliffs and rugged stretches of coastline here, but also a small sandy beach where the sand is pitch black. 🏖️

    This black sand is incredibly fine, and while the bay isn't very large, it's certainly big enough for swimming in the summer. Whether I'll swim here in the winter, I still have to decide. A small river also flows into the sea at the beach.

    Overlooking the beach, there's a small café where you can sit outside, sip galão, and eat a salmon burger ☕🍔. The salmon burger comes in a black bun - you can't taste the blackness at all - and it comes with seaweed 🌿.

    I've been thinking that this little café has a good chance of becoming my go-to spot, since it's only a five-minute drive from my house. Of course, I could also walk down the hill and back up; I think that would take about 15 to 20 minutes. I'll definitely keep looking, though; maybe I'll find another café. 😁    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    Farol da Ferraria

    January 14 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The Farol da Ferraria is located at Ponta da Ferraria, near Mosteiros, in the municipality of Ginetes. It illuminates a sector from 339° to 174° and has a range of 27 nautical miles.

    The 1883 General Plan for the illumination of the Portuguese coast, which also included the Azores, already envisioned the construction of a lighthouse at Ponta da Ferraria.

    The original plan to build a second-order lighthouse with a range of 25.5 nautical miles was changed in 1891. It was then deemed that a third-order lighthouse with a range of 15 to 20 nautical miles would suffice.

    The project's realization dragged on until 1901, when it finally began operating on November 9th. In 1957, the lighthouse was converted to electric operation and fitted with a 3000-watt incandescent bulb. With the connection to the public power grid, the output was reduced to 1000 W.

    The square tower is set into the main facade of a two-story, rectangular brick building, and a low white wall encloses the property. The entire building is occupied by the lighthouse keeper's family. So you can't go in and only watch it from outside the wall.    Read more

  • Gina SteinerAzores 2026Traveler

    After work thermal swim 😊

    January 13 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today was a workday, but since there's a two-hour time difference, 5 pm in Hamburg is only 3 pm here. 7:30 am is also 5:30 am 😜.

    But let's stick with 3 pm for now, because if the weather and tide are right, it's perfect for an afternoon soak in the sea.

    So today was the perfect day for an after work thermal swim in the ocean 🌊❤️.    Read more

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