Portugal
San Pedro

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Day 3–7

      Around the Pink House

      October 9, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

      I'm getting settled in here. The pink house hostel has a few residents from USA and Spain, they are millennials and they work from the road via their PCs and the internet. I update Facebook for the first time in a month. The Camino is done and it is time to gently slide back into life even if I'm still on the road. Actually I will continue to be on the road from here with home breaks.

      I go to the coast which is all lava rock and watch the breakers beat up the rough black land. I hang here for a few hours watching the spectacle. I mosy on over to the waterfall not too far away and stay there for an hour as well, I'm solo, no tourists so it is a peaceful time and it is drop dead gorgeous on Flores with sun, wind, squalls all taking turns.

      I have too many pictures to post today... I tease my friends online with a few.

      I drive to the Helios store and stock up on 4 days worth of vegetables and other healthy items. Finally time to recuperate.

      Back in the hostel I talk to Alfredo who walked 27km out and back along the northern trail and Madison from Canada who sounds like a valley girl. Helena from the Pyrenees is a patient conversationalist as we switch back and forth between Spanish and English to get our points across. Devon has been working on his PC all day making sales calls. I'm happy to be here for a bunch of days.
      Read more

    • Day 8

      A km for every year

      April 3, 2023 in Portugal

      Happy birthday to me, what better way to celebrate than probably the hardest hike I've ever done in my life.

      The views were incredible, the biscuits I bought were the best I've ever tasted, my whole body now hurts and my burn resembles a drum stick lolly.

      Ended the day with some ciders, a burger and some cheesecake.

      (In all seriousness I had a great day - would do it again next year 😂)
      Read more

    • Day 16

      Faja Grande ebéd

      September 12, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      Nem kockáztattunk, amúgy is közel voltunk
      Bár a sziget túloldalára indultunk, de csak plusz 10-15 perc volt Faja Grande. Ahol tegnap este ettünk, és jó volt. Most nem volt olyan nagy szám, de rossz sem. Megfogadtuk hogy most már nem erőltetjük a halat, dehát tőkehal volt helyi speckó módon hagymával, paprikával megsütve. Sajnos kicsit too much volt, meg szálkás is, nem lett volna vele semmi baj, ha nem ettünk volna már egy csomó ennél jobb halat is itt. Kata pedig valami steaket kért, az, sem volt rossz, de ennél is volt már jobb a szigeteken. Viszont a helyszín és a környezet csodálatos továbbra is 😉Read more

    • Day 15

      Faja Grande és a vízesések völgye túra

      September 11, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      Elvileg Faja Grandetól indul és Lajedóig tart egy 13 km-es túra, mi ennek a felét terveztük. El a vízeséses völgyig, és onnan vissza, ez is lesz vagy 10-12 igy.
      A faluból nagyon hangulatos ösvény megy ki, először régi házak között, nagyon sok az elhagyatott (nem csak itt, máshol is az Azori szigeteken), majd a régi kő kerítésekkel körbe vett legelők között megy. Bal kézről zöld sziklafalak, jobb kézről először óceán, aztán legelők mindenhol. Meg hegyek. Gyönyörű, de nagyon meleg van, és folyamatosan emelkedik megállás nélkül. Szerencse, hogy a legelők miatt szinte 20 méterenként van egy csap a tehenek itatásához, inni nem merünk belőle, de legalább meg tudjuk mosni magunkat és kicsit felfrissülni.
      Nagyon furcsa itt, hogy este 21 fok van, néha fázunk, pulcsi kell, nappal meg kemény 23-24 fok, és félmeztelenül megsülünk.
      Szóval nagyon kellemes helyen megy az ösvény, látványos, alig jön szembe ember, nagyon jó kis nyugis csendes sziget kevés turistával. Egy idő után rátérünk egy kő útra, majd megláttuk a táblát, már csak 600 méter. De milyen 😂
      Read more

    • Day 8

      Corvo Island

      October 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Woke up intending to walk the trail behind the pink house, but a group was excitedly going to Corvo with great weather. I switched my plan in a nano second and was on my way to join them. Irene (Dutch), Annaelle (French) and the Spanish couple.

      The boat ride starts with an astonishing ride in and out of the coastal bays, in and out of grottoes and under waterfalls. This alone was worth the price of admission and the weather is perfect for it. We start crossing the straight between Flores and Corvo. It's further than you think.

      A shuttle took us up to the top from where you can hike straight into the enormous crater of this extinct volcano. It's absolutely huge. We're told it is possible to hike to the rim as well. I set off fairly fast despite a total lack of sleep. It's just too stunning.

      On the other side of the crater, I think it is a good spot to start going to the ridge. As I climb to the top I almost trip as the earth just disappears from under me at the edge. A cliff of 480 meters drops vertically into the sea. It's jaw dropping, even after seeing so many amazing sights in the last week here is yet another scene that can't even be imagined and it's superlative. Pictures can never do it justice.

      Annaelle is coming up behind me and the Spanish couple too, I wait for them while devouring a fantastic lunch of veggies, eggs, cheese and sauerkraut mixed up by the wavy seas. The couple needs to get down to catch the shuttle, while Annaelle and I continue navigating along the rim trail, thinking we have plenty of time as we're planning to walk down to catch the boat on time.

      We met some French guys and compare plans and hear how long it took them and we decide to take a faster route. Good call as it turns out we catch the same van to return into town as all the others. I'm pooped and that saved my shin.
      Read more

    • Day 6–9

      Flores lagoas

      October 12, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      I get a late start as I am trying to figure out how many more days shall I stay. I get my laundry in and need to return the rental car, so I get another one that's cheaper for the next 3 days. Still plenty of hiking to do here.

      The lakes in the crater are a good choice for today as the weather is clear up high. The trail is really muddy though and suddenly the late night is catching up to me and I'm good for a midday nap.

      I high tail it to Ponta Delgada and find a kids play ground with the safety mats that make a good rest spot. About 15 women between 60 and 80 were having a party at the picnic tables. I take my shoes of and give them a chance to start drying out and I rest.

      Overall a pretty mellow day, I change out the car, drive back to the pink and make dinner, talk with ... and a plan comes together for tomorrow with Alfredo to hike from Cedros.

      I have clean laundry, a full belly, ready to go to bed but I should have a look at a flight and hostel on Sao Miguel, but I can't keep my eyes open.
      Read more

    • Day 5–8

      South end Flores

      October 11, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

      Breakfast of champions and drive towards the south, got lost again and found a nice farmers field that I explored. A hot spring apparently exist at the end of a 1600 meter trail that ends in a rock climbing session to reach the pool. I didn't go for it.

      The wind is absolutely howling and the Atlantic is whipped into a frenzy of white caps. It's a sight to behold. I love this kind of weather. It was supposed to rain all day but the sun is shining warmly. I drop into the steep descent of rocky single track all the way to sea level. At the end is a secluded beach and at the end of the beach are a few house sized boulders sitting in the surf getting pummeled by the eternal swells. I could sit there for hours and so I do. The luxury of time. It's a South facing beach and what is the first land mass from here? Antarctica!

      Back at the hostel energy is low, it's just a feeling. I head back out and go bouldering to another giant waterfall. This one has a head wind and the falling water is swept sideways and back up. Stunning and mesmerizing.

      A French woman arrived at the hostel, she is excited and her mood lifts up the entire energy field of the place. That's more like it.
      Read more

    • Day 2

      Terceira hike

      October 8, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Woke up a bit late. Slept well. Got going right away to the center of the island where the hikes are. I thought I would be on single track trails but it turns out parts of the trail are on the road. I managed to stratigically park and pick shorter trails to spare the shin that is not healing yet. The fog hangs overhead and the fumaroles are smoking, it's 130 celcius just two feet below the surface. I have the place to myself. In some places the crust of the earth is so thin, it feels like the lava could be just under your feet.

      Drove around and to the next spot. The trail is awesome, skinny, rutted and the trees are covered with moss. Yesterday's running race went through here.

      Off to the airport again. Yesterday I decided to cut Terceira short in favor of Flores. I get to fly the Q400 twin turbo prop. What a plane! Short take off and smooth.

      Flores is something else, the flora is luxuriant and exotic. The volcanic landscape is vertical rock along the coast.

      Late solo dinner, meat and potatoes land, veggies are hard to come by, Oliver would love it.
      Read more

    • Day 4

      Campo Base Flores

      September 2, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      Mai fatto un campo base così basso sopra il livello del mare 😅 con vista oceano.
      La cosa bella è tutto gratuito sia docce che posti tenda ⛺ , il padrone del locale e area ci ha solo chiesto se consumiamo qualcosa qui.
      3€ birra da mezzo.. (questa isola sta diventando pericolosa) 🤣
      Read more

    • Day 12

      💚🌴🌳

      September 13, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

      Danach haben versucht zu einer Wasserfall in zukommen, aber da kein Weg angeschrieben war , waren wir auf dem falschen weg, die nature war trotzdem wunderschön 🥰 auch wenn wir nicht am Ziel angekommen sind 🤣Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Fajã Grande, Faja Grande, San Pedro

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android