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Madalena

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    • Inselhopping auf den Azoren
      Day 8

      Terceira -> Pico

      May 21, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Erneut hieß es, früh aus den Federn, aber zum Glück nicht so früh, wie beim letzten Transfer-Flug. So konnten wir noch in aller Ruhe im Hotel frühstücken, bevor wir Richtung Flughafen fuhren.

      Der Flug war wieder unspektakulär und entsprach der Strecke Hamburg - Bremen. Jetzt sind wir auf Pico, der zweitgrößten Insel der Azoren. Was auffällt, sind kaum Kühe, dafür jede Menge Weinberge, bzw. Kleine Abteile, die durch Mauern aus Lava-Brocken vor dem Wind geschützt werden. Das Ergebnis ist lecker!!! 🍷

      Unser Appartement ist sehr schön, geht über zwei Etagen, hat eine riesige Terrasse und einen tollen Meerblick! Dafür ist das Frühstück eher enttäuschend… Am Abend waren wir noch in einem Restaurant, dessen Visitenkarten schon in unserem Hotel in Terceira auslagen. Aber die wohlhabenden Azoras nutzen wohl tatsächlich die sehr günstigen Inlandsflüge, um auf einer anderen Insel Essen zu gehen…

      Die beiden Videos haben wir nicht aufgenommen, um irgendwas zu zeigen. Wir haben den „Gesang“ der Sepiasturmtaucher aufgenommen, die abends vom Meer an Land kommen. Wir haben zumindest vorher noch nie Vögel gehört, die „Aua-Aua-Aua-Aaah“ von sich geben… 😂      Read more

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    • TravelerAzoren
      Day 33

      Furna da Frei Matias

      October 21 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Die Furna da Frei Matias ist eine faszinierende Höhle auf der Azoreninsel Pico und hat eine ganz besondere Entstehungsgeschichte.
      Die Höhle entstand durch eine vulkanische Lavablase, die sich im Laufe der Zeit gebildet hat. Als die Lava abkühlte und sich zusammenzog, bildeten sich Hohlräume im Inneren.Read more

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    • Azoren
      3226
      Day 8

      About today....

      May 6 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

      Was gibt es zu heute zu erzählen!? Wind, Starkregen bereits in der Nacht und hat den ganzen Tag über angehalten 🤷‍♀️ trotzdem haben wir uns in kompletter Regenkleidung rausgewagt und wie wir feststellen mussten, waren wir nicht die einzigen so unterwegs😅
      Wieder im Häuschen angelangt, haben wir gelesen und nun steigen wir ins Apèro und spielen SkipBo und Triggs. Morgen solls besser werden, gut sind wir nicht nur 2 Tage auf Pico🙃      Read more

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    • Azoren
      Day 13

      Mountainhouse de Pico

      October 11 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Is de plek waar de hike begint en eindigt. Wat was het zwaar, koud, nat, harde windvlagen en gelukkig ook veel zon toen we eenmaal boven de wolken waren.
      3,5 uur klimmen en 4 uur om weer terug te komen.
      We did it!      Read more

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    • LadyandtrampFour Azores Islands
      Day 7

      Gruta das Torres Lava Tube

      March 15 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

      The wind roared all night. You just can’t predict the weather on this island. One minute the sun is shining, a few minutes later the fog rolls in, then it rains, then it is cold, then hot. What a place! The weather changes very quickly and it’s good to be prepared for anything.

      We were somewhat worried about our ferry ride back to Horta to catch our plane on Monday afternoon. With the unpredictable weather, we were afraid that the ferry would be cancelled and we may miss our plane. Remember there is a ferry workers strike so the ferry only runs twice a day. We were also concerned about room the ferry for the car. Only 10 cars have spots. We decided to take the ferry back on Sunday morning after consulting with several people in the know and spend the night in a hotel in Horta. We bought our tickets immediately. Whew, there was still room for the car.

      Now that that was taken care of, we could enjoy ourselves with a tour of another long lava tube.

      The Gruta das Torres Visitors Centre is a 10 minute drive from Joe’s Place and luckily for us an English tour explaining the formation and characteristics of a lava tube was going to start at 11 a.m.

      The Gruta das Torres is the largest lava tube in Portugal, with a length of 5150 metres, and it is part of a bigger complex. It is estimated that it was formed about 1500 years ago during an eruption of the volcano in Cabeço Bravo.

      We were given helmets and flashlights and watched a short film showing how the Azores Islands formed before heading down into the tube.

      Our visit took about 1 1/2 hours and cost five euros each. The guide did a great job of explaining all that we saw and suggesting easy ways to negotiate getting around the slippery rubble and giant lava rocks, without getting hurt. There are no artificial lights down there, just our flashlights. The cave walk was about 450 metres long.

      At one point we all turned off our flashlights and stood silently in a cave. We couldn’t see a thing as there wasn’t any light at all and we couldn’t hear anything either. (maybe some ringing in our ears) but the dripping water from the top of the cave falling on us became quite noticeable.

      The guide did an excellent job and we had fun.

      Joe, our BnB host told us that in Pico you have to ‘Chase the Sun’ as you travel so that’s what we did. Stay one step in front of the dark fog clouds. Good advice!

      From the caves, we took a lava road through the island to the coast. We saw lots of twisty trees and volcanic rocks as well as cattle and goats. We looked for houses but didn’t see any. The land is way too rugged.

      Our goal was to have a late lunch at a recommended restaurant called Fonte in Lajes so we went down this coast admiring the huge waves as they crashed on the giant lava rocks. We could sit and do this for hours!

      The lunch special was delicious and inexpensive - soup to start, and then a plate with fish, boiled potatoes and a green salad followed by a chocolate mousse with peanuts on top. A very full glass of Azorean wine and a beer were included, all for about $15 Cdn each. What a deal. We have not been in restaurant that serves vegetables. Who knows why as they grow all sorts of vegetables here. It’s always meat or fish, French fries and a salad -the closest thing to a vegetable serving. Not sure what vegetarians eat here…

      Heading back to Joe’s, we took the road that passed by the volcano with hopes of seeing it without the clouds. Not the greatest luck, but Chris did manage to get a photo in the 2 seconds that the clouds separated a bit. He was lucky,

      The day started out very windy, rainy and foggy and ended up being a glorious sunny day. Another great day in Pico. One more to go.      Read more

    • LadyandtrampFour Azores Islands
      Day 8

      Old Vineyards and Wine

      March 16 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

      What we first noticed when we arrived on Pico and drove to a lunch cafe, were numerous walls of black basalt stones placed close to each other and seemingly helter skelter in the fields. We asked the waitress in the restaurant why they were there and she looked puzzled. She answered, “You mean the vineyards?” They sure didn’t look like vineyards to us.

      But yes, we were looking at the imperfect squares of Pico’s vineyards, built by hand to protect the grapes from the fury of the elements. You really have to see them to understand what they look like. We wondered how many years and man hours did it take to build them.

      The cultivation of grape vines on Pico began in the late 15th century, when the island was first settled. A couple of factors provided exceptional conditions for ripening grapes:
      The volcanic soil rich in nutrients.
      The dry, warm microclimate of the slopes protected from the wind and salt spray
      by walls of rough, dark stone, heated by the sun,

      The most famous wine from Pico is the Verdelho variety. This wine was exported to many countries in Europe and America, and even arrived at the table of the Russian Court. The vineyards that dot the landscape of the island, still produce a crisp, fruity, dry and mild wine that is ideal for a pairing with seafood or fish. They also have another wine called vinho de cheiro (a fragrant wine) that is popular during feast days.

      In 2004, UNESCO recognized Pico’s unique viticulture system as a World Heritage Site, “Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture”. The man-made grid of walls is called Criação Velha or ”old creation” and cover more than 2000 acres on the island’s west coast. They are supposed to be the best remaining example of what was once a more widespread method of grape growing.

      As these vineyards became more successful, manor houses, wine-cellars, distilleries, warehouses and ports in tiny hamlets sprang up around them. It is amazing but this culture has survived and thrives to this day.      Read more

    • LadyandtrampFour Azores Islands
      2
      Day 6–10

      On to Pico Island

      March 14 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

      So now we are ready to visit our fourth out of the nine Azores islands. So far each of the islands have had a completely different feel about them. Surprising considering how close they are to each other. We may have to return to the Azores in the future to explore the last five islands.

      Pico Island, the second-largest in the Azores, is nicknamed the “grey or black island” because it is the most volcanic and basalt-y of them all. Dramatic landscapes with all kinds of lava formations dominate the scenery. It contrasts with the blue of the ocean and the white from the foam of the waves.

      Portugal’s highest mountain, also called Pico, rises 2,351 m above sea level on the west side of the island. When we were in Horta, we could see this huge volcano off and on depending on the openings in the clouds that swirled around it.

      We caught the ferry that would take us from Horta to Madalena at 9 a.m. We were a little worried as there is a ferry workers’ strike going on and the ferry only runs if the weather is good. Stronger winds were forecast for later in the day but luckily all went well and we were able to go.

      The boat isn’t very big - it only holds 12 vehicles and about 300 passengers max. Cars have to back into the hold. The trip between islands was short, only about 30 minutes and we couldn’t see the volcano at all. It was covered in clouds.

      Our BnB, Joe’s Place, is located in the town of Madalena (pop 6,500) about 1 km from the ferry terminal. There are four bedrooms in this 300 hundred year old, traditional Azorean-style house as well as common rooms and terraces looking out over the town. A healthy breakfast is served with regional products in the morning and the owners and their Dutch helper Sophie are very friendly. I think that we are the only ones here now as we haven’t seen anyone.

      Renowned as one of the ten wine-growing regions globally designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site, Madalena proudly holds the title of the Azores’ wine capital. A future footprint will tell more about the island’s wine industry.

      When we arrived, we took a little drive to check out the area and have a coffee before going to the BnB. This island looks intriguing. So different from Faial.      Read more

    • Traveler2024 Azoren
      12
      Day 12

      Wal und Wein auf Pico

      July 11 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      Wir haben ein wunderschönes Gästehaus direkt am Meer….schade, dass uns hier 2 Nächte abhanden gegangen sind. 🤷‍♀️
      Nach frühem aber leckerem Frühstück ging es mit unserem Mietwagen (ein Dacia Logan mit kaputter Heckscheibe…aber immerhin genug Platz für uns und unser Gepäck 🧳) auf die Südseite der Insel, zum Whale Watching. Was für ein tolles Erlebnis! Der Atlantik vor Pico ist wohl einer der besten Walsichtungsgebiete der Welt und ja, wir haben wirklich einige zu sehen bekommen: Kurzflossen-Grindwale und Pottwale, große Tümmler, atlantische Fleckendelfine und Rundkopfdelfine. Mehrere Pottwaldamen hatten sich zum Kaffeeklatsch zusammengefunden und dümpelten neben uns….
      Nachdem wir uns von dem Erlebnis einigermaßen erholt hatten ging es rüber auf die Nordseite der Insel, in das - als UNESCO Welterbe ausgezeichnete - Weinbaugebiet. Gewaltige Lavastöme haben vormals die Insel überzogen und die erstarrte Lava, die die Sonnenwärme speichert, ist ideal für die Weinreben. Ein wunderschöner Wanderweg führte durch die von Steinmauern eingefassten Weinberge und den angrenzenden Wald.      Read more

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    • TravelerAzoren
      2
      Day 23

      Cella Bar

      October 11 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Das Gebäude der Cella Bar ist eine faszinierende Kombination aus Tradition und Moderne. Ein komplett sanierter, historischer Schuppen aus Vulkangestein wurde mit einem hölzernen Anbau verbunden, der an einen Wal oder ein Weinfass erinnert. Diese ungewöhnliche Architektur hat ihr 2016 einen renommierten Architekturpreis als "Gebäude des Jahres" eingebracht.
      In der kleinen Hafenstadt Madalena, fällt sie auf durch ihre einzigartige Konstruktion und lädt ein zu einem Drink mit atemberaubender Aussicht auf den Atlantik.      Read more

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    • Azoren
      2
      Day 7

      Pico

      May 5 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Nachdem wir mit der späteren Fähre dann doch nach Pico übersetzen konnten, erwartete unser kurzfristig engagierter Taxichauffeur uns am Fährhafen und fuhr uns zur Autovermietung und deckte uns unterwegs mit Infos über Pico ein: höchster Berg Portugals, so gut wie heute sieht man ihn selten. Nachdem wir unser neues Auto hatten, suchten wir unser Zuhause für die nächsten 5 Tage -> diesmal ist es ein kleines Häuschen im Grünen. Dann mussten wir einkaufen, etwas kleines Essen und dann ging es entlang der Nordküste bis Sao Roque de Pico (was für schöne Dörfer hatte es unterwegs 🤩) und von dort aus hoch ins Grüne, dem Pico entgegen. In der Höhe führt eine fadengerade Strasse über die Insel. Unterwegs waren wir am Lagoa do Capitao und bei der Höhle Furna do Frei Matias.Read more

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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Madalena

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