Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores... Part 2 of 2

Today, we had an early arrival into Ponta Delgada and it was still pretty dark at sail in. I went out on deck three and captured just a few photos as we backed into our berth.  Ann, Cathy and I were off the ship as soon as we arrived and met our driver Rui at the entrance to the cruise terminal. Off we went on our adventure around the island. We have been to Ponta Delgada many times and we never tire of the beautiful island with hydrangea and grazing cows that add splashes of color to the evergreen background. We made a few stops at viewpoints that showcase the beauty of the island our first being Miradouro do Rei, high on the south side of the caldera. The view is all-encompassing up here, next to the shell of the abandoned Monte Palace Hotel. The landscapes of São Miguel Island are famously breathtaking: There are ancient volcanic craters that are now filled by lakes with wildflowers and lush woodland on their shores. The most famous was our next stop, the Lagoa das Sete Cidades is a twin lake known as the blue and green lakes depicted by their color difference in a volcanic caldera, the walls of which rise steeply around the shore and are rich with trees and ferns. Our luck held and the weather was clear for us. Descending into the caldera, we stopped and spent some time in the quaint village of Sete Cidades…a great stop! We had another scenic stop at Vigia da Baleira or Whale Lookout at the furthest western point on the island. We drove through the Mosteiros fishing village and onto Saint Vincent to see the elephant rock formation. We had a quick stop at the former Pogos Whaling Factory site with its smokestack still intact. We had a pleasant, first time stop, in Ribeira Grande. Ribeira Grande is a city on the northern part of the island. Just on the outskirts we stopped at Santa Barbara Beach, the main base for surfing on the island. We spent some time in the downtown Ribeira Grande area, a very picturesque town with its theatre, gardens next to the main town square with a small waterfall and eight arches bridge. After a quick walk around, we found the Church overlooking the town square and the town hall…a really charming town. We made a stop at the Velha Nature Park and Waterfalls and hiked to the waterfalls and back. The park was busy with many taking advantage of the thermal pools. We then climbed to see the Lake of Fire. Unfortunately, the rain and clouds came in and the Lake was shrouded in fog, so I snapped a couple of quick pics and we headed back to Ponta Delgado. Rui dropped us at the Fort of Sao Bras in Ponta Delgada, we said our goodbyes and toured the Fort. Just across the street from the Fort we visited Square Sao Fransico. We then walked towards the Center of town to the 18th-century City Gates standing on Gonçalo Velho Cabral Square. Ponta Delgada is one of those amazingly charming towns with narrow streets, cozy restaurants, unique architecture and pedestrian streets with the beautiful black and white paved streets. Across from the Square we went to the Town Hall and Saint Sebastian Church. After our full day, we headed to the ship following the waterfront promenade. It was another great tour and day in the Azores. Now two days at sea before we reach Ireland.