Ponta Delgada

The port capital of Ponta Delgada, located on São Miguel, the largest of the Azore Islands, is simultaneously the most populated and most developed city of the archipelago. For centuries, the port was the last European stop for sailors travelling between the Old Continent and the Americas. The historic city centre and the impressive harbour still retain the character of Portuguese colonial architecture to this day. The steel-blue Atlantic Ocean glistens between the masts of anchored sailing ships, and the charming seaside atmosphere can be felt all around the typical white buildings.

Visitors' first steps usually lead them to the main square with the elegant Portas da Cidade Gate, constructed in the typical architectural style using the local building material, lava basalt. Tourists can climb up to a local viewpoint by the Hermitage of Mãe de Deus, offering beautiful views of the city and the massive, 16th-century Portas da Cidade, a fortress built by the Portuguese when they ruled the seas. The city also invites you to visit the beautiful botanical garden Jardim Antonio Borges, or the single pineapple plantation in Europe. There are regular dolphin and whale watching boat trips departing from the local harbour.

After exploring the city, take your pick from one of the numerous hikes on the rugged island of São Miguel. The most popular ones lead to the crater of the Pico Carvao volcano or to the lakes of Sete Cidades and Furnas.