Pico Island, Azores, 4/11/2025, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Europe
Our first day of activities in the Azores started on the island of Pico. We chose between a tasting of the island’s wines or a visit to Lajas, a cute and tiny village where the last whalers conducted activities until the late 1960s. The sun was rising, and we were grateful to be walking and learning about the culture of this remote but incredible island of the Azores.
We finished our day with Captain Oliver’s welcome and another wonderful meal from Chef Sarah.
Maria Intxaustegi is an internationally awarded maritime archaeologist, naval historian, commercial diver, professional offshore sailor, and expedition guide from the Basque Country.
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Santa Maria welcomed us with cloudy, rainless skies. Our most committed hikers set out early for a strenuous walk down from the cloud forest. Their long descent was rewarded by views of the red clay “desert” at Barreiro da Faneca. Another group started at the Church of Santo Espírito, and ended at Maia, just by the sea. They had the chance to see the amazing precipitous Aveiro Waterfall and then braved the multiple steps down the cliffside. The people that preferred to explore the island on the scenic tour visited a multitude of places, from tiny little churches (including the one where Columbus stopped to pray after getting to the New World) and other viewpoints. They also got to see the star-shaped yellow flowers of Aichryson santamariensis, an endemic plant recently described. In the afternoon we had talks by Gemina Garland-Lewis on whaling and whale watching in the Azores, and Sergei Ponomarenko spoke on the geological history of the Azores. The star of the day was a blue whale who graced us by feeding close to National Geographic Endurance during our crossing from Santa Maria to São Miguel. At night, Rafael Carvalho, a local master musician played Viola da Terra, the Azorean guitar. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day.
Sunshine and calm seas allowed us to take the kayaks out for a morning paddle in the beautiful bay of Angra do Heroísmo. Alternatively, guests could enjoy a hike at Baías da Agualva with stunning views from the Miradouro de Alagoa or learn about the island's history on a panoramic tour of the island, including a visit to the 15th century church of São Sebastião, famous for its newly restored frescoes. From the top of the 545-meter-high Serra do Cume, we admired the stone-walled green fields for which the island is known. In the afternoon, we hiked up Angra's backyard mountain, Monte Brazil and were rewarded with great views of the city below. For those who wanted to enjoy the fantastic weather at a more leisurely pace, Zodiacs took us ashore for either a walking tour of the city to learn about the culture and local delicacies or a photo walk with our National Geographic photographer who shared her knowledge on how to capture lasting impressions of our visit to Terceira.
The island of Graciosa is one of the smaller of the Azores but is certainly no less picturesque or fascinating. Dominated by a mighty volcanic caldera and rimmed with lava-stone wine and pasture lands, it is a beautiful place to find oneself on a sunny, mild day. We explored the island by coach, visiting its many vistas and intriguing places, or took to the trails to discover what we could about the mysterious volcano. The highlight? Taking the 180 steps in a spiral staircase down inside the still active caldera to see the lake, huge cavern, and bubbling mudpot fueled by the still active magma below.
