A Visit to the Azores During the COVID Pandemic

Editor’s note: For updates on tourism policies post-COVID, consult Visit Portugal’s website.

As with other destinations, Portugal felt the brunt of COVID-related impact during much of 2020. Yet, this country’s tourism industry is getting ready to welcome back international travelers now by implementing a variety of health and safety protocols. I recently witnessed first-hand what’s going on. Last fall I traveled first to Portugal, then to the Azores for a few days.  I followed that with a day trip and overnight in Lisbon.

How was I able to enter Portugal now, as currently American tourists are not permitted to do so? Let me explain.

Through an exemption for business travel, I went as a journalist reporting on how Portuguese tourism is adjusting to current conditions and to experience TAP Portugal’s new route from Boston’s to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores. I was invited to see how Turismo de Portugal’s Clean & Safe program was working. The program awards a yearlong stamp of approval to tourism, hospitality, entertainment businesses, and airlines, including TAP, that comply with COVID-19-related hygiene and cleaning requirements.

Entry Requirements for the Azores

First, I had some pre-trip homework to do. To enter the Azores, I had to present proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to my flight; I was leaving on a Sunday so it had to be administered on the preceding Friday. Also, within that same time frame, I had to fill out and upload a Risk Assessment and Early Detection of SARS-CoV-2, a form that would provide me with a QR code for scanning my information.

I presented my negative test results at my departure gate at Logan Airport then again upon exiting João Paulo II Airport on São Miguel. My initial reaction was that I had stepped onto the set of a disaster film. Hazmat-suited workers directed me along a customs line to similar-looking colleagues at counters in container workspaces.

As a negative test holder, I gave my paperwork to and answered questions from an official. In a quick and efficient process, I signed a document and was given a slip of paper permitting me to enter Terceira Island in a few days.

São Miguel

On São Miguel, I stayed at the Hotel Marina Atlântico in Ponta Delgada, where plexiglass windows stood between me and reception. The door to my room was taped with a fixed seal indicating it was cleaned and that no one had entered afterward; it would be torn only by me.

Inside, the TV remote was stored in a bag. In the hotel’s restaurant, masked waitstaff provided paper placemats with QR codes for bringing up menus on your smartphone, as well as cutlery sealed in bags. The location right across from the marina and harbor couldn’t have been better.

Nearby, the Azor Hotel is a boutique property with an ecological spa with natural and organic beauty products. I dined in its upstairs Àterra restaurant which has an open kitchen plan with a focus on Azorean gastronomic traditions.

Shown around by Azores Getaways, a tour company, sightseeing on São Miguel Island began at Plantações de Ananases A. Arruda, a pineapple plantation in Ponta Delgada. Pineapples are grown here in glass greenhouses, where they later ripen through a homogeneous smoke-producing technique. The gift shop sells everything pineapple, from home decor to spirits, chutney, and piri piri.

Also in Ponta Delgada, The Alcides, a hotel restaurant, serves Azorean pineapple as a side. Or, have the picanha steak with grilled pineapple.

Cerâmica Vieira in Lagoa is a family-owned and operated ceramic manufacturer established in 1862. Here, visitors can watch each phase in the production of tableware, tiles, and other decorative ceramics by simply walking through the various rooms and areas. They can also watch pottery wheel demonstrations and the hand-painted detailing performed by the ceramists. A retail showroom offers many of the stunning items for purchase.

Natural Wonders in the Azores

We also saw some natural wonders on São Miguel. The Pico do Carvão showcases lush vegetation and amazing views of Sao Miguel’s north and south coasts.

One of Portugal’s seven natural wonders, the small municipality of Sete Cidades sits amid mountainous greenery and green and bluish lagoons located right in the center of a massive volcanic crater. Local legend claims these lakes formed from the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shared a forbidden love.

São Miguel also possesses an agricultural history, particularly with tea. The history traces back to when a Chinese tea master and workers introduced the Camellia Sinensis plant during a visit there in 1878. Today, there are two tea plantations – Gorreana and Porto Formoso Tea. I visited the latter, where the grounds are planted with hydrangeas. A brief video shares its history as you sip their freshly brewed teas.

Additionally, we visited Lagoa das Furnas – translated as Furnas Lake – to view the “Fumarolas,” or sulphuric geysers. These springs act as instant furnaces used in the preparation of cozido, a Portuguese stew. This traditional dish pairs meat and vegetables in a large pot inserted inside a geyser for a few hours of slow-cooking.

In Furnas, at the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, we learned how the check-in process has changed. Instead of reciting information on the amenities at reception, guests receive calls in their rooms to hear details. In their restaurant, guests receive a tote bag for storing their masks while eating. The property sits next to the Terra Nostra Garden, an 18th-century property with thermal pools.  Over time this became a public garden with trees, flowers, and plants from the Azores and other parts of the world.

The Azores Terceira Island

Our first outing on Terceira Island brought us to Biscoitos–a small village known for its vineyards, natural swimming pools and bathing areas.

The Azores resulted from volcanic eruptions and Terceria offers two examples.

Named for Christmas masses held there, visitors carefuly tour the rocky flooring of Gruta do Natal, an underground lava cave. Ducking their heads at times and crouching to get through the narrow passageways adds to the experience. Safety helmets provide protection as the route goes by geological structures with varying types of lava flows and salifies.

Algar do Carvão is the result of two volcanic eruptions. The subsequent lava flow made it a fascinating conical shape, forming two chambers with a lagoon in the middle and a ceiling that resembles a living wall. You can venture up, down and all-around its caverns via stairways.

The viewpoint at Serra do Cume overlooks one of the most beautiful views of the Azorean landscape called “Manta de Retalhos” or “Patchwork Quilt” due to the square layout of the green pastures at Vale da Achada.

The Capital City of Angra do Heroísmo

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the capital city of Angra do Heroísmo offers much to see.  Hit hard in the early eighties by an earthquake and then a fire, Sé Catedral de Angra do Heroísmo remains damaged. Plaques illustrate what sections looked like before being damaged.

The Mercado Duque De Bragança reflects the past. Here the stalls offer produce, baked goods, fabric tote bags and other useful items.

Monte Brasil overlooks the city from the Bay of Angra. An observation deck at the Fortress of São João Baptista provides a blue-tiled reference map.

Part restaurant, ice cream parlor and retail market,  the dining room windows of Quinta dos Acores face Monte Brasil. Market wares include great finds such as cans of seasoned tuna, wines, liquors, cheeses, honey and other treats. Find handmade pottery at Azulart de Aurélia Rocha, where you might see artist Aurelia Rocha at work.

Taberna do Teatro serves Portuguese-style tapas with croquettes, octopus salad and other shared plates and offers a great wine selection.