Day 12: Touring the island

As São Miguel is right in the middle of the ocean, its weather is heavily influenced by the vast amounts of water surrounding it, and today was no difference. With a sweltering 26 degrees Celsius, heavy overcast and near 100% humidity it wasn’t the best day to do lots of active things, so we decided to go sightseeing around the west side of the island.

We basically drove half the island, starting and finishing at the center north, and driving clockwise starting going South towards Ponta Delgada. You then just follow the main road all the way to the Westernmost point of the island, and back up the nort-westh coast to Rabo de Peixe where the apartment is situated.

The notable highlights are Sao Roque, a great (black) sandy beach just outside of the capital with a stunning view of a church and Praia de Mosteiros, probably the most mentioned beach on the streetsigns on this side of the island at a town called Mosteiros. We had high hopes for this beach, but it coudn’t live up to our expectations. Smallish, no restaurants near it and virtually deserted. It does have sand though, and that is quite rare around here!

We had lunch at the town center overseeing the locals bickering on the town square next to the church, and drove back to the apartment circumnavigating Sete Cidades. By this time the weather cleared, and we spent the rest of our afternoon at the pool.