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.
4/16/2025
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National Geographic Endurance
Santa Maria
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.
