Providing a green welcome to sailors venturing on the long journey across the Atlantic, Ponta Delgada’s shoreline is a reassuring sight, as it emerges into view. Sat on São Miguel Island, the largest of Portugal’s Azores islands - which are an outpost of western Europe, some 1,100 miles from the mainland. Ponta Delgada is the island’s largest city, and a place of spectacular volcanic vistas, hot springs and impressive landscaped gardens. And as we discovered rain and low cloud
Now extinct, the mighty Caldeira das Sete Cidades would have been a truly awe-inspiring sight - and the colossal collapsed volcanic caldera blooms with lush greenery and scattered wildflowers. The vast crater has been taken over by a glowing, picturesque lake, which reflects the blue sky above. A full three miles wide - and with a circumference of eight miles - it’s a vast panorama to take in. However our hike along the rim of the caldera gave virtually no glimpses of the lakes as the walk was in a think mist. The joys of cruises, you cannot choose the weather the day you are there.
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We arrived at Punta Deluged in the late afternoon. The city’s signature trio of arches welcomes you to Ponta Delgada. We walked into town the night we arrived, and had a drink in a cafe beside the church
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The Caldeira das Sete Cidades hike should have given us this classic view, but for us visability was limited to 100 meters, and we saw nothing. It was cold, wet and miserable. it was not helped when they then took us down to the lake, with little to do or see for 30 minutes
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After the disappointment of the hike, we did have some good news, a good picnic lunch in a roadside park.
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Then back to the ship and on to Calheta on San Jorge overnight