Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is the main city on São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores. The city has a compact centre with black basalt and white marble-paved streets, churches, and the Portas da Cidade (city gates) on the waterfront. The harbour is the arrival point, and the city centre is a short walk away. The Azores are a Portuguese territory in the mid-Atlantic, about 1,500km west of Lisbon. Sete Cidades, a twin-lake crater about 30 minutes west, is the most famous sight: one lake appears green and the other blue, depending on the light and angle. Terra Nostra Park in Furnas has an iron-rich thermal pool and botanical gardens. Cozido das Furnas, a stew cooked underground using volcanic heat, is the local speciality. Whale and dolphin watching trips run from the harbour. The pineapples grown in greenhouses on the island are unusually sweet. The euro is the currency.