Category: Portugal

Sete Cidades’ Lake, located in the crater of a dormant volcano on São Miguel Island in the Azores, is a breathtaking natural wonder. Its historical and cultural significance is rooted in an old legend: the “Legend of the Seven Cities,” which tells of a blue-eyed princess and a green-eyed shepherd whose forbidden love caused their tears to fill the caldera, forming two lakes—one green and one blue—named Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul. While the colors are actually due to different depths and the presence of algae, the legend adds a romantic layer to the site.

Corvo Island, literally the Island of the Crow, is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores archipelago, with a population of approximately 468 inhabitants (in 2006) constituting the smallest single municipality in Azores and in Portugal. The island originated from only one volcano, which was active for the last time about two million years ago.

Interesting fact: only in 1963, the island received electricity and the first telephone cables were laid in 1973. Up to then communication with the neighbour island — when a priest, a doctor or other help was needed — was done by radio, and before that even by means of smoke signals!

Portas da Cidada (City Gates), one of Ponta Delgada’s symbols, was built in 1783 and marked the entrance to the city until the harbour was extended. Back then, the square, in which these gates stand, was close to the coast and represented the landing place for all traffic coming in from the sea.

The Azores is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. São Miguel Island, is also referred to locally as “The Green Island”, is the largest and most populous island in the archipelago of the Azores. It is believed that the island was discovered in 1427, and today it’s population is around 138,000.