Hiking across the Azores for the best Azorean Portuguese desserts.
Aside from shopping and eating NYC, one of our favourite things to do is to head upstate for a hike, and treating ourselves to bags of freshly baked apple cider doughnuts, endless scoops of country-style ice cream, and all the wonders of maple syrup. We also love hiking on holidays. Our most recent hiking adventure was to the Azores. In this dessert adventure post, we divulge our favourite hikes and sights on Sao Miguel Island and Terceira Island, and what desserts you should not miss out on.
The must-do easier hikes in the Azores
1. Sao Miguel Island hikes
Our visit to the Azores was marred by significant late summer rainfall and clouds. Photography enroute while hiking was therefore difficult, and our memories of what might have otherwise been breathtaking scenery is instead a blur of one hundred shades of cloudy grey. Of the hikes we did, the Sete Cidades hike to see the jade-green caldera waters were the most memorable, as were the tall dancing sunflowers that bordered the coast along the Ribeira Funda hike. We also did the Lagoa do Fogo hike, but I recall only heavy mist and a rain-washed landscape reminiscent of Hawaii.
2. Terceira Island hikes
Of the hikes on Terceira Island, the Rochas do Chambre hike was the most memorable. It trots under the treeline for a far bit, and towards the end, it was one of the most vertiginous hikes we have ever done. You definitely need a hiking pole. The end section requires crawling up very steep steps, while grasping on straw ropes. It takes especial effort when the area is muddy. The views from the top however, make this hike worth while. By contrast, the very rocky Mistérios Negros trail is forgettable. Far better is the experience of stepping into a dormant volcano cone in the Algar do Carvão lava caves, or undertaking a 15 minute hike from the Duke of Terceira Gardens to the top of the hill to catch the final rays of the sun as it glows upon the Angra do Heroísmo township.
The best Azorean desserts to hunt down
After all that hiking, we couldn’t wait to replenish with desserts. 😀 With the Azores being part of Portugal, it would be a tragedy to not try at least one Portuguese pastéis de nata (aka egg tart). But, you would be really missing out if you didn’t try other desserts as well. In the Azores, each island is fiercely proud of its own version of a “queijadas” (aka tart). See if you can track down:
Queijadas de Vila Franca do Campo – in Sao Miguel, these little tarts are yellow on the inside, and dusted over with icing sugar on the outside.
Queijadas Donna Amélia – on Terceira Island, these tarts are dark brown in colour, very dense in texture, and with strong tones of cloves, ginger and cinnamon.
Queijadas da Graciosa – we found these on both Sao Miguel and Terceira, and they are distinguishable for their star shape, crispy cracker shell, and lighter, almost custard-y filling.
Queijadas Feijao – these bean tarts had a similar density to the Donna Amelia tarts, but were white-yellow in colour and with an almond taste.
Queijadas de Amêndoa – these almond tarts had a distinctive flat top, and a tanned appearance.
Other Portuguese Azorean desserts that we loved include:
Bolos de guardanapos – the so-called “napkin cake” was one of our favourite Azorean desserts. It is a soft sponge folded into a triangle so that it resembles a napkin, indeed. It is filled with a sweet egg yolk custard spread. We found this on both Sao Miguel and Terceira.
CornucopÍa – discovered on Terceira, this little chocolate cone was filled with a very sweet, caramel-like egg cream.
Dessert adventure checklist
☑ Dessert destination: The Azores, Atlantic Ocean.
In Sao Miguel, check out the pastries at: Pao de Rei, Colmeai Avenida, Megasabor.
In Terceira, check out the parties at: Pastelaria Athanasio, O Forno.
☑ Budget: $-$$.
☑ Sweet irresistibles: All the tarts.
☑ Travel notes:
How long? We stayed a week in the Azores, splitting our time between Sao Miguel Island and Terceira Island. There are other islands that you can choose to visit as well.
When to vist? We visited in September, which we typically feel to be the most ideal month to visit Europe. It was warm, in the range of 20-25 degrees Celsius, but we encountered rainfall on alternate days that marred our hiking plans.
How to get there? Using TAP and SATA Airlines, we flew from NYC to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island, and then from Ponta Delgada to Terceira Island.
Where to stay? Accommodation options in the Azores are generally cheaper than continental Europe, but of very average standard. On Sao Miguel Island, we stayed at Neat Hotel, which has a convenient waterfront location but otherwise forgettable. On Terceira Island, we stayed at Azoris Angra Garden, which was slightly more elevated.
