Azores Itinerary: How To Spend A Week in São Miguel, Azores

There are certain travel destinations where I can recall exactly when and where I was when I decided I wanted to visit. The Azores is one such place: sitting on my parents’ couch in January 2009, my eyes were glued to the television screen as Anthony Bourdain navigated his way through this enigmatic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic.

For years, visiting the Azores remained a distant dream of mine due to expensive flights with multiple stops. When I caught wind that Delta Airlines was launching a new route from New York City to the Azores in 2018, however, I was ecstatic. The inaugural nonstop flight between New York-JFK and Ponta Delgada — the largest city in the Azores — went out in May 2018, and we were on board to the islands a mere two months later.

From stunning scenery and soaking in hot springs to sampling the famous cozido das Furnas stew, here’s our epic Azores itinerary for how to spend a week in São Miguel, Azores.

He said there would be tea.

That’s how my brother, Sir Campsalot, convinced us to make the trek up to Lake Agnes Tea House in Banff National Park. He’d been living in Calgary for nearly a year now, and our family had ventured up to the Great White North to see what his new life was all about: the digs, the poutine, and — of course — the mountains.

It’s no secret that my usual vibe is cocktails in a New York City bar or craft beer in Belgium instead of contemplating the wonders of the universe surrounded by trees. But in the spirit (ha!) of getting healthier this year, I hoped to change all of that in Banff this past June.

Having tea as a reward was the motivator I needed to turn this rusty pair of legs into an actual hiker. But what’s the deal with the Lake Agnes Tea House trail, and why should it be on your list of hikes to do in Banff? Here’s the scoop for all of you non-hikers out there.

I wiped the dripping sweat off of my brow, panting under the blistering morning sun. Pausing to take a swig of cool, refreshing water, I gazed up to the top of the mountain and was suddenly troubled by how tiny the hikers approaching the summit appeared.

You can’t stop now, I thought wearily. Remember what you promised yourself?

Category: Hiking

Azores Itinerary: How To Spend A Week in São Miguel, Azores

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