Ponte Delgado

People who visit Ponte Delgado for the first time will be amazed by the Azores’ capital city, which in spite of current developments — there is a shopping center and double carriageway — is still an old fashioned charmer.

Life here goes at a slower rate than other parts of Europe, and you don’t have a long way to go to discover peace and quiet in the bright sunshine southwestern area of Sao Miguel — the biggest of the nine Azorean islands.

Any schedule should include a visit to Ponte Delgado’s prominent churches like Sao Sebastiao, Sao Jose and Sao Pedro — each building showing a different architectural time. Ponte Delgado is also a good foundation where you can see the remaining parts of the island: the fantastic green and blue waters of Sete Cidades, the only commercial tea plantations in Europe, Furnas and Terra Nostra’s warm springs and spa resort, a lovely botanic park, are all easy to drive to.

It sounds very beautiful and quiet — and it is like this. However nightlife isn’t relaxing in bed early reading a good book; there are a lot of activities in Ponte Delgado when the sun goes down. Look at the sun set on the ocean, then go to various bars in the Marina area — probably the place where the main action is.