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# Ten days on the edge of Europe
- URL: https://tombrewer.co.uk/ten-days-on-the-edge-of-europe/
- Published: 2025-08-27T17:55:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-21T09:35:22.000Z
- Author: Tom Brewer
- Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1789982889005, #Import 2026-09-21 09:29

## Arriving on the Green Isle

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/99b36eac-2a39-461c-8034-76637e8283e9_9504x5346-jpeg-1.jpg)

Standing in solitude over 800 miles from mainland Portugal lies the collection of nine islands collectively referred to as the Azores. This volcanic archipelago and its scattering of green peaks rise dramatically from the Atlantic, shaped by an age of tectonic movements and the unrelenting ocean.

Known as 'The Green Island' São Miguel is famous for the lush vegetation, flora and fauna that cover the 293 sq miles of the Azores' largest island. Over the next 10 days we'll be exploring the Azores; its landscapes, its history, and the rhythm of daily life here, from quiet fishing villages and volcanic lakes to the traditions and flavours that give these islands their character.

## Praia do Areal de Santa Bárbara

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/b96cd622-ec26-4ae0-b0ad-0cffaf347dcf_9504x5346-jpeg.jpg)

Our first stop on the Green Isle was Praia do Areal de Santa Bárbara. The largest beach on São Miguel, it was the perfect place to relax after a long journey and take in the captivating colour and might of the atlantic as it crashes ashore. The basalt-rich volcanic sand seems to sparkle as you walk across it but it is hard to take your eyes off the rolling swell which seems almost iridescent as the waves heave and catch the sunlight to dazzling effect.

All you can hear is the continuous thundering roar of the ocean carried by the wind; here you can't ignore the might of the ocean. It's also difficult to ignore the plastic waste that litters the shoreline, carried by prevailing winds and Atlantic swells. From bottle tops to fragments of hair brushes, this manmade detritus serves as a small but poignant reminder that as remote as the Azores feels, we still cannot escape the consequences of our society's poor stewardship of our planet.

## Capelas

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/1b4bfcfb-ac8f-4a3e-983e-2f1e917752a5_9504x5346-jpeg.jpg)

We’re spending our first few nights on São Miguel in Capelas, a small parish on the island’s north coast. It’s a quiet place, with narrow streets, whitewashed houses trimmed in dark volcanic stone, and a working harbour that still shows traces of its whaling past. The coastline here is rugged rather than sandy, shaped by cliffs and natural pools carved out of the rock, and there are viewpoints where you can look out over the Atlantic and understand why this spot was once used to watch for passing whales. It feels tucked away from the busier rhythm of Ponta Delgada, yet close enough to explore the rest of the island easily.

Whaling once shaped life in Capelas. From the harbour, you can still see the concrete ramp where whales were hauled ashore. In the early 20th century, crews here set out in slender open boats, rowing straight from the coast into the Atlantic swells. Spotters stationed on the cliffs would signal when they saw a spout, and the men would chase it with hand-thrown harpoons. The catch was towed back and rendered at the small factory by the port, producing oil for lamps, soap, and cosmetics, with the rest of the animal used in fertiliser or feed. It wasn't until the 1980s when changing attitudes and international pressure closed the Azorean whaling stations for good. What remains today is a quiet fishing harbour, with rusted traces of that old trade lying in the salt air, and the sense that the sea, once feared and exploited, is now more often watched for the joy of seeing whales alive.

Today, tourism and marine conservation provide for the local economy without taking these graceful creatures out of the sea. The Azores have become one of Europe’s best places to see whales alive in the wild. In fact whale spotting tours on the island are often run by the descendants of former whalers who now share their knowledge to help visitors understand and respect these amazing animals in their natural habitat.

## Coming up

That first glimpse of São Miguel was only the beginning. Over the next nine days we’ll be swapping cobbled streets for open water in search of whales and dolphins, exploring the vibrant marine ecosystems of the Azores, and tasting wines grown in the archipelago's famed black basalt soil. We’ll be flying across to Pico Island to climb Portugal’s highest peak (weather permitting), and walk trails that wind through crater lakes and coastlines. Along the way, there will be plenty of time to sample local food and drink and ease in to the Azorean way of life.