Why move to Sao Miguel
Life on Sao Miguel is slow-paced and sustainable. Extraordinarily diverse environments rub shoulders with pretty towns and a quirky commercial capital.
Sao Miguel is nicknamed ‘The Green Island’ because of its fertile pasturelands, but there are several amazing black sandy beaches too. Although they have been dormant for 150 years or more, each of the island’s six volcanic zones has left scars on the landscape. Many of the original plant life was cleared for agriculture during the 13th century so now both regional and imported species shape the environment. The subtropical climate is affected by the gulf stream while Atlantic winds keep temperatures between the mid-teens and -twenties.
The island was initially used by the Portuguese navy, but as global trade between Africa and the Americas increased, it also became an essential port-of-call for commercial traders too. Exports grown here included sugar, dyes for the clothing industry and oranges, but then trade in tea, pineapples and tobacco developed as the Ponta Delgada port grew. Now, the Azores Islands are well known for promoting sustainability and tourists visiting the carefully conserved land and marine biospheres have become the dominant economic force.
Sao Miguel is the biggest and most populated island in the Azores, and Ponta Delgada is its largest city. Originally a simple fishing town, today it is a cosmopolitan marina city with five centuries worth of global influence alongside its own hyper-regional specialities. The modern result is a friendly, vibrant social scene comprising restaurants, laid-back bars and plenty of live performances. Shadows of the past include impressive city gates, a preserved botanical gardens and several architecturally remarkable churches. The international airport is located 2 kilometres from Ponta Delgada and it’s well serviced by UK, Boston, Toronto and Lisbon based airlines. Public transport includes buses and ferries.
To the east, you’ll find remnants of an ancient laurel forest that’s the only home to the native (but critically endangered) Azores Bullfinch. The interior has large lake-filled volcanic craters, deposits of pumice, lava domes, maars, spatter cones, river-valleys and over thirty geysers and mineral-rich springs. The 200-year-old Parque Terra Nostra in Furnas is home to a natural geothermal swimming pool. To the west, you’ll find the island’s largest volcanic crater – Sete Cidades – where there are a variety of walking trails or cycling routes plus lake kayaking. Lagoa do Fogo – the Lake of Fire – is the largest water body in the Azores, and occupies the youngest volcano on the Island.
You’re unlikely to find beaches packed with sunbathers. Instead, the coastline offers marine excursions, diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, canyoning, coasteering, sailing, fishing and hiking and biking. Seaside hotspots include Praia de Santa Bárbara, Praia de Água D’Alto, Praia do Fogo, and Vila Franca do Campo islet.
The local cuisine is usually hearty peasant-style dishes: large portions of spicy stewed pork, grilled seafood, pineapples, local cheeses, yoghurt, butter and sweet doughnut-like bread. Land here is at a premium, but you can snap up a bargain if you know your way around a power-tool or two. Apartments and ready-to-buy villas and townhouses range from quite modest to eye-watering prices.