Sao Miguel Island and Ponta Delgada Travel Guide
Architecture, museums, busy marina and laid back cafes
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The capital of the Azores and of Sao Miguel island, Ponta Delgada is home to beautiful Portuguese architecture and a 16th century fortress. Most modern conveniences are available in Ponta Delgada including shopping centres, marina bars, dozens of restaurants providing local delicacies of fresh fish, locally grown pineapples and local cheeses and liqueurs. It’s a relaxing town just to wander round and take in the atmosphere.
A flat rectangular city of around 3km in length, Ponta Delgada developed around a natural bay and became an important trading port, especially for the export of oranges in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
It’s a popular base for visitors due to its pretty old town and the wide choice of accommodation and with the advent of direct flights into the airport (on the outskirts of town) there are now some large modern hotels.
Attractions in Sao Miguel Island and Ponta Delgada
There is a wealth of things to see and do in Ponta Delgada including a visit to the ethnographic museum of Carlos Machado, the impressive cathedral, the fort of São Bras and traditional city gates nearby. Botany lovers will enjoy a stroll round one of the beautiful botanical gardens in town or even a short drive to visit the famous pineapple plantations.
Activities in Sao Miguel Island and Ponta Delgada
Whale and dolphin watching and swimming with dolphins are the main activities for visitors to Ponta Delgada and these are either half or full day trips
Relaxing
After a busy day in town, why not have a local beer (Especial) sitting out at the Cathedral café and watch the world go by.
Getting Around
There are direct flights into Ponta Delgada from Boston, Toronto, London Gatwick, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Funchal and Zurich with the local airline SATA International. There are also daily flights from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada with TAP Air Portugal.
Once in Ponta Delgada, it is best to either hire a car or make use of the excellent and reasonable taxi drivers who can give you a highly informative guided tour of the island.
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