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S�o Miguel Description
S�o Miguel island is 65 Kms long and 16 kms wide and is the most highly populated of all
the islands with 126.000 inhabitants, acting as the administrative capital. This
island was chosen by Price Henry the Navigator as his first to be inhabited by
Portuguese and ordered that a flock of sheep be put onshore in 1432 a year prior
to the arrival of the first settlers. During the period when the Portuguese
throne was ruled by the Spanish King Felipe II, the French sent a fleet of 60
ships which took possession of the Island. However, two week later a Spanish
larger fleet arrived and quickly defeated the French.
A busy port and has nearby one of the three international airports. Besides its
natural beauty (common to all the islands), its two outstanding tourist
attractions are the famous Lagoa do Fogo and the Caldeiras das Furnas. The
island was originally two separate islands and in 1563 a volcanic eruption
joined them together and at the same time created an inland lake lined with
narrow sandy beaches. In this period the Caldeiras das Furnas was also created
and there are numerous hot steaming geysers which gush up from below the earths
crust. They provide therapeutic mud and mineral water for use as a health
treatment in the local spas. The northern shores of this lake provide such hot
steam that it is used to make a traditional local meat stew. Gon�alves da C�mara
who was the son of the discoverer of the Island of Madeira was appointed its
first Governor. In the 18th Century, the USA Ambassador to the Azores Islands
planted hundreds of trees and plants to create a 12 hectare garden which today
is a popular attraction. In the north-west side of the island is another
volcanic creation with dramatic drops of up to 300 metres into a crater with
three lakes surrounded by fertile green vegetation.
The capital town of Ponta Delgada has neat white homes, many churches and
convents reflecting its wealthy trading times. The seafront is dominated by
three 18th Century arches which used to be the gates leading into the town. The
main church, Igreja de S�o Sebasti�o, dates from the 16th Century and has some
beautiful tiles and attractive 17th Century jacaranda furniture together with
its white limestone doorway. The facade of the Chapel of S�o Francisco de Asiss
is worth viewing for its ornate stone work as is the Igreja e Convento de Nossa
Senhora da Esperan�a. The 16th Century fortress of S�o Bras has been mainly been
restored in the late 19th Century. The popular Festival de Santo Cristo dos
Milagres takes place on the fifth Sunday after Easter which centres on the
nearby Convento da Esperan�a, The Convento de Santo Andr� is the home of the
Museu Carlos Machado with its theme featuring the history of the local fishing
and farming industry. In the later half of the 20th Century the island developed
a large export trade in pineapples.
Throughout the world in specialized Tea Shops can be purchased the famous "Perl"
variety which is grown in the Ribeira Grande area, dried and packaged for
shipment in its small factory. This is also a town worth visiting as some of the
buildings show some impressive carved stone work.
A new tourist attraction has been opened which is a natural tunnel some five
kilometres long and six metres high by thirteen metres wide. This tunnel can be
found at Carv�o.
Possibly the most well known dish in the Azores originates from this island. Its
name is Cozido das Furnas and is a rich stew based on meat. The uniqueness of
this dish is that it is placed below ground and steamed for up to 6 hours in a
volcanic surroundings - it is always necessary to pre-order this meal the day
before. Among many other dishes there are Couves Solteriras, Polvo Guisado,
Arroz de Lapa and, Ensopado de Trutas. Two local cheeses to be tried are Vila
Franca and Covada. When visiting Ribeira Grande on the north coast try a drink
named "Can�rios" which brings together three fruits of the Azores, pineapple, "maracuj�"
and "amora".
Direct flights from Lisbon and North America with interconnecting flights within
the islands. There is a boat connection with the Ilha de Santa Maria.
S�o Miguel Golf
Batalha �
Furnas
S�o Miguel Map
Azores Map - East Group (S�o Miguel and Santa Maria)
S�o Miguel Weather
     
S�o Miguel Information
 800 296 296 - Support to Tourists
296 201 710 - Fire Brigade
296 629 618 - Police
296 203 000 - Hospital
296 282 569 - Airport
296 287 000 - Taxis
296 285 743 - Tourist Office
112 - SOS
S�o Miguel Events
Prociss�o S. Miguel, Vila Franca - 1st Sunday after Easter
Prociss�o de S�o Miguel (Ribeira Grande) - April
Festas Sr. S. Cristo dos Milagres - 5th Sunday after Easter
Cavalhadas de S�o Pedro - 29th June
Festa da Senhora da Assun��o - 15th August
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