Hike in the Azores

“Staring up at the pointed 2,351-meter (7,713-foot) volcano, intrusive thoughts of my track record of poor footing and falling on my ass fill my mind. But I’m soon put at ease by Hominis natura’s guide Steffi’s confidence. We’re immediately faced with a near-vertical stomp on uneven boulders and sinking soil lined with healthy green Urze bushes as Atlantic gusts fight against us. Approaching the summit, I cling to rocks with both hands as we ascend. The final push is a 70-meter (230-foot) cone. I flash Steffi a ‘friendly’ smile, but I imagine the crouching stance, flushed red face and wide eyes make me look more like an angry gremlin. Finally plonking myself down, we reap the rewards of our journey: 360-degree views of the Atlantic, UNESCO World Heritage vineyards, and the nearby islands of São Jorge and Faial.”

“I learned quickly that the Dez Vulcões (10 Volcanoes) hike is not for the faint of heart. At around 800 meters (2,600 feet) above sea level, the trail curves around the rim of a 400-meter (1,300-foot) deep Caldera that has a world all its own within—filled with marshland, flora and small lakes. Descending to the west of the Caldera, I pass a handful of small volcanic cones and move past a deep vent cave into a cedar forest teeming with hydrangeas. It looks like the setting of a legend.”

“One of the things I found most surprising — and honestly, annoying — when I first started hiking in the Azores is that some of the trails (actually, quite a lot of them) are miserably marked. And even though I’m not a newbie when it comes to hiking, I still ended up getting lost a couple of times.”