A four wheel drive 4runner complete with a kind and knowledgeable local guide took us on a four hour tour of not so typical sites on the island including whale spotting houses. We started on the north coast taking in some ocean views while learning fascinating facts about the islands discovery and history. This includes that the islands were uninhabited when discovered. The king of Portugal sent back livestock for a few years to see if the islands were habitable. The rest is history.
We did attempt to see yet another of the crater lakes, Logoa do Fogo on the island. Once again, a view of fog not Fogo.
Our guide was determined to get us to a waterfall. He dropped us at the top of a short hike and explained that we would eventually be walking on a narrow bridge over a hydroelectric plant pipe. He left off the part about a tree root staircase. We did make it to the Salto do Cagarrão waterfall and watched many other visitors swimming at its base. The name translates to jumping goat waterfall. We did not spot any goats.
We finished our tour at a small locals only beach, where, depending on the season and the tides, there can be a sand beach or a rock beach. There was a fisherman on the rocks looking for dinner.
Back in our rental car, we headed to the only tea plantation in Europe. The Portugese explorers brought tea from China centuries ago. The Cha Gorreana plantation and factory was founded in 1883. The original equipment is still in use today. There are no rules, we took a self guided tour past all the tea making equipment, sampled some tea and enjoyed locally caught tuna with tea leaf mayo. We ended the excursion by walking through the tea fields.
Near the center of the island is a town named Furnas, pronounced Fur-nish. It is filled with natural hot springs, fumaroles and other geothermal activity. We checked into our hotel and immediately went to the restorative thermal pools.
After a delicious octopus dinner at Ponta do Garajau in Ribeira Quente, a town where the river meets the ocean and people camp in small tents alongside the busy road, we followed the steam and the sulfur scent to locate the steaming calderas in town. The bubbling ponds add a Jurassic look to the surroundings. There are also public fountains throughout the town offering naturally carbonated water.
Where is Wendy 
Loving your adventures and the food looks amazing! It’s only morning here in Toronto, and I could eat that colourful sweet potato sandwhich or the pulpo!
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