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<strong>The</strong> Azores<br />
TRAVEL INFO<br />
BAD BIRD CALLS<br />
AND HOT ROCKS<br />
Where the Azores are, why they were<br />
misnamed, and what you should eat<br />
– here’s some island knowledge to<br />
flaunt in the hotel lobby<br />
Leap of faith: “I’ll teach you how to enjoy cliff-diving,” says Duque, pictured in fight<br />
<strong>The</strong> Azores sit in the Atlantic<br />
Ocean, around 1,400km west of<br />
Portugal and 1,950km southeast<br />
of Newfoundland, Canada. <strong>The</strong><br />
main island of São Miguel has<br />
an area of 744.7km 2 , making it<br />
a little larger than Singapore<br />
Corvo<br />
Flores<br />
Graciosa<br />
Faial<br />
Pico<br />
São Jorge<br />
Azores<br />
Terceira<br />
São Miguel<br />
Santa Maria<br />
Ribeira Grande<br />
São Miguel<br />
Ponta Delgada<br />
Ilhéu de Vila Franca<br />
ROMINA AMATO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, DEAN TREML/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, RED BULL MEDIA HOUSE GMBH/<br />
RED BULL CONTENT POOL, GETTY IMAGES ANDREAS ROTTENSCHLAGER<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ilhéu de Vila Franca and its crater lake, with São Miguel in the background<br />
1,400km west of Portugal, and<br />
are famous for their volcanic<br />
coastlines and green cliffs. It’s not<br />
at all rare to find yourself in the<br />
company of dolphins or sperm<br />
whales when swimming there.<br />
In other words, the Azores are<br />
a great place to get to know the<br />
Atlantic in all its variety. And<br />
that’s what we have in store.<br />
Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach<br />
Resort on São Miguel’s north<br />
coast is our accommodation<br />
for the five-day trip, during<br />
which guests will immerse<br />
themselves in the Azorean waters<br />
and, at certain times, go pretty<br />
deep – naturally, the correct<br />
technique for diving off cliffs<br />
forms part of the programme.<br />
“I’ll adapt to your<br />
level. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
about 100 diving<br />
spots on the island”<br />
For our workshop on the second<br />
day, we will transfer to the tiny<br />
Ilhéu de Vila Franca, just off the<br />
south coast of São Miguel.<br />
Anyone viewing bird’s-eye photos<br />
of the islet will immediately be<br />
struck by the round lagoon that<br />
has formed in the crater of the<br />
extinct volcano – it’s a natural<br />
wonder, and the journey there<br />
is magical in itself. Even though<br />
HISTORY<br />
ALL IN A NAME<br />
Portuguese sailors named their discovery the llhas dos<br />
Açores, or Goshawk Islands. Shame that the goshawks<br />
were actually buzzards<br />
SPREADING OUT<br />
In 1752, 60 Azorean couples left for Brazil and founded<br />
what became Porto Alegre, now a city of 1.5 million<br />
STAGING POST<br />
Early submarine cables between Europe and America<br />
went via the Azores, as did the first-ever transatlantic<br />
flight, which included two stops on the islands<br />
FOOD<br />
COZIDO<br />
<strong>The</strong> volcanic ground underfoot serves as a natural hob<br />
for this stew of meat and vegetables<br />
BOLO LÊVEDO<br />
A sweet, leavened dough roll that looks like a muffin<br />
and is eaten throughout the day<br />
PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY<br />
<strong>The</strong> Azorean pineapple has been grown in greenhouses<br />
since being introduced in the 19th century. This chutney<br />
goes perfectly with the islands’ cheeses<br />
THE RED BULLETIN 101
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