Gorreana

A piece of history which continues to labor every day. More than a living museum, open since 1883, the tea factory Gorreana was for many years the only survivor of more than a dozen tea factories after the collapse of the orange crop in the Azores. You now have for company the nearby tea factory Porto Formoso. Being the only two tea plantations across Europe - a feat, no doubt.
If you have time visit the two, but the pass Gorreana. There breathes tea, drinks there is no doubt the best green tea in Europe.

Why Gorrena?
First because it is the oldest and always kept working. From the earliest times used electricity from a mini hydro, assembled in the nearby river.
In addition to black tea, green tea yields.
There is the detail of ice cream, there are first glance seem to have nothing to do with tea, but if you think about it has its logic, as the milk and the flavors are right next door, in full view of the plant's balcony.

Usually from April to October, we entangle us in the harvest of tea. They will not feel tourists but more on the piston connecting the culture of many peoples and history of a region. At that same time, be sure to climb to the false but close the door and do not say anything to anyone. Let's keep this secret between us.

The Lagoa do Fogo, owner of a unique beauty, the wildest of the three great lakes of green island sometimes is made difficult by the fog you can do
feel.
Therefore choose your day and even hour to climb up to 960
meters from Água de Pau Serra. The boiler where lies the pond water,
It is accessible only by footpath. But do not be fooled by the distance:
the first viewpoint (who goes by the North) are 30-45 minutes in a
rail that is not in very good condition, is it part of the network
official of the tracks. To compensate, on the other hand, the south by Vila Franca
Field, we have a very interesting track, where the first part is a
slightly tilted, but worth every second, by sight, by accompanying taken much of the journey and peace that transmits green Nature. In the end, we are surrounded by a forest dominated endemic of the Azores.
This is the official rail PRC2SMI Beach - Lagoa do Fogo.
That same south slope, the Fire volcano spring about 1000 liters per second of crystalline water that supplies much of the island population.
It makes sense to refer to the two geothermal power plants, installed in
North coast, where it is produced about 40% of the required electricity
in S. Miguel. All this in a very environmentally friendly way without the
use of fossil fuels.
To go down to the city of North Coast, Ribeira Grande, let yourself
impressed by the wonderful Caldeira Velha Natural Monument and
Regional. Open from 9:00 am to
20.30, every day of the week has a new (June 2015) and
interesting track that brings us back to its origins, to the east.
A very interesting place, dominated the tranquility in
Nature and where we can also learn a lot about the same
Nature at its Interpretation Centre.

Visiting São Miguel and not go to the Furnas is like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope.
The mysticism of the Furnas parish, is not spread by a thousand corners, just for its imposing pond, lives also for being one of the richest hydrological regions of Europe, with more than two dozen water born, completely different from each other - there argue that are close to 50.
In Furnas we can go at least 3 official tracks and walk in almost half a dozen gardens or forests. Since the now mythical Terra Nostra Park is the crown jewel not only of Furnas as the country. It was no accident that was considered one of the top 250 gardens in the world. Right there next we have the renewed Puddle of Dona Beja with multiple pools that share the 39 ° C throughout the year. 3 € will be better spent. We guarantee relaxing moments, especially if the sunsets, since they are open from 07h00 to 23h00.
Not to be missed, we also have a cascade Rosal do Ribeira, at the end of a beautiful trail which begins right near the Chapel of Our Lady of Victories, Gothic style.
All this for € 3 which allow you to still enjoy the rest of Mata-Jose do Canto Garden.
A full day, sometimes it is not enough to enjoy all its richness.
The famous cooked Furnas, is the typical dish of this town. Please note that it is not as varied as the stew served in the Portuguese Alentejo or in the north, but all it takes six hours to cook have to be pretty good, right?!. And no, the stew does not smell of sulfur. One note: will not find many Azoreans to eat cooked in restaurants for the simple reason that we do our own cooked and ate normally in the pond margins.
As dessert or even snack, be sure to try one more gift of nature: corn on the cob, baked in the boilers and the typical yeasts cakes, which go well with everything: cheese, jam or just butter. Curiously, the best burger in New York in 2013 was done with the same cake, so play to experience.
Another detail that residents know very well: visiting Furnas can be in those days when the weather is bad the rest of the island. Especially because in the Azores is very often the case the 4 seasons in the same day and then know it well in a bath at 40 ° C Beja puddle or pool of Terra Nostra.