Vivid Pastures Of São Miguel

The first thing many visitors notice about São Miguel, even before the lakes and the volcanoes, is the grass. From the road that climbs out of Ponta Delgada, fields of intense green spread over the hills, divided by hedges and stone walls, and cows stand in them as if the landscape had been arranged for a painter. The effect is so constant that the island has long been called the Green Island, and it is the product of a mild, wet climate and rich volcanic soil.

Rain falls on São Miguel throughout the year, the temperature seldom drops or rises far from the moderate range, and the soil, formed from volcanic ash and lava, is fertile. The result is pasture that grows almost continuously, so that cattle can graze outdoors in every month, a rarity in Europe. Dairy farming is the backbone of the island's rural economy, and the Azores as a whole produce a large share of Portugal's milk, cheese and butter. The herds of black-and-white cows that dot the slopes are a major part of the scene, and in the evening, farmers walk them along the roads to the milking sheds, so drivers should expect to share the road and slow down.

The pastures are divided by hedges and walls, and in summer, they are lined with hydrangeas, which flower in blue, pink and white from about June through September and form long ribbons of colour along roadsides and field edges. They were planted as windbreaks and field boundaries, and they have become a symbol of the island. Cryptomeria forests, planted for timber, add dark green blocks in the higher ground, and on some slopes, tea bushes, tobacco and pineapples are grown. The villages scattered through this landscape are small clusters of whitewashed houses with black volcanic stone trim.

The best way to see the pastures is to wander. Roads cross the island from coast to coast, and every few kilometres, a viewpoint, a miradouro, opens a panorama of fields falling toward the sea. In the northeast, near Nordeste, the viewpoint at Ponta do Sossego, with its gardens, is one of the most popular. Higher up, around the crater lakes of Sete Cidades and Fogo, cattle graze near the rim, with mist drifting across. Hiking trails and farm tracks allow you to enter the pastures on foot, though you should close gates and keep your distance from the animals, since the land is private and in use.

The island's dairy products can be tasted in local restaurants and shops, including butter, fresh cheese and milk-based desserts, and the Azorean steaks have a reputation for flavour. Visit in spring or summer for the brightest greens and the hydrangeas, though rain and mist can arrive at any time, so carry a light waterproof. The landscape suits drivers, cyclists, walkers and photographers.