The Azores archipelago is famous for its breathtaking landscapes, ancient volcanic violence and unique cultural heritage. Some islands are more popular than others, and the less-visited offer all sorts of hidden gems that fewer people get to experience. Discovered in 1451, Graciosa island, whose name translates as ‘graceful’ or ‘charming’, is one of them.
Being so small it delivers a more authentic, unusual and tranquil experience where you connect with nature, slow right down, smell the coffee and absorb the many charms of the place on a deeper level. So let’s go explore Graciosa, the least visited Azorean island of all.
About Graciosa Island – The White Island
Graciosa is more secluded, less touristy, and the most northerly island in the central of the three island groups. Nicknamed White Island, Graciosa is really small, just 10km long and 7km wide and shaped a bit like an egg. But while it may be little, the island makes up for its diminutive size thanks to its extraordinary beauty. Set like a jewel within some of the planet’s most stunning islands, it manages to stand out.
Just 4000 or so people live here. While it isn’t as sparsely populated as Corvo Island, home to just 400 or so, the lack of bustle keeps life unusually chilled, unhurried and peaceful. You can easily spend a week here exploring every corner of the place to get an intimate feel for the way of life on Graciosa. Just bear in mind that, like the other islands here, this place isn’t about beach holidays or sunbathing. The weather is unpredictable, often wet, so bring the right clothes, including good waterproofs, and the it shouldn’t inhibit your adventures.
Graciosa airport, code IATA GRW, is just over a mile from Santa Cruz da Graciosa, home to the local airline SATA Air Açores, which flies in from Terceira and Ponta Delgada where all flights stop off on the way. You can also get to Graciosa by sea, arriving at the main port of Praia on the east coast. Once you’re there you’ll want to hire a motorbike or car to get around, unless of course you love to walk – in which case this is a little hiker’s paradise.
Graciosa’s craggy peaks meet the deep blue sea with staggering black basalt cliffs, bright green climbing plants and pure white windmills to create something totally stunning. Under the surface of the ocean there’s all sorts of rich flora and fauna. The highest peak is just under 400m above sea level, nowhere near as dizzying as some of the other islands.
The best time to visit Graciosa
Graciosa’s climate is temperate, which means it never gets too hot or cold, a good all-year adventure holiday destination. To catch the most reliable weather make it a spring or summer break, ideally between April and September when it’s balmy and warm, the landscapes are super-lush and the flowers at their most amazing. In spring and autumn it tends to be cooler and wetter with even fewer visitors, still a lovely place to while away a relaxed break.
The coast and the ocean
Natural swimming pools are the name of the game here thanks to the brilliant Piscinas do Carapacho, absolutely stunning and a great place to cool off in hot weather. There’s more at Termas do Carapacho, and the small bays at Baía do Folga – which has a restaurant – and Baía do Filipe, the prettiest with its swing and picnic areas. Both are set like jewels along the gorgeous coastline. Then there’s the Whale Rock, which as the name suggests looks a lot like a whale, plus the Farol Da Ponta Da Barca lighthouse and a classically lovely cove.
Head for the Porto Afonso area to admire the caves where fishing boats have been built into the cliff – surreal! – or take a dip in the small thermal pool at Termas do Carapacho, which has its own hydrotherapy room. Bob around in the water at the natural seawater swimming pool, Piscina Natural do Carapacho. Then there’s Praia do Barro Vermelho with its colourful sand, natural swimming pool and a picnic / BBQ area with showers. You can experience life under the waves at several good scuba diving spots including the famous Terceirense shipwreck.
Volcanic magic
Graciosa’s ancient volcanic crater, the edge of which is both drive-able and walkable, offers a wealth of vegetation and wildlife to admire. There are some wonderful miradouros or viewpoints and you can actually see inside the crater itself from the Gruta da Maria Encantada cave, above which is a quirky wooden tower to give you even more dramatic views. Inside the crater is the Furna do Enxofre, a deep cave with a lake and boiling mud inside, like being on another planet. It’s clear the volcanic activity far below is still alive and well. This attraction is only for the brave, with a 37m spiral staircase with 183 steps to navigate. The little visitor centre offers interesting information.
Head for the hill above Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Monte Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, for more fabulous views plus the pretty Ermida or chapel, open to visitors only occasionally but still photo-worthy from the outside.
Tiny donkeys and impressive wildlife
The island is known and loved for the sweet little Graciosa donkey, a dwarf donkey that never gets bigger than a metre high. There used to be around a thousand of them but these days there are only 70 or so left, making it an endangered animal. Go see them at the Associação de Criadores do Burro Anão da Ilha da Graciosa, bookable in advance.
This is a cool place for bird watchers too, with the Ilhéu da Praia nature reserve offering various nesting birds including the Monteiro Storm petrel, houbara bustard, Cory’s shearwater, Kentish plover and stone curlew. Watch out for the canary wall gecko, a small nocturnal lizard. As far as plants go the parasitic Jopode la Graciosa with its striking blue flowers is very lovely, along with the scented Tarabaste from the allium family, the Apteranthes burchardii or ‘dog tooth’ succulent, and Downy sea lavender.
Culture, food and wine
Find the museum in Santa Cruz da Graciosa to discover more about the magic of the island, complete with artefacts, photos and other exhibits explaining its natural and human history. The earliest settlers’ experiences are worth reading about, as are the strong farming and wine-making traditions and maritime history.
The wine vines here are grown surrounded by biscoitos, volcanic rocks that heat up in the sun then release heat to keep the plants warm at night. Find out more about the wine growing and give it a try at the Adega E cooperativa Agricola Da Ilha Graciosa in Santa Cruz.
Graciosa is famous for its queijadas, a traditional Portuguese pasty-like tart made in two factories on the island and available in the shops. The traditional flavour is cheese but they also come almond, and chocolate. Then there’s Amélias da Graciosa, with its sweet blend of spices hinting at the island’s past involvement in the spice trade.
Santa Cruz da Graciosa is the capital, really tiny but as pretty as a jewel, a nice place to stroll and relax. The local food is wonderful, worth seeking out at a restaurant serving traditional cuisine. They eat the limpets here, called Lapas, and the grilled fish and seafood is a delight along with traditional beef dishes from the famous black and white Azores cows.
How about celebrations? Santa Cruz da Graciosa holds a colourful Feast of the Holy Christ of the Miracles annually in August, turning the place into a wonderland of vibrant décor. The spectacle draws people from across Graciosa as well as the other islands, and Azorean expats from across the world turn up as well.
All this wonderment on one tiny, remote island. Not a bad holiday for the adventurous, for those of you who like to explore every corner of your destination to become deeply familiar with the place, its landscapes, seascapes and culture.
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