Blog
Black walls, blue hedges: the lines in the landscape
Drive across the island and you see the same pattern everywhere — walls of black stone with hydrangeas between them. Both are there for a solid practical reason.
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Paying on São Miguel: cards, cash and Multibanco
How much cash do you actually need, where won't a card work, and what does the cashier mean by “contribuinte”? The small things guests ask about most.
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The Azores in ten minutes: a very short history of the island
Six hundred years ago nobody was here. What has happened since — settlement, oranges, whaling, emigration — and why you can still see it in the houses.
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Why the island is so green — and which plant is a problem here
Hydrangeas, agapanthus, ginger lily: almost none of it is native. A short walk through the plant life of São Miguel, including the story of a bird that nearly disappeared.
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A week of working from the Atlantic: does it actually work?
Short answer: yes. What makes São Miguel a good place to work from, where the catches are, and why the time difference is a gift in this particular case.
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Cagarros: the bird you hear at night
Sit outside on an autumn evening and you'll hear a call from the coast like a crying child. What's behind it — and why car headlights matter in October.
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Food shopping on São Miguel: what belongs in the basket
Fish off the boat, Azorean cheese, greenhouse pineapple: what you'll find here, where to get it and why cooking for yourselves is worth it on holiday.
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Whales and dolphins: why September is a good month for it
Dolphins and sperm whales live off São Miguel all year round. How a trip works, what you can realistically expect to see and what to look for when booking.
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Ordering without Portuguese: a mini phrasebook for restaurants
Eight phrases will carry you through an evening — plus what turns up on Azorean menus and why you should ring ahead.
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Sunset in Mosteiros: why everyone heads for the water in the evening
On São Miguel our village is famous for one thing: the view as the sun drops behind the rock needles. Where to stand — and when.
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Three volcanoes, one island: why São Miguel looks the way it does
Crater lakes, hot springs, black beaches — it's all connected. A short explanation that makes your day trips a great deal more interesting.
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Day one: from landing to your first sunset
Airport, hire car, forty minutes across the island — and why you shouldn't plan anything else for your arrival day.
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Four seasons in one day: your plan B for São Miguel
Weather changes faster in the Azores than almost anywhere. Know that, and you never lose a day of your holiday — you get the island's quieter side instead.
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Swimming in Mosteiros: the beach, the harbour and the rock pools
Three places to swim, five minutes from the house — and one for every kind of weather. Where you can still get in when the swell is up.
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Lagoa do Fogo: down to the crater lake
The lake of fire in the heart of São Miguel — the view from the rim, the path down to the shore and when to go.
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Hot springs on São Miguel: Furnas, Caldeira Velha & Ferraria compared
The three most beautiful hot springs on São Miguel — Furnas, Caldeira Velha and Ponta da Ferraria. How they differ, when to go and our honest tips.
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Our favourite viewpoint: Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
Perhaps the most beautiful view on São Miguel — across Lagoa de Santiago to the crater lakes of Sete Cidades. Here's how to get there.
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Welcome to our new website
Why we built Casa de Sonho a new home on the web — and what you'll find here.
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