Azores Day: 5

We were at the airport by 6:30 am.

We boarded a tiny plane. My bag didn't fit so I had to shove it under the seat. Fern's bag fit — after two people pushing it into the overhead compartment. We were a mild disturbance sitting in the second row. The flight was thirty minutes, tops.

We picked up the rental car, where we learned that the tax on the rental was almost more than the rental itself. Our agent, Mariana — they all had braces — seemed unbothered by this. We drove away in what was objectively the worst car either of us has driven to date. At least it wasn't flashy.

We checked into our hotel, which was genuinely adorable — a cozy, shielded eco-lodge tucked into the woods. The woman at the front desk, Carla, took one look at Fern and immediately decided she needed help. She physically took the bag out of Fern's hands. Carla was not taking any chances.

We walked up to our room, were immediately struck by the humidity, switched into full dry mode, and headed out for sustenance.

First stop was Padaria Caseira Délia Martins, a little shop and bakery where we picked up wine and snacks that we immediately ripped into, and then made our way into the bakery itself for pastries — one filled with cream and one filled with passionfruit and chocolate. Both were kind of mid, but it appeared to be the only happening spot around.

At a loss for what to do in the murky weather with our cave tour not starting until the afternoon, we stumbled down the road to Maretenta Wines for a vineyard tour. They walked us through how the grapes grow between ancient lava rock walls — a method brought to the island centuries ago that actually helps the vines thrive by retaining heat and protecting them from the wind. My dad would have found the construction of those walls genuinely fascinating (being the vintner he is), and honestly so did I. They then took us inside the winery to see the machinery. We finished with a tasting of five wines.

The standout was a red that I actually liked, which is a personal first. It was Vinho de Cheiro — a traditional Azorean wine made from American hybrid grapes introduced after the phylloxera plague devastated local vineyards in the 19th century. It's been banned from commercial sale in the EU for decades due to regulations around grape varieties and methanol levels, but production for personal use remains a deeply beloved cultural tradition, particularly during the Festas do Espírito Santo (it is technically contraband). After five wines I was feeling it. We also tried three white wines — same blend, same grapes, same method, but from three different islands — and the flavor differences were surprisingly dramatic. We both liked the Biscoitos wine the most. There was also a rosé which I liked. Maybe I'm maturing.

Then Magda and Madelena started pressuring us to try the limpets. They insisted we would love them, that they were out of this world, that we simply had to. Fern eventually broke. She ordered them. The first three were good. She then proceeded to eat all eighteen. I was strongly encouraged to at least try the sauce and did so with an audience. I did not like it. Fern was the hero of the limpets and she knows it. We also had olives, and I tried the spicy pickled quail eggs, which I actually enjoyed. Magda was from mainland Portugal and had chosen to come live on this tiny island which really shocked us. Their warmth and hospitality really stuck with us. Everyone we've met so far has been genuinely, remarkably kind, and it's been one of the loveliest parts of the trip.

Next we headed to the cave, Gruta do Natal. We were also meant to visit Algar do Carvão — which every single person we'd encountered had described as stunning, incredible, one of the most beautiful places in the Azores — but it was closed for restoration. Brutal. Gruta do Natal was, to both of us, a bit mid and probably not worth the money, but it was cool to walk through for a few minutes. Fern did her good deed of the week by taking a photo of a family inside the cave and practicing her French. We were very construction-core in our gear. I think the wine helped me enjoy it a bit more than Fern.

From there we drove to several viewpoints, all of which were completely swallowed by fog. The one exception was Lago das Patas, which held up beautifully in the rain — stunning, moss-covered trees all around a lake that looked like a miniature, mossier version of Furnas. Fern chased a chicken across the road (that's why the chicken crossed the road).

To close out the day's excursions we drove to Miradouro da Alagoa da Fajanzinha for views of the waves crashing against the cliff face. Fern stayed in the car. I walked the long winding road down to the viewpoint alone, and it was absolutely worth it — stunning colors, magnificent waves. The walk back up to the car was less magnificent. (See video of where Fern and the car were, below.)

Dinner at Mar e Vinhas was one of the first genuinely satisfying meals of the trip — a vegetable rice for me and a mixed seafood rice for Fern. We came back and crashed.

Overall, Terceira is a beautiful island and we're a little sad we couldn't take full advantage of it in the weather. Hoping tomorrow is kinder to us.

♡ Ink