I had always wanted to visit the Azores for as long as I can remember so it was very exciting to wake up on this morning knowing that the day had finally arrived. I got woken up early at 6:45am when the thrusters on the ship came to life and when I walked out onto the verandah, I could see the lights of Ponta Delgada on the island of San Miguel in the darkness ahead of us.

Our all ashore time on this day was 8:00am but as we were renting a car for the day to explore the island and the car rental office did not open until 9:00am, we were in no immediate rush to be first off the ship. However once we were showered and dressed, we left our stateroom and took our bags with us up to Cabanas so that we could head straight off the ship once we had finished our breakfast.

We sat outside at Cabanas to eat and it was a little overcast that morning but most importantly, it was warm and there was no rain. When visiting the Azores, you have to be prepared to experience all four seasons in one day so the only thing that you can accurately predict is that the weather will be unpredictable so make sure to pack accordingly – layers are the way to go – when you visit.

After breakfast we filled up our water bottles and headed down to the gangway which was located on Deck 1 Midship where we disembarked the Disney Dream just before 9:00am. We had booked our rental car for the day through Autatlantis and we chose them specifically as not only did they have good reviews but they also have an office located on the pier right next to the cruise terminal meaning it was very convenient as we did not not have far to walk to collect our car.

We were the first ones to arrive at the office when it opened that morning and it took a few minutes to sort out the rental paperwork before we were taken to our car for the day which was actually parked right on the pier itself with the Disney Dream right behind it – you really could not have got any closer if you tried!

Renting a car is simply the best and most convenient way to see the Azores as you can choose exactly where and when you want to go and explore everywhere at your own pace without being rushed. Even though San Miguel Island is not the biggest and everything is only a short drive from Ponta Delgada, there is so much to see and do that you will have to choose which side of the island you want to explore if you only have limited time in port and once we saw some photos of Sete Cidades online, we knew we had to visit there as it looked simply incredible.

Driving in the Azores is also incredibly easy so there really is no need to book an overpriced and crowded organised excursion as I personally think they are one of the worst ways to explore and we definitely saw the absolute worst of them on this day. Even if you cannot drive (or are not comfortable driving in another country) a great option would be to hire a driver for the day so that you can avoid the tour bus crowds as much as possible and have a much better experience during your time in port.

We had planned our day ahead of time and had marked all of the places that we wanted to visit onto Google Maps which also then made navigating very easy as we both had 5G mobile data in the Azores. As our all aboard time was at 4:00pm we also knew that we had to be very aware of the time on this day so we decided to drive to the furthest point away that we wanted to visit first before working our way back towards Ponta Delgada.

Our first stop was the Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado which was a thirty minute drive from Ponta Delgada along the main EN1-1A road which loops around the outside of the entire island making driving and exploring very easy and getting lost very difficult. It was a very simple and easy drive however when we got there three coaches were blocking the road to the viewpoint as large buses and small roads simply do not go together and it was fun as well as ridiculous to watch one try and push past the other (there was no room) before giving up and having to slowly reverse out of the way! One thing that I always notice about organised tours is how little time they give everyone to get photos at each place (especially given the price that they’ve paid) and this was no exception so it was less than five minutes before the buses quickly left and we had the viewpoint to ourselves.

The Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado is located on the far western side of San Miguel Island halfway between Ferraria and the beautiful fishing village of Mosteiros and offers incredible views along the coastline and down to the sea below.

Our next destination was the village of Sete Cidades itself which was a ten minute drive inland and clearly signposted from the main road. Sete Cidades is located in the middle of a three mile wide volcanic crater and is home to approximately seven hundred people.

The roads were so quiet as we drove along and it was also at this time that I started to get a sense of familiarity but I was not sure of where at this time.

Our first stop in Sete Cidades was the beautiful and traditional Igreja de São Nicolau church which was built in 1857 and we easily found free parking on one of the small side streets nearby. We did not go into the church but we did take some time to stroll around the pretty gardens surrounding it as well as the rest of the small village. Another handy thing to know is that there are also free to use public toilets located on Caminho das Ruas close to the church itself.

The only problem that we had when we arrived in Sete Cidades was that the three coaches that had been at the last viewpoint with us were already here too so some areas of the village near the church were very crowded. We quickly realised that they were probably following a very similar route to us through Sete Cidades so I quickly looked up their itinerary online (the name of the tour was displayed on the side of each bus) and saw that their next three stops were also the same as ours. As we did not want the rest of our day to be like this (one of the many reasons why we always independently explore is to avoid crowds) and as they were all about to leave the village of Sete Cidades at the same time, we decided to skip our next two stops and carry onto a further point before then turning around and going back on ourselves to hopefully try and create a bit of a gap which would allow us to enjoy the rest of our day.

When driving out of the village of Sete Cidades you cross the bridge between the two lakes known as Lagoa Verde (Green Lake) and Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake) which according to a legend were formed when a princess and a shepherd cried when they were forbidden to be together and the tears that they cried formed the two lakes with water coloured the same as their eyes – and in certain light and weather conditions, you can actually see the different colours.

Our plan was to drive straight past the Miradouro da Lagoa de Santiago and the Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras however we did get stuck on the road there for a few minutes as there was some gridlocked traffic due to one of the buses parking on the road itself and another one trying to drive around him and some other cars that had also stopped to look at the view before also blocking the other side of the road to traffic from the other direction.

It was a fifteen minute drive from the church to the Miradouro da Vista do Rei which offers one of the most iconic and picture postcard views in the Azores. As it is one of the most popular viewpoints in the Azores, it can get very busy but the car park which offers free parking has a time limit of twenty minutes which is all that you need so you will not have to wait long for a space as people are constantly arriving and departing.

The viewpoint was named in honour of the King and Queen of Portugal’s visit in 1901 where they called it the most beautiful spot in the Azores. The view overlooking both of the lakes and the surrounding caldera really is that beautiful and I was so happy and grateful that even though it was overcast that day, we had a completely clear view as I have seen photos online when you can barely see anything.

This is where you can also find the ruins of the abandoned Monte Palace Hotel which opened in 1989 but closed shortly afterwards due to the lack of visitors.

After taking plenty of photos and enjoying the view, we saw the coaches that we were now trying to avoid driving around the corner so it was time to quickly leave and go back on ourselves to the two viewpoints that we had skipped.

Once we drove the ten minutes back to the Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras, it was thankfully extremely quiet so our plan had worked perfectly and there is also a small area with several free of charge parking spaces available along the road as well. This viewpoint is located high above the eastern side of the two lakes and looks directly down across the hydrangeas which cover the island and over the bridge and across the lakes to the village of Sete Cidades.

Our next stop was the also now empty Miradouro da Lagoa de Santiago which was just along the road so we simply walked the few minutes down to there as it was easier than moving the car for such a short distance. From this viewpoint you can look down over the emerald coloured Lagoa de Santiago which is entirely surrounded by even more green on all sides with a forest full of trees.

As we were driving along to our next destination I finally worked out why everything felt so familiar. Driving along the narrow roads with plenty of switchbacks and bends past all of the lush and green vegetation reminded me so much of driving the Road to Hana in Maui which we did on our Hawaiian cruise onboard the Disney Wonder. It makes some sense when you think about it as Hawaii and the Azores are both a group of volcanic islands in the middle of an ocean and just like Hawaii, the Azores are even more beautiful in person than I could have ever imagined. Photos really do not do justice to this incredible place as you really do have to visit and see them with your own eyes.

Our next stop was the starting point for the easy “hike” to the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno which I had read about online when researching our day in Ponta Delgada. There is a large free parking area opposite the start of the path and the trail is just over one kilometre long which takes approximately twenty minutes each way which is mostly flat as only the last part of it is a short uphill climb up to the viewpoint itself.

As the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno requires a little bit of effort and time to reach it, it was very sane as none of the tour buses stop here and it was so quiet and walking along the wide empty paths surrounded by nature and the cool fresh air felt incredible. If you are also planning to do this hike, remember to wear comfortable shoes such as trainers as there are a few small rocky sections on the short uphill section.

At the top you are rewarded with an amazing panoramic view of the Lagoa Azul, Lagoa Verde, Lagoa de Santiago, Lagoa Rasa, Sete Cidades village as well as over the top of the volcanic crater and out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Whilst Vista do Rei is the most popular view in Sete Cidades, the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno is definitely the best and I am so happy that we made the effort to walk up there (even though the walk is not difficult in the slightest) and we even treated ourselves to a Pastel de Nata each that we had brought with us to enjoy whilst taking in the view.

Our final stop in the Sete Cidades area (although we could have seen a lot more along the way if we had had more time that day) was the Miradouro do Pico do Carvão and as there was already a crowd of people at the very small viewing area, we sat in our car for a few minutes before they were all quickly herded back onto their bus back to Ponta Delgada.

From this viewpoint you can look along the entire island towards the eastern end of San Miguel where Pico da Vara which is the second highest mountain in the Azores is located as well as see plenty of cows and even the familiar funnels of the Disney Dream peaking out from in between the hills off in the distance.

On our short drive back towards Ponta Delgada, we quickly stopped at the Miradouro do Caminho Novo which we had passed earlier in the day which would be a beautiful spot to watch sunset from and then shortly afterwards stopped at a small viewpoint which overlooked the small terminal and runway of Ponta Delgada Airport (Aeroporto João Paulo II) and even watched as an Azores Airlines A320 from Lisbon came into land.

Having a rental car for the day makes it very easy and convenient to be able to visit all of the random little photo spots that you have seen that might be a little bit tricky to reach otherwise. The Moinho de Vento da Tia Faleira windmill is located in the town of Faja de Cima which is just north of Ponta Delgada and even has a small viewpoint too.

Before dropping our car off back at the port, we decided to make a little detour to the Ermida da Mãe de Deus church as it would be a lot easier than walking back to it later especially as it was in the opposite direction to everything else that we wanted to see in Ponta Delgada.

After filling the car back up with petrol we drove back to the pier and Autatlantis had provided us with a full step-by-step photo guide of where to drop the car off as you actually have to enter and drive into the restricted port area and drive right up to the ship before doing a U-turn to find the designated parking spots. It felt so strange driving that close to the Disney Dream!

Renting a car for our day in Ponta Delgada from Autatlantis was simply amazing and you really could not get any more closer or more convenient as their office is literally located on the pier just steps away from the ship. We had booked our car a few months in advance and our total cost for the day including full insurance as well as an extra driver was €78.00 (£65 / US$80) making it an absolute bargain considering how much we managed to see. There is nothing I enjoy more than a mini road trip and visiting new places as it really is the best and most affordable as well as fun way to explore.

We dropped our car off at 2:30pm and as the all aboard time was at 4:00pm we had just enough time to do a quick whistle stop tour of Ponta Delgada itself. Once again I had marked a few places on Google Maps that we wanted to see and we started our sightseeing by walking along the Avenida Infante Dom Henrique which is the main road along the waterfront towards the Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral square where you can find a statue of the explorer Gonçalo Velho Cabral who rediscovered and settled in the Azores in the fifteenth century.

You can also find the three arches of the Portas da Cidade city gate in this square which was originally built in 1783 before being moved to the current location in 1952. Right behind the gate is the Largo da Matriz square where you can find the Igreja de São Sebastião church as well as the Praça do Municipio square where the Town Hall of Ponta Delgada is located.

We then walked up to the Largo do Colégio church and the Jardim Antero de Quental garden before walking back through the quiet streets of Ponta Delgada passing the Jardim Padre Sena Freitas garden and reaching the Campo de São Francisco square where you can find the Igreja de São José and the Santuário do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres churches. Just across from the square is the sixteenth century Forte de São Brás fortress which is home to the Museu Militar dos Açores military museum.

We walked back along the waterfront towards the ship and we were back onboard the Disney Dream at 3:30pm which was thirty minutes before our all aboard time which was as late as we wanted to be. It was always our plan to drop our car off early in case of any traffic delays as our little bit of sightseeing around Ponta Delgada was just an added bonus to our day if we had enough time which thankfully we did.

We were both feeling hungry so our first stop after dropping our bags off back in our stateroom and walking past a couple on the stairs screaming at each other (whilst threatening to punch each other in the face) was Tow Mater Grill for a much needed burger and fries. Deck 11 was incredibly busy but there was no wait for burgers or pizza though there was a long line at Ramone’s Cantina (they even had a queuing system set up) and the tempers between two men in line were getting quite short and loud too – it was definitely an interesting atmosphere during our first few minutes back onboard!

Once we had our food we walked up to Deck 12 to watch the Character Dance Party at 4:15pm. The party started off as always with the Cha Cha Slide which I only ever hear when I’m onboard a Disney ship so it always makes me smile.

Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto and Donald arrived on stage not long afterwards and danced to Try Everything, Uptown Funk, Blinding Lights, Shake it Off, Better When I’m Dancin’, Rock Party Anthem, Dynamite and finished with When Can I See You Again.

This little Character Dance Party was so much fun and the perfect way to welcome us all back onboard after our day in the Azores before setting sail for our next five days at sea. After the cruise I saw someone online bitterly complaining about it which has puzzled me no end ever since.

Before we set sail we quickly walked around Decks 12 and 13 to take some last photos of Ponta Delgada from the ship. I had absolutely loved my six hours of exploring and it really felt like I had seen so much yet so little at the same time. I definitely want to go back to the Azores on another trip and stay for longer as there is so much more to explore on the other side of San Miguel Island such as Ribeira Grande, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas Hot Springs as well as so many more stunning viewpoints and hiking trails.

We made a cup of tea to take back down to our stateroom where we sat on our verandah to watch sailaway and make the most of the last bit of 5G mobile data that we would have until we reached Fort Lauderdale a week later. All of the horns were blasted just after 5:00pm so we made a Mimosa each to toast our time in Europe and our cruise on the Disney Dream so far. It had been simply amazing and we had done everything that we wanted to and more and now we had five relaxing days at sea to look forward to.

The nicest feeling ever was knowing that we had absolutely nothing to do on this night so we chilled in our stateroom for a few hours which felt wonderful after a very busy and tiring day in port. At 8:00pm we headed down to the Lobby Atrium and outside to walk a lap of Deck 4 before dinner.

Our dinner was in Royal Palace and the “Crossing” menu was on offer so to start I ordered the Roquette Leaves with Peppered Strawberries, Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar Dressing followed by the Lava Poke Bowl with a Lobster Tail on the side. For my dessert I had the Blueberry-Lemon Bavarian Cream which I have ordered before in 1923 onboard the Disney Wish and absolutely loved.

Once we had finished our dinner, we met Ariel who was out by the mural in the Lobby Atrium at 9:45pm who asked us all about the adventures that we had been on that day.

We were both feeling so tired at this point so there was nothing else to do apart from call it a day and head back up to our stateroom where a cute dinosaur towel animal was waiting on the bed for us. Changing into my pyjamas that evening felt so good and we also remembered to turn our clocks back one hour before falling asleep.

It had been such a long day that I could not even keep my eyes open and I do not even remember falling asleep that night as I was so exhausted. It had been such a good day and it had been so wonderful to explore just a little bit of the Azores and now all we had to do was simply enjoy being onboard the Disney Dream for the next five days at sea as we crossed the Atlantic towards the Bahamas and Florida.

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