![\"Kratersee\"](\"https:\/\/sailingsymi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kratersee-scaled.jpeg\")
Crater Lake<\/span><\/a><\/div>Another interesting place we visited there is an abandoned hotel on the crater rim. In the modern lingo of YouTubers and Instagrammers, it\u2019s referred to as a \u201clost place.\u201d\nThe story dates back to 1989. At that time, a company planned to build a hotel with 88 beds, a conference center, a disco, a bar, and a restaurant, but unfortunately, it was far too ahead of its time, since tourism in the Azores was still in its infancy back then.\nThe hotel closed after only 1.5 years due to low bookings and a lack of funds. Over the next 15 years, the owners stationed security firms with dogs on site to protect the property, but since this was extremely costly, the security was withdrawn, and the hotel very quickly became a site of looting and vandalism by the local population, who were very poor at the time. In 2010, the hotel block\u2014reduced to a shell\u2014was offered for sale for just 1.2 million \u20ac, but no buyer was found.\nFrom tiles to doorknobs, bathtubs, elevators, and wood paneling, nothing remained in its place. Today, 30 years later, the \u201cMonte Palace Hotel\u201d stands as a ruin in the beautiful crater landscape. In 2025, the Azores government recognized a rehabilitation project as being \u201cof significant public interest.\u201d Renovation work is planned but has not yet begun. It\u2019s a somewhat eerie feeling,<\/p>\n\n\n
Hotel damals-2<\/span><\/a><\/div>Hotel damals-1<\/span><\/a><\/div>Hotel-1<\/span><\/a><\/div>Hotel-2<\/span><\/a><\/div>We continued our journey along the roads\u2014which are in excellent condition thanks to EU funding\u2014toward the north coast. There, where the cool North Atlantic wind usually blows, the climate is more humid than in the south due to the orographic effects of the mountains in the center of the island. Because of the high humidity, this is an ideal location for tea plantations. Of the 80 plantations that once existed, only two remain today. At one of these two plantations, you can experience tea production up close. After a walk through the grounds with their well-tended tea bushes, we took a tour of the factory and observed the 100-year-old machines that still handle the fermentation, drying, and sorting of the tea. It was a very interesting, fragrant process that I had never witnessed before in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n
Teeplantage<\/span><\/a><\/div>Teefabrik<\/span><\/a><\/div>Auf der Plantage<\/span><\/a><\/div>On our way back to the south coast, where the Ponta Delgada Marina is located, we also passed through the coastal town of Rabo de Peixe. I don\u2019t want to keep the somewhat bizarre but true story of this place from you.\nIn 2001, countless little plastic packets washed up on the beach here. It was cocaine. The locals collected them all, and there were so many that the entire town fell into a drug-fueled frenzy. It was reported that the fish in the restaurant were breaded with coke instead of flour. A jug of coke went for \u20ac15. Even the white lines on the soccer field are said to have been drawn with the white powder. Many residents became addicted, while others used the money they\u2019d earned to build new houses. Today, this town is the poorest on the island, and the high crime rate and large number of drug addicts are the result of this story. Ribo de Peixe has become an enclave of poverty, and Netflix even produced a feature film about it.\nBut where did the drugs come from?\nIn 2001, an Italian man attempted to smuggle drugs from Venezuela to Europe on a yacht. Apparently lacking much seafaring experience and wary of other boats, he anchored off the northern coast near the town. As mentioned earlier, a north wind usually hits the coast there. But now a storm was forecast, and the smuggler had to move the boat. To ensure he\u2019d be \u201cclean\u201d during a port inspection, he attached the entire 3-metric-ton package of cocaine\u2014wrapped in plastic\u2014underwater to his anchor. And as he made his escape and headed south, the waves tore his package apart and washed the individual pieces ashore.
So we sailed around this place and soon found an excellent restaurant for an early dinner. I may be repeating myself, but this positive fact must be mentioned.
In terms of hospitality, friendliness, variety of dishes, and fine red wines, this island is one of a kind.
In addition to high-quality olive oil, the country\u2019s cuisine offers a wide selection of fish dishes and the finest beef from its own well-fed, mostly black-and-white cattle, which can be found grazing in every meadow here. Not to be forgotten are the delicious desserts and sweets that make every foodie\u2019s heart beat faster. We\u2019ve discovered that in Portugal, you can truly indulge yourself with culinary delights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apart from Rabo de Peixe, there\u2019s no sign of crime anywhere on S\u00e3o Miguel. We haven\u2019t seen any police patrols or even speed checks on the roads so far. Not a police officer in sight.\nPerhaps this is due to the gentle nature of the Portuguese. They\u2019re always extremely friendly and eager to help. There\u2019s no sign of wealth here, but everyone seems content, and after the severe economic crisis of the early 2000s, Portugal now appears to be maintaining its islands in a stable condition that satisfies the population. Another fascinating aspect of the islands is their self-sufficiency in terms of supplies and food. Almost everything sold here is also produced here.<\/p>\n\n\n