Discover
From Graciosa, with affection
I feel wonderfully well with the tranquility of these days spent on my Graciosa island. And there’s no money that can pay for this light at the end of the day, this serene peace…
In this island, of 61 km2, everything is plains, rounded hills covered with trees, farmlands, vineyards between walls of black stone and vast pastures… “White island” they called it due to the predominance of trachyte, a rock that, seen from afar, may have given the impression of being white to the eyes of the first settlers who arrived in the 15th century. Hence its toponymy: Barro Branco, Pedras Brancas, Serra Branca.
And it is precisely from Serra Branca that, in the company of family and friends, I see the sea all around the island. A feeling of freshness, voluptuousness seizes us, a melancholic serenity that pacifies the spirit. The concept of untouched and pure Nature applies here marvelously. Possessing a rich ecosystem, Graciosa has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2007.
With time and availability, we feast our eyes upon the astonishing crater of the ancient volcano that gave birth to the island. We don’t settle for Jules Verne and decide to make a “journey to the center of the Earth,” enjoying the unsettling beauty of Furna do Enxofre (the largest volcanic dome in Europe), a rare volcanic phenomenon and geologically unique in the world. (“Volcanic vulva” I called it in a poem). Such greatness for such a small island.
Then we climb to Furna da Maria Encantada (according to legend, the Graciosan woman who, fleeing the lustful intentions of pirates, went there to hide) and all this volcanism seems ethereal and unreal to me.
Further south, it is inevitable to bathe in the natural pool of Carapacho, a place where excellent thermalism is practiced. And after a quick dip in the placid bay of Praia, it is time for an abundant feast, at the restaurant in front, of barnacles and slipper lobsters, followed by queijadas, melons (the sweetest in the Azores), and the inevitable andaia (a liqueur exclusive to Graciosa and said to have aphrodisiac properties…).
And here we are in Santa Cruz, where my childhood happily unfolded. We wander through its spacious streets and admire the harmonious layout of the town: its sunny and stately houses, the two ponds (which reflect tranquility), the Square (the town’s reception hall), with its Norfolk pines and elm trees that offer beauty and freshness. We enter the Main Church (with traces of the Manueline period) and linger beside the famous Quinhentist Panels. Despite its small dimensions, Graciosa has a rich religious heritage: 10 churches and 16 chapels.
We climb to Monte da Ajuda, and it brings to mind that it was there, in 1969, that I saw television for the first time, to witness Neil Armstrong’s first steps on lunar soil.
But an island is also made of its people. And the people of Graciosa have the candor and generosity of welcoming and hospitable islanders, as they learned from the people of Terceira to be festive and sociable. But there are aspects in which Graciosa stands out: the lively ballroom dances; a Carnival that is unique in Portugal, as it lasts for three months there, not three days; a unique naming tradition; a strong piano tradition (150 pianos for a population of just over 4,000 inhabitants); a bullring located in the crater of a volcano, unique in the world. Furthermore, Graciosa is now the capital of the Azores in terms of underwater photography; the municipality of Santa Cruz leads the national ranking in selective collection of paper and cardboard; the island is taking decisive steps in ecotourism, organic farming, and renewable energies.
I peek at the images I’m capturing in rapid succession on the camera monitor: the striking windmills, the parishes of Guadalupe and Luz, the rugged bays of Filipe and Folga, the islets of Praia and Carapacho, Porto Afonso, the petrified beauty of Ilhéu da Baleia, the clarity of the sky and the transparency of the sea…
And all this beauty enters our eyes. And, as we descend into Furna do Abel, it’s as if we’re setting off in search of the pot of gold beyond the rainbow.
For a few more days, I’ll be here, sitting by my beloved and always glorious and gracious island.
Victor Rui Dores