Day 13: Snorkeling on Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo

July 17, 2020

The weather is changeable again today. Nevertheless, we want to try to visit the Ilheu de Vila Franca do Campo , a volcanic snorkeling island.

According to the internet, the island is still closed due to the coronavirus, the online ticket sales also do not work, and no one can be reached at the phone number listed on the website.

So, without any guarantees, we pack all our snorkeling and swimming gear and leave around 10 o'clock towards Vila Franca do Campo, near Ponta Delgada on the opposite side of the island.

Unfortunately, the weather on the south side is not much better, but fortunately we have wetsuits with us for snorkeling.

Arriving at the harbor, we quickly find the small ticket booth.

Good news: the island is open!

The boat departs for the island every hour on the hour and returns 10 minutes later. We pay €8 per person for the day ticket. We can stay as long as we want, but there is nothing on the small crater island except a toilet.

Our boat departs at 11 o'clock. We all wear masks and have to disinfect our hands when boarding the boat.

There are a total of 16 people on board.

Normally, the number of people on the island is limited to 400 per day, but due to Covid-19, only 200 tickets are sold per day.

Today, we share the island with 12 other people. Amazing!!!

Since it is high tide, the small beach in the volcano crater is currently flooded and hardly recognizable.

The seagulls seem to have reclaimed the island in the last 3 months. The rocks and concrete steps are completely covered in bird droppings, and it smells very strong of bird droppings. Although the two gentlemen try to reclaim the concrete steps with a shovel and broom, they are not very successful in their work.

We find a place in the middle of the crater near the stairs without bird droppings and change into our swimsuits. The water is quite cold, which is probably due to the incoming tide, which brings cold Atlantic water into the crater. I am grateful for my wetsuit!

We snorkel around the entire crater and discover some colorful fish, giant crabs, and strange 'fish skeletons' on the crater floor. The crater is not deep, and during low tide, you can probably only snorkel on one side.

While the underwater world cannot be compared to Egypt and similar places, snorkeling in a crater is definitely a lot of fun, so it's definitely recommended as an excursion!

While we are in the water, the sun comes out, so we can dry off in the warm sun.

The hiking trail above the crater to the bird sanctuary is unfortunately closed. From up there, however, you have a particularly beautiful view of the crater island and can also observe geckos along the stone walls.

At 1:10 PM, we take the boat back to Sao Miguel.

Back at the harbor of Vila Franco do Campo, we drive to the church and viewpoint 'Miradouro da Nossa Senhora da Paz'.

The church is normally a tourist magnet - today we are here all alone.

After climbing the many steps, we can enjoy the great view over the sea to Ilheu de Vila Franca do Campo.

Today, the last surf lesson is at 5 o'clock.

Our surf instructor Sergio is teaching another class at the same time, so Surferboy Peter is taking over our private lesson today.

The view of the sea shows that there are huge waves today, the sea is churned up, and the waves come from all sides.

We walk about 500m along Santa Barbara Beach with our boards to a sandbank in the sea. Here, the waves break a bit flatter at the beach.

As soon as the family enters the water, the sun says goodbye....

Azores weather: lights on - lights off - alternately.

However, it is still a challenge for our son because he can't get his longboard through the waves and gets washed back every time.

Peter helps him, but after 3 attempts and 2 saltwater nasal flushes, our son has had enough and refuses to continue.

The daughter copes much better with the conditions. She manages to stand up on the board and surf every time, and her father also does a great job... and me? I'm holding the camcorder and the camera ready :-)

After 1.5 hours, everyone is completely exhausted and no one has the strength to drag the board through the ever-increasing waves anymore. Meanwhile, there are 2 other surf classes with 10 participants each in the water to the right and left of them, so it gets pretty crowded.

Now it's time to drag the boards back along the beach for 500m to the surf school.

Tonight, we relax together with some board games and a bottle of wine in our villa and on the terrace.

Afterwards, a relaxing bath in the hot tub is a must - happy holidays!