The viewer looks out over a well-trodden path, worn away by water erosion, which slopes gently downwards. Surrounding it are grasses, shrubs, heather and mosses. Further down, meadows, fields and groves of Japanese cedar can be seen. At the top of the picture lies the Atlantic Ocean.

Picture from my home:
On the hiking trail Serra Devassa, which is situated in the western 'highlands' of São Miguel.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

Picture from my home:
Flowering Yucca and the greater part of São Miguel's north coast
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows the eastern plateau of the island of São Miguel, with its forests and pastures stretching all the way to the highest peaks in the background (approx. 25–30 km away). In the foreground are a few Cryptomeria japonica trees (Japanese cedar), which have evidently self-seeded. Lenticular clouds stretch across the blue sky from right to left (south-west to north-east), which is characteristic of a foehn weather situation. About three hours later, the spot from which the photo was taken was shrouded in thick clouds and pouring (warm) rain. As a former resident of the northern Alpine foothills, I am familiar with the Föhn and was astonished to find it here with such intensity on that day (I even had a slight headache in the morning). After all, the ridge is only about 800 m high, not 2–3,000 m as in the Alps.

Picture from my home:
Foehn over São Miguel.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows, in the foreground and in the shade, a foxtail or swan’s neck agave with a fully developed inflorescence. The agave’s leaves are rather short and do not prick; the inflorescence is several metres long and forms an arch rising upwards. In the background, bathed in bright sunlight, lie the green and blue waters of the Atlantic and the cliffs. The villages of Achadinha and Achada, just a few kilometres away, can be seen. A traffic sign warns that the road down to the sea has a 25% gradient.

Picture from my home:
A foxtail agave and the cliffs to the east of where I live. Some roads are steep!
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks out over an almost circular pond which, protected by a narrow, low concrete wall, borders the Atlantic. A wave is just lapping over this small wall, which also has at least one barred opening below the waterline to allow the water in the pond to circulate. Behind the pond, you look out over a bay that ends on the right at the rocky cliffs of Capelas. Further back, you can see the flat section of the north coast with its many small volcanic cones stretching as far as Ponta do Cintrão. The sky is heavily overcast.

Picture from my home:
The natural pool of Santo António - out of season
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows several mountain peaks, all of which, apart from the steepest slopes, are covered in vegetation right up to the summit. The vegetation consists mainly of grasses and heather, including tree heath (Erica azorica). On the right of the picture is a forest of Japanese cedar. It is sunny, but a band of white clouds touches some of the peaks and casts shadows on the slopes.

Picture from my home:
Looking at the southeastern peaks of São Miguel
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks down a stream filled with small, rounded rocks that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. A wave about 4–5 metres high is just breaking on the ocean side. To the right is a steep rocky cliff. To the left is a bathing area consisting of terraces, the sides of which are adorned with larger, rounded natural stones. The joints between these stones have just been freshly painted white. Not visible is the small seawater pool situated in front of the terraces. On the far left, incidentally, you can see the picnic table with the mushroom-shaped stools, a picture of which I posted a few days earlier.

Picture from my home:
The mouth of the Ribeira do Guilherme between Nordeste and Lomba da Fazenda and an Atlantic ocean wave. To the left the sun terraces of a sea water pool.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks along a tree trunk lying on the ground, covered in moss, into a lush deciduous forest on a hillside. Moss-covered rocks, leaves and branches cover the ground. The entire scene is bathed in a greenish-yellow light.

Picture from my home:
Down in the forest around Lagoa do Congro (Conger lake).
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a table in the centre and four single-legged stools made of natural stone. The tabletop is an old millstone. The legs of the stools are painted white, as are the edge of the millstone and its centre. The whole arrangement looks like a cluster of mushrooms. The ground consists of red volcanic gravel. In the background, you can see a brick-built barbecue area with two grills, a steep rock face behind a gorge (through which the Ribeira do Guilherme stream flows), some grass and the Atlantic Ocean.

Picture from my home:
A remarkable picnic spot in Lomba da Fazenda.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a steep coastline covered in dense vegetation, mainly Erica azorica (an endemic species of tree heath). A kind of rising mist can already be seen in the distance, which is nothing more than salt spray. As the wind on São Miguel can come from any direction, this phenomenon can be observed on every side of the island.

Picture from my home:
Salt spray on the cliffs of the Parque Endémico do Pelado in Lomba da Fazenda. If you wear glasses and/or are a photographer, this can be quite a nuisance.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows the embankment of a forest track created mechanically using an excavator bucket, along which Cryptomeria japonica trees have been planted right up to the very edge. These are precisely the type of conifers that grow in the mountains of Japan and which Godzilla uproots in one of his films from the 1960s. Below the trees, you can see some eroded gullies, which makes the whole area look unstable. This very fast-growing species is deliberately planted very close together so that the trees lose their lower branches. The trees standing right at the edge – some of which may even have self-seeded – remain green almost all the way down to the base, whilst the trees further back are left with only their crowns.

Picture from my home:
Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) trees standing at the edge above a forest track next to the Lagoa do São Brás.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks down from a raised vantage point onto an elongated cliff coastline consisting of several headlands. The tops of the headlands are covered with grass, reeds, trees and bushes. Several villages (Porto Formoso, São Brás, Maia and Lombinha da Maia) can be seen. In the foreground is a pink-flowering azalea bush. The sky is partly cloudy, but obscures the highest peak of São Miguel.

Looking in eastern direction from Miradouro de Santa Íria in March.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The photograph shows an extremely rugged, seemingly crumbling, dark lava rock jutting out from a cliff face into the Atlantic Ocean. It is estimated to be 20 metres high. At the base of the rock is an opening shaped like a Gothic window. In the background, the cliff continues and a cloudy sky is visible. A bird in flight can also be seen, presumably a common rock pigeon.

Portinho das Fenais da Ajuda. Lava rock formation by the "little harbour" of Fenais da Ajuda. A popular spot among anglers.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

Wellenmodell für 20.4 W, 39.6 N (Signifikante Wellenhöhen) | Wellenmodell/ECMWF (5 Tage) Wellenmodell/ECMWF (5 Tage) - Wellenprognose für 19.03.2026, 11:00 des Parameters "Signifikante Wellenhöhen", Modellkarte mit dem Ausschnitt "20.4 W, 39.6 N"

Das ECMWF Modell berechnet Wellenhöhen bis 5 m an der Nordwestküste von Gran Canaria bis über 8 m an den Nordküsten der Azoren ...

kachelmannwetter.com/de/wellenhoe... 👈 Zeitschritte und Kartenausschnitt per Klick ändern.
/FA

#Unwetter #Azoren #Kanaren

Picture from my home:
The large waterfall in the Parque Ribeira dos Caldeirões, Achada.
#WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks down into a ravine at a restored watermill and several azalea bushes in full pink bloom. On the right, one can see the inlet for the millstone, through which water is channelled from a height of several metres onto the horizontal millwheel. At the lowest point, one can also see the river that gave the park its name.

Picture from my home:
March in the Azores. Blooming Azaleas everywhere.
Here: Parque Ribeira dos Caldeirões, Achada with its restored and moving watermill.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks down from an elevated vantage point (in this case, a bar with a terrace facing west) onto a bay and the sky shortly before sunset. The sun is behind a narrow band of clouds, bathing the sky and the ocean in enchanting colours ranging from yellow to purple. Above the band of clouds, you can see additional small clouds that are also illuminated in various shades. Slightly above the partially obscured sun, you can see the silhouette of a bat. It appears quite large because it is flying not far from the viewer.

Picture from my home:
Longingly awaiting summer scenes like that, again: sunset in Achadinha with a flying bat.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

Trees of different species surround a pond, over which a tree trunk lies across.

Picture from my home:
Terra Nostra park in Furnas
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The image shows a rocky outcrop about 30-40 metres high jutting out into the ocean, on top of which stands a red and white striped beacon. Towards the viewer, two caves can be seen in the volcanic rock, their shape reminiscent of gigantic Gothic windows. They are estimated to be 15 metres high. A wave about 4 metres high is breaking on the open blue sea. The area near the cliff is covered in white foam. The sun is shining brightly, but parts of the rocky outcrop are already in shadow.

Picture from my home:
Ponta da Ajuda. #Stunday
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer stands at the bottom of a narrow gorge and looks towards a rock face. This is covered with Pittosporum undulatum trees (sweet pittosporum), which make use of every natural crevice. In the foreground is a split boulder from which a tree grows. Or did the tree split the boulder?

Picture from my home:
A stubbornly invasive tree species: Pittosporum undulatum. Picture was taken in the parish of Ginetes.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer stands at the end of the Caminho Rural da Ribeirinha in Achadinha, looking out from this gap in the cliffs towards the Atlantic Ocean in a north-westerly direction. A small section of the rugged, rocky but nevertheless vegetated cliffs further west, including Ponta da Ajuda, can be seen. The sky above the sea is blue, while a few white clouds float above the island. The sea shows only shallow waves.

Picture from my home:
Close to the edge, down by the corner.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer looks upwards along a narrow, stony stream bed in the middle of a forest. In two places, the water moving between the rocks is visible in the form of small waterfalls.

Picture from my home:
Looking up a stream in Grená park
#WaterfallWednesday #Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The image shows a slightly rugged plateau whose shape clearly reveals its volcanic origin. It is covered with hardy grasses and small shrubs. In the background are some higher elevations and a band of clouds that clusters around Pico da Barrosa (949 m) about 1 km away – and, incidentally, caused thick fog and pouring rain on the plateau less than an hour after this photo was taken.

Picture from my home:
In the mid-island highlands (about 850 m above sea level). A barren, rugged landscape that is shrouded in clouds most time of the year.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a steep wall, almost smooth except for one broken-out section, made of almost black, compressed volcanic ash, which is covered in grass and moss in some places and also has many brick-red, roundish spots that almost look like scabs. In the lower part, a piece of the smooth wall has probably been broken off by a landslide, revealing a conglomerate that is rich in iron (and therefore red). Above the area described are trees, below is a meadow.

Picture from my home:
The strange colours of the Pico do carvão (coal peak).
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a series of steps leading upwards along a hiking trail. To the left and right are trees and pink azalea bushes in bloom. At the end of the steps is an opening, behind which a steep rock face can be seen. The sun shines through this opening, illuminating the steps.

Picture from my home:
The last steps on the trail to approach the waterfall Salto da Farinha. It's March (blooming Azaleas)
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The viewer sees three cows and a small part of a typical village in the Azores, specifically on the island of São Miguel. A Catholic church, whose architectural style is very similar to almost all other churches on the island (whiewashed walls, volcanic stone frames, red roof and an open bell tower), a music pavilion, houses built of natural stone with red roof tiles, houses with white plastered walls, small gardens, hills, pastures, hedges and fields. The house where I live is not visible in the picture.

Picture from my home:
The lower part of Lomba de São Pedro in late February. Yes, it's calm and relaxed - that's exactly why I live there.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows the base of a gnarled tree stump completely covered in moss. Standing on it is a Norwegian troll doll.

Picture from my home:
A tiny Norwegian troll in the middle of a moss-covered tree stump near Lagoa de São Brás.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a green strip in the foreground on the left, consisting entirely of African daisies (Osteospermum), many of which are in bloom at this time of year. Most of the flowers are purple, but there are also some white ones in between. Behind them are some of the rugged cliffs of Maia, which are made of black lava rock. Behind them are the central and western parts of the north coast of São Miguel and the village of Porto Formoso. The Atlantic Ocean has little swell but a rough surface, suggesting a fresh wind. It is currently low tide.

Picture from my home:
A typical winter scene in the Azores: blooming African daisies on the cliffs of Maia.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a typical fishing port cargo crane in the upper third, which consists practically only of a jib on a post. It is painted turquoise and marked ‘16t’. Six seagulls are perched on the jib across its entire width. In the background, white clouds can be seen gathering below the jib. Above them is blue sky.

Picture from my home:
Six seagulls perch on top of a harbour crane in Vila Franca do Campo.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography

The picture shows a mountain path in a forest full of Japanese cedars. One of these trees has broken at a height of about one metre. The upper part of the tree is hanging across the path. The hiking trail follows a water pipe that carries drinking water from Lagoa do Fogo to the villages further down on the south side of the island. Unlike the north coast, large parts of the south coast have no streams that could be used for drinking water supply.

Picture from my home:
On the hiking trail Rota de Água: Remédios - Água de Pau. South coast São Miguel.
#Açores #Azores #Azoren #SãoMiguel #photography #landscape #landscapephotography