Stretching 62km long and 15km wide, Sao Miguel is the largest island in the Azores. The northern part of the island has fewer attractions, but with a car, it's only a short drive from Ponta Delgada to explore.
Did you know the Azores has its own tea plantation? Founded in 1883, Gorreana is the oldest tea factory in Europe that is still operating. Thanks to a mild, frost-free, and rainy climate as well as volcanic soils, green and black tea can be produced here.
How tea reached the Azores is a matter of debate. One story says a Portuguese commander brought it from Brazil, while another said it came from 2 Chinese men who visited in 1878. Tea became a popular commodity here with 62 plantations at the boom's height, with this plantation still family-owned and producing 30-40 tons a year.
Visitors are welcome to roam around most of the terraced tea fields freely, which reminded me more of Asia than Portugal.
Do venture inside the building across the street to see their factory equipment. During the harvest, the shoots of the tea plant are gathered when it has 3 leaves, then they are sent to the factory to produce black or green tea.
A lot of the production is still done by hand today. I also picked up a bag of green tea at the shop, which is very reasonably priced although it tasted fairly grassy compared to their Asian counterparts.
