Lugar da Praia

What a nice discovery! 

One is easily seduced by this peaceful village off the beaten track, nestled high up in the green hills, where not many tourists venture.

Quiet houses painted in pastel colors stand close to one another and are surrounded by high, unstable rock walls, some sections of which have already collapsed. But Lugar da Praia's inhabitants are not afraid: their attachment to their small piece of land is stronger than anything. Our guide took me and my husband there to show us where his mother grew up, to ask Jaime to open and show us around the small hydroelectric power station transformed into a museum - which he did with great pride - and to take us to the waterfall way up a steep and uneasy path (Cascata do Segredo).

Opting out of this last part of the visit because of the intense heat, I waited for our guide and my husband sitting on a wall, next to the twittering and refreshing spring water fountain. There I had the incredible opportunity to access the privacy of a Portuguese home, when a lady invited me to take shelter from the sun in her house. A great human experience!

We returned to Lugar de Praia on our second trip to São Miguel, rediscovering with great pleasure the quaint little village and meeting again with Jaime and the kind lady.

Martine Racette

Gatineau (Québec) Canada

August 2019