What’s a proper Azores adventure without a little last-minute chaos?
On the day of our flight out of São Miguel, we decided to squeeze in one more stop: The Gorreana Tea Factory. You know, because nothing says “responsible traveler” like cramming an entire tea plantation visit into what should have been airport check-in time.
Spoiler alert: worth it.
Gorreana is Europe’s oldest (and only!) tea plantation, and walking into it felt like stepping back in time. Inside, we got to soak up the fascinating steps of tea-making, from leaves to brew. The best part? A group of women sitting around a table, hand-bagging the tea with a speed and rhythm that could only come from generations of practice. I was in awe. Mostly because I can’t even pack a suitcase that quickly. J/K I totally can.
Naturally, we couldn’t resist sampling the goods. Complimentary carafes of freshly brewed tea sat waiting, like a warm hug for the soul (and, frankly, a caffeine boost for the travel panic setting in). We sipped, we marveled, we plotted how to fit just one more box of tea into our already overstuffed carry-ons.
The plantation itself stretched out into the horizon, endless rows of green, undulating like waves. You could spend hours walking through it – could being the operative word, since we had a plane to catch. So we admired it from a distance, snapped a few mental pictures, and booked it back to the car.
Quick visit? Yes.
Memorable? Absolutely.
Would recommend carving out just a little more time for it if you can. But hey, if you only have a sip’s worth of time, Cha Gorreana (that’s how they refer to it) makes every second (and every cup) count.
