Ponta Delgada, Portugal

We were onboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines 'Epic' on a repositioning cruise from Port Canaveral, FL to Barcelona with various stops along the way - the first stop being Ponta Delgada.
Ponta Delgada is 3,198 sea miles from Port Canaveral and 914 sea miles southwest of Portugal and it is the largest municipality (concelho) and economic capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the Azores archipelago. The island has been populated since 1444 and Ponta Delgada was started in the year 1450.

Ponta Delgada Quick History Lesson: In 1427, São Miguel became the second of the islands discovered by Gonçalo Velho Cabral to be settled by colonists from continental Portugal. This date is uncertain, and it is believed that the island was discovered between 1426 and 1437 and inscribed in portolans from the middle of the 15th century. Its discovery was later recorded by Father Gaspar Frutuoso in the seminal history of the Azores.

The first capital of the island was Vila Franca do Campo, which was devastated by the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake and landslides. The tragedy helped to elevate Ponta Delgada to the administrative and economic status of capital and business centre from 1546.

Ponta Delgada is the largest city and administrative capital of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is situated on the southern coast of São Miguel Island, the largest island in the Azores archipelago. Ponta Delgada lies approximately 900 miles (1,450 km) west of mainland Portugal and about 2,400 miles (3,900 km) east of North America. Known for its picturesque coastline, volcanic landscapes, and historic architecture, the city serves as the main gateway to the Azores and is an important cultural and economic hub in the region.

This was the first Norwegian Epic cruise port stop since it departed Florida.

• São Miguel is the largest of a total of nine islands that make up the Azorean archipelago.
• It Has a Unique Black-and-White Cityscape - The city's architecture is famous for its contrast of black volcanic stone and whitewashed buildings, giving it a distinct and picturesque look. The Portas da Cidade (City Gates) is a prime example of this style.
• São Miguel is the only place in the world where pineapples are grown in greenhouses.
• São Miguel is home to the only tea plantation in Europe.
• There are web cams dotted around the island
• You’ll find some incredible street art in Ponta Delgada.
• It Has One of the Oldest Botanical Gardens in Portugal - The Jardim António Borges, founded in the 19th century, is one of Portugal’s oldest botanical gardens. It features rare tropical plants, hidden grottos, and winding pathways, making it a peaceful retreat in the heart of the city.
• Google Search Results list of the most popular Restaurants in Ponta Delgada.
• Google Search Results list of the most popular Hotels in Ponta Delgada.
• The Azores Were a Secret WWII Base - During World War II, the Allies used Ponta Delgada as a strategic base for monitoring U-boat activity in the Atlantic. Although Portugal was officially neutral, the Azores played a crucial role in the war effort.
• The City is Named After a Religious Vision - The name "Ponta Delgada" means "Slender Point" in Portuguese. According to legend, early settlers saw a bright light (delgada luz) on the shore, which was interpreted as a divine sign, leading to the city’s founding.

The ship's scheduled arrival was 12:00PM and the assigned docking location was alongside the Molhe do Porto. This entire pier is also occupied by a series of shops, bars and restaurants so it was an interesting stroll into the city. No need for a taxi here, the walking distance into town was brief, the weather was nice, and it was great to be ashore after 7 days at sea!

As an ex-Navy sailor & a boat owner for many years, I was repeatedly impressed with the manner in which the Norwegian Epic was manuevered by the ship's Captain, let me explain; If you look at a map of the harbor you will be able to see that the harbor, although compact, has a long combined dock & breakwater named "Molhe do Porto", which is where the Norwegian Epic was going to tie up. Now because this is a compact harbor, without sufficient room for the Epic to turn around for departure (ie; no "turning basin"), the Captain/Pilot backed the ship into it's berth along the dock. This is technically interesting, but once I read that the Norwegian Epic has bow & stern thrusters I knew that docking would not be difficult. The ship was brought into the vicinity of the Molhe, the bow was swung about, and the ship was then backed into it's berth easily without any tug boats being required.

Now to put the above into perspective and to further explain why I found our docking so interesting, the Norwegian Epic size; 1,081 feet in length, 133 feet in width, over 155,000 tons & over 200 feet in height (keel to top). And yet the ship was maneuvered next to the dock without a pause!

The above pictures may give you some idea of the shops and bars on the Molhe do Porto. All we had to do to walk into town from the ship, was to walk past the shops and exit onto the city street that parallels the harbor.

As you can see in the third image above, all of the cruise ships would "back into" their docking locations because there is no "turning basin" in this harbor to allow them to turn around. So having the bow aimed at the departure direction allows them a simpler/faster exit.

Ponta Delgada is a small city and therefore easily walkable. We had no specific destination in mind, so we decided just to explore and try to find some interesting places and maybe some pastel de natas,

The street that paralled the harbor had a series of shops, restaurants and various other businesses and some of the sidewalks and streets had a nicely artistic appearance due to the manner in which the tiles were laid out.

The Palm Terrace Café in Ponta Delgada is a charming restaurant that is part of the Hotel Talisman, which sits adjacent to the café. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, both the hotel and the restaurant enjoy a prime spot next to the picturesque Jardim Padre Sena Freitas, a beautifully maintained garden that adds a serene backdrop to your dining experience.

The restaurant is known for its blend of traditional Azorean flavors and contemporary cuisine, featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Its convenient location near key attractions in Ponta Delgada makes it a popular choice for both locals and tourists looking for a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal or coffee break.

On our stroll back in the direction of the harbor, we came across the Campo de São Francisco. This large square had several large trees ("metrosiderus tomentosa" originally from Australia) that looked like banyan trees. The trees had "support poles" holding up the enormous tree limbs that spread out over the area around the tree. The square was surrounded by several interesting buildings, including a pretty church named Santuário do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres.

The Fort is located just to the south of the Campo de São Francisco square, and since it looked interesting, it became our next exploration goal. The Fort is now a combination of a museum as well as the original fortress itself, and it has a commanding view of the harbor. Considering that the Fort was originally constructed in 1560, it is in very good condition.

Visitors to Fort São Brás in Ponta Delgada, Azores, will step back into a significant part of Azorean history. The 16th-century fortress, originally built to defend against pirates, features thick stone walls, cannons, and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Inside, the museum offers insights into the region’s military history, showcasing artifacts, weaponry, and exhibits on the role of the Portuguese navy. The combination of historical exhibits and stunning ocean views makes this fort a fascinating and scenic destination.

 Quick History Lesson 

The Fort São Brás is a polygonal base construction, designed by the Italian Tommaso Benedetti, with four bastions at the angles, prepared to receive pieces of artillery and low wall curtains, of great thickness. In its interior there is a square of arms and, in its around, a set of buildings of times and diverse configurations. Over the centuries, it has been altered with new additions and transformations. The fort was constructed in the sixteenth century with the purpose of protecting Ponta Delgada from pirates.

The analysis of the work of the seventeenth-century chronicler Gaspar Frutuoso who described in detail the most remarkable things on the island and reported the different incursions of privateers until then, circa 1586-1590, indicates only a lookout on the Fort site: "(...) guarded the hermitage of Our Lady of Conception, which is on the port (...)". Other warnings came from the lookouts then also in the Figueiral and Marvão.

When English privateers attacked in 1589 the High Rock was already possibly strapped with some cots and hawks, throwing stones as projectiles: "(...) declined Captain Bras Soares de Sousa from where the artillery is below the port (...). In this way, it is accepted that the primitive construction of the fort dates back to the beginning of the seventeenth century, or more probably to the second half of the same century, when the Captain-Major João Falcão de Sousa, 10th captain of the granary of Santa Maria (1654-1657), he held the position of Superintendent of the Fortification Works of the island.

 The above info came from Wikipedia

The fort's role has now become a combined military museum and place of interest for tourists. As Portugal has had a series of military adventures in their prior colonies, the museum contains artifacts & images from those adventures.

The ship required all passengers to be back onboard prior to 7:30PM, so we decided to head back to the ship at approximately 6:15pm and find out what was on the menu for dinner! This would allow us to be at the dinner table during the ship's departure, which provides you with a view of the harbor as the cruise ship heads out to sea.

You can see that there were quite a few cruise ships in port that day, but that did not result in crowded conditions ashore. The city is relatively small & very walkable.

• Just Traveling Thru European Travel Tips
• Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
• Ponta Delgada History on the "All About Portugal" site
• History of the Azores
• A Travel Guide to Ponta Delgada, Azores on the 'Boston Magazine' Site
• What to see in Ponta Delgada on 'Adventurous Travels' Site
• Top Things to do and see in Ponta Delgada on the "Crazy Tourist" site
• 9 Top Tourist Attractions in Ponta Delgada on 'Planetware' Site
• Google Search Results list for "Ponta Delgada Restaurants"
• Google Search Results list for "accommodations in Ponta Delgada"
• Ponta Delgada Tours from the "Get Your Guide" site
• Youtube Search Results list for "Ponta Delgada Portugal"
• Amazon Search Results list for "Ponta Delgada Portugal"
• Visit our Youtube Channel
• Our Image Gallery for Ponta Delgada
• Wikipedia Article for Ponta Delgada
• Google Image Gallery for Ponta Delgada
• Google Reviews for Ponta Delgada, Portugal
• The creation of some portions of this page's narrative text were assisted by OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model].

You should be aware that Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) varies where their ships go, as well as what ships they will reposition. To determine where NCL is sending what ships, you should visit their website. Our list of ports below, is based upon what the "Epic" did when we were onboard in 2019.