While everyone is shoulder-to-shoulder in Positano or clutching their crossbody in Barcelona, I’m out in the middle of the Atlantic—on São Miguel in the Azores—wondering how this place is still such a secret. In this vlog I start in Ponta Delgada (including my new favorite bar, Resvés Street Bar), grab an unexpectedly amazing meal at a Greek spot that saved our late start, and then hit the road to see the Blue and Green Lakes. The drive alone is unreal, and when you reach the “dream roads,” it’s the kind of scenery that makes you go quiet because your brain can’t keep up. I also explore the abandoned Monte Palace Hotel—creepy, fun, and completely worth it for the rooftop views—then slow things down with the hot springs and gardens at Parque Terra Nostra in Furnas. One of my favorite experiences of the entire trip was a meal at A Doña (this little hotel/villa/resort situation) with Chef Pete Luckett and Chef Ludo—fresh, exquisite, and genuinely one of the best meals of my life. I end with a hidden beach I’m keeping off YouTube (Substack only), plus the Gin Library—2,000+ bottles, a gin trade program, and a workshop that literally changed how I make a gin and tonic. My biggest takeaway: São Miguel feels gentle, rejuvenating, and magical—like being brought back to life instead of herded through an overcrowded hotspot.