The island of São Miguel, part of Portugal’s Azores archipelago, is the only place in Europe where pineapples are grown commerically.
Azorean pineapple’s origin story
Back in the day, São Miguel became very wealthy growing and selling oranges. Citrus was an extremely profitable crop, and traders took advantage of the demand for oranges in England. Then, in 1842 an insect called the colchanero hopped on a boat from Brazil and landed in São Miguel. This pest decimated the orange trees on the island.
Looking for a new cash crop, growers turned to the pineapple, which, up until that point, was only grown as an ornamental plant.
Due to the climate on the Azores, pineapples are grown in greenhouses, where they take 2-3 years to fully mature.
Azorean pineapples are smaller with a more compact crown than pineapples grown in Central and South America. They are sweet with far less acidity than the ones you might be used to. Another interesting thing about pineapples from the Azores is that they don’t have to be cored, the core is tender and edible.
These unique pineapples are also more expensive than the standard ones you find in the grocery store.
Visiting a pineapple farm
There are several pineapple farms on São Miguel. A few are open to the public. My favorite is Plantação de Ananás dos Açores, which is within the city limits of Ponta Delgada, about 1 mile from downtown. They have several greenhouses where pineapples are in various stages of growth and there’s often one or two hothouses open, so you can walk inside.
The highlight is the little cafe where you can sample the scrumptious pineapple and all kinds of pineapple products. There’s pineapple sorbet and pineapple Caipirinha. You can even get a pastel de nata made with pineapple!
And, if that’s not enough pineapple, there’s a little store with pineapples for sale along with pineapple beer, jam, pepper sauce, and liqueur.
Other places to buy Azorean pineapples
Every city in Portugal has a market of some kind. Some are weekly pop ups, others are daily covered markets.
In Ponta Delgada, there’s a great market called Mercado da Graça. Currently undergoing a renovation, the market is temporarily housed in an underground parking lot below where the permanent market will eventually be located.
Several vendors sell pineapples grown locally. There are more expensive than pineapples grown in Central and South America, but are definitely worth it. I’ve never tasted a more delicious pineapple in my life! Even when we lived in Hawaii, where they grow excellent pineapples, the ones in the Azores are better!
Getting to the Azores
São Miguel is about a 5 1/2 hour flight from Boston and 2 1/2 hours from Lisbon. Ponta Delgada is about 3 miles from the airport.
If you’re planning to see more of São Miguel besides Ponta Delgada, you’ll want to get a rental car. While there is public transit in the city (and it’s compact size makes it walkable), bus service outside Ponta Delgada is spotty, at best.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird. He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
