- [Announcer] Production funding for "Outside: Beyond the Lens" provided by Visit Fresno County, home to unique attractions, California's fifth largest city, and easy access to three nearby national parks.

By Advanced Beverage Company, serving Bakersfield and Kern County for over 50 years.

By Hedrick's Chevrolet.

- We are proud to support the spirit of travel in each of us.

Every journey has a first step.

Adventures start here.

- [Announcer] By Hodges Electric Inc., over five decades of delivering innovative solutions for residential, agricultural, and battery storage systems.

By The Penstar Group, promoting opportunity and growth for the future.

By Central California's Valley Children's Healthcare, futures worth fighting for.

By A-Plus Signs, we never stop innovating for you.

And by Valley Air Conditioning and Repair, family-owned and trusted for over 50 years, proud to support public television and the wonders of travel.

(light melancholic music) - There are still places on this planet where time seems to move differently, where nature leads and people follow, and the world hasn't yet figured out how beautiful it really is.

It's easy to kind of forget how remote this place is.

Nine volcanic islands float like green gems in the blue vastness of the Atlantic, halfway between North America and Europe, remote, rugged, and unspoiled.

This is the Azores, a part of Portugal, yes, but truly a world of their own.

All right, so we are on the viewpoint right now, this is the hotspot to see the sunset right now.

John's with me.

What do you think, Jonny?

- Pretty good.

- Yeah.

For most travelers, the Azores aren't on a short list, but for those who make the journey, many with ancestral ties to these islands, what they find is a connection to land, to tradition, to the simple, powerful rhythms of island life.

(rooster crowing) Everybody is in a good mood, and one day here and you know why.

On this adventure, we explore the island of Terceira, one of the most vibrant in the Azores chain.

Very cool.

We'll hike into a hidden waterfall, tucked inside a garden of ferns, vines, and volcanic stone.

And we are in the height of tourism season right now.

And here's the parking lot.

We'll stand above emerald pastures carved into the island's interior, a patchwork of agriculture that speaks to centuries of working the land.

All right, I'll come in there with you.

We also find a remarkable place to swim where ocean tides surge into volcanic pools carved by time, and locals gather to soak in the Atlantic like it's their own backyard.

(food sizzling) And of course, the food.

- Beautiful!

- [Jeff] Rooted in the sea, bold in flavor, and steeped in history.

- Good swordfish, yeah.

- Good swordfish.

- It's really, really good.

- [Jeff] But perhaps the heart of the Azores is best revealed in its people, and we find them dancing in the streets as tradition and joy collide, in a celebration of identity that echoes through generations.

Did I mention the Azores might be the closest thing to heaven on Earth?

When you travel, the world becomes a smaller place.

When you explore with friends like mine who share a love of photography, destinations come to life.

(aircraft whooshing) (upbeat music) (laughs) We tell the stories of travel with our cameras, capturing the wonders of this world in every frame.

Day one of filming on the island and it's like crazy.

But on every trip, the unplanned moments we film are the ones we remember the most.

Jordan, good to meet you, brother.

- Good to meet you too, man.

- [Jeff] Now, join David Boomer, Zach Allen, Jon Neely, and me, Jeff Aiello, as we set out on a new journey to discover the people, places, and food that all make travel life's never ending adventure.

This is "Outside: Beyond the Lens."

(upbeat music continues) (mellow, pleasant music) The Azores have been on our radar for years.

Tucked away in the middle of the Atlantic, this remote chain of volcanic islands has long been a destination we've dreamed of, not just for its landscapes, but for the people connected to them.

Back home in Central California, the roots of the Azores run deep.

Many of the Portuguese families who settled the Central Valley generations ago trace their heritage to these islands.

They're friends we've grown up with, families tied to the land, to agriculture, and to traditions that span oceans and decades.

Though technically part of Portugal, the Azores feel worlds apart, fiercely independent in their culture, shaped by isolation and resilience, and full of an island spirit that's all their own.

Getting here is not easy, especially from the west coast, but with a seasonal direct flight now offered by SATA Airlines from California straight into the island of Terceira, the timing finally felt right.

So bags are packed, cameras loaded, and with a long-held curiosity set into motion, it's time to go and see for ourselves the beauty and story of the Azores.

- It's like, I think that's our car right there.

I'm sure Jeff's in there trying to talk him into whatever other option we might have.

- I don't see any other, well... - [David] I mean, these don't look really any better.

- We're in the Skoda.

- Oh, Skoda.

- [Jon] That has a nice boot to it.

- I think we can, I think we're gonna be able to pull this off with our bag.

Touching down just after sunrise, we are eager but groggy, ready to dive into the adventure ahead.

(mellow music) Now, when traveling with heaps of camera gear and a team of larger than life guys, vehicle space is critical.

But here on Terceira, the rental options lean towards the compact.

Let's just say playing Tetris with our luggage in a car that felt more like a matchbox became our first challenge and comedy of the trip.

Insert Benny Hill music here.

Adding to the fun, most of these vehicles come with manual transmissions.

It's been a while since some of us have danced on the clutch, making the narrow, winding roads on the island a little more thrilling.

We're going directly from flight to filming.

But first food.

That's a lot of Fs.

- [Jon] A neat cafe.

- [Jeff] By 8:00 AM, with our clown car packed to the brim, we faced our next hurdle, check in at our rental isn't until three.

Jet lagged, but undeterred, we decide to make the most of our early start.

Fortunately, the airport is just a stone's throw from Praia da Vitoria, a charming coastal town known for its extensive sandy beach and inviting marina.

It seemed like the perfect spot to grab a strong espresso or three, a hardy breakfast, and perhaps a moment to recharge, before the day's explorations.

(light upbeat music) We decide to head across the island, a journey that takes just about 30 minutes to gain a panoramic perspective of Angra Do Heroismo, from an elevated vantage point, our destination, Pico Das Cruzinhas.

Translating to peak of the little crosses, Pico Das Cruzinhas is one of the four peaks crowning Monte Brasil, a prominent volcanic formation on Terceira's southern coast.

Rising to 168 meters above sea level, this viewpoint offers expansive vistas over the UNESCO World Heritage City of Angra do Heroismo.

The surrounding Monte Brasil Recreational Forest Reserve adds to the locale's allure, offering lush greenery and a serene environment.

As we ascend towards Pico Das Cruzinhas, the anticipation builds.

We're excited to see and capture the island's beauty from this iconic perch.

We've traveled to a lot of beautiful places for this show, but the Azores stop us in our tracks.

Even after only a few hours on Terceira, the island grabs ahold of our senses.

(soft music) Everything here feels vibrant.

The land is green, impossibly green, carved by stone walls that stretch for miles, dividing the hills into a patchwork of pastures and meadows.

And then there's the Atlantic wrapped around the island like a jewel, shifting in shades of deep blue and turquoise as light and clouds pass overhead.

It's a volcanic land born of fire and sea, and you feel that in every direction you look.

Steep ridges rise sharply from the coast, cliffs tumble into the ocean, ferns, pines, and lush tropical plants crowd the hillsides in layers of wild color and texture.

Geographically, the Azores sit almost perfectly in the center of the Atlantic Ocean, about 900 miles west of mainland Portugal, and nearly the same distance from the east coast of North America.

That isolation has shaped their character and their climate.

Thanks to ocean currents and latitude, the weather stays mild year round.

It's tropical in feel, but without the heat and humidity that often come with that word.

What makes this place even more unique is the contrast.

These landscapes, the volcanic peaks, the jungle light greenery, the raw coastline feel like Hawaii, but the towns, the architecture, the cobblestone streets, and red tile roofs, they whisper of Europe.

It's old-world Portugal, wrapped in the natural soul of the Pacific, and standing here, taking it all in for the first time, we realize this place isn't just beautiful, it's unlike anywhere we've ever been.

- [Jon] First couple hours, what do you think?

- Well, pretty amazing.

Just getting off a plane and right out of the gate, just getting epic shots.

Epic location.

Yeah, it's pretty promising, I would say.

This is what we get the first hour or two right off the plane, so yeah.

- [Jon] What's that drone looking like?

- Man, I'm loving it right now.

It's just about to buzz the tower, but it's really hard to get any bad shots in Azores as it turns out.

It's pretty awesome.

And our senses are all pretty much dulled and muted right now, so we're normally, we would be doing back flips, but we're just kind of like, "Yeah, it's really pretty."

It's 'cause we're just completely smoked tired right now.

- [Jon] Yeah, we've been up for over 24 hours, I think at this point.

- Yeah.

But this is what we do, man.

Especially when we come this way on the globe.

(drone buzzing) (soft, mellow music) We are lucky.

The host of our rental condo gives us an early check-in, and after unloading the car, recharging our gear and ourselves with a quick nap, we head back out.

I had a place circled on the map when I was doing my research on Terceira, and this afternoon looks like the perfect time to check it out.

A place even the locals we ran into kept mentioning as one of the best views on the island, Serra do Cume.

The drive up is almost as memorable as the view itself.

As we wind inland, the road cuts through a landscape that doesn't look real.

A patchwork of impossibly green fields, all bordered by hand-built walls of volcanic rock.

These stone lines stacked by generations of Azorian farmers divide the land like a living quilt, the kind of detail you'd miss at 30,000 feet, but up close, it tells a story of hard work, legacy, and a deep respect for this land.

This is where Terceira's agricultural heart comes into view.

Every field looks manicured, every animal, from grazing cattle to the occasional goat, seems to fit naturally into the frame.

Even the air feels different up here, cleaner, cooler, touched by the Atlantic.

As we near the Summit Ridge, the road narrows and climbs.

We pass a scattering of wind turbines spinning in rhythm with the breeze and a few aging radio towers perched near the ridge.

Then we reach it, a simple overlook platform at the top of Serra do Cume, and suddenly everything opens up.

All right, so we are on the viewpoint right now.

This is the hot spot to see the sunset right now.

Jon's with me.

What do you think, Jonny?

- Spectacular.

- Pretty cool, huh?

Let's take a look at this.

People don't wanna look at me.

They don't wanna look at this view behind us.

Isn't that great?

Beautiful patchwork of green behind me looking so awesome right now.

The view from here is almost too big to explain.

On one side, the sprawling flatlands of the island stretch out in all directions, a mosaic of green and stone.

On the other, the ocean returns to frame the scene, a constant presence in every direction.

It's here that Terceira really begins to reveal itself.

You feel the volcanic origins of the land, rugged, raw, dramatic, but layered in a lushness that feels almost tropical, and yet, we're nearly 1,000 miles from mainland Europe and just as far from North America.

It's a place that doesn't quite make sense, but in the best possible way.

Terceira feels like a world all its own.

(soft string music) After wrapping our shoot at Serra do Cume, we make our way back down the coast toward the capital city of Terceira, Angra do Heroismo, or Angra as the locals like to call it.

Evenings in places like this always hit differently.

Around the world, we've learned that when the sun goes down, a new personality emerges, and cities take on a quieter, more reflective soul.

Angra is no different.

- We're gonna go up to the big buildings.

- [Jeff] Okay.

The narrow streets glow under warm lamplight.

The stone facades soften, and there's a rhythm to it.

People out walking, lingering over dinner, taking time to live.

(people applauding) We follow a local tip to a small restaurant, tucked along one of the city's winding roads, no reservations, no pretense, just good seafood, simple service, and a sense that this place has fed generations.

After dinner, we do something we love, a little nighttime street photography.

This is where our creativity finds a different gear.

No sweeping views or drone shots, just us, the streets, and the quiet challenge of capturing real life as it unfolds, unscripted, raw, and honest.

All right, up early.

(rooster crowing) Zach Allen, Jeff Aiello.

Usually the first two up, I'm gonna say right now.

- This is why we don't wanna miss this stuff, what's going on here in this town.

- [Jeff] We got sunrise over Terceira in the Azores, and we have Zach Allen and a bunch of roosters- (rooster crowing) on the drone.

The next morning comes early.

We're staying in a small condo on the edge of Praia da Vitoria, tucked into a quiet neighborhood that wakes slowly with the light.

From our back balcony, we watch the sky turn, the rooftops catch the first golden tones of the day, their terracotta tiles glowing warm against the pale, blue morning.

(soft music) Chickens are already up, of course, scratching and crowing from small yards nearby.

Cattle graze in the distance, pastures divided by stone.

The patchwork patterns of Terceira beginning to stir with life.

There's something about mornings like this when the air is still cool, the world not yet in motion, and you get to see a place in its most honest form.

No crowds, no filters, just the slow rise of a new day on an island far from everything, but somehow feeling exactly like a place we're supposed to be.

Okay, we've arrived at one of the popular natural attractions on Terceira, and it is a waterfall hike.

It's kind of up in a neighborhood above a really pretty little village that we just drove through.

And we are in the height of tourism season right now.

And here's the parking lot.

(laughs) This is awesome.

One of the things you've been seeing too, as we've been driving around are the hydrangeas that are just going nuts everywhere right now.

And here at the parking lot, there's some hydrangeas behind me up here.

Lots of other beautiful flowers.

And the guys are ready to check out some waterfalls.

- Yeah, it's gonna be beautiful.

- [Jeff] Yeah, I can hear the creek running down below here.

Look at this.

- Get out of the sun.

- [Jeff] Yeah, it's just beautiful.

There's little waterfalls right there.

I think we just kind of walk down in there.

Check all that out.

Did I mention the Azores might be the closest thing to heaven on Earth?

As we begin our walk, it doesn't take long to realize this hike is a hidden gem nestled in the parish of Agualva on Terceira's north coast.

A short 1.2 mile loop trail leads us through the Ribeira da Agualva area, enveloped by lush vegetation and the soothing sounds of nature.

As we venture into this verdant canyon, we're surrounded by a tapestry of ferns, hydrangeas, and other flora with the gentle stream carving its path through ancient volcanic rock toward the Atlantic.

The trail, mostly elevated above the cascading waterfalls and pools below, offers ever-changing vistas that are mesmerizing.

(water rushing) Descending to the water's edge, we're rewarded with cinematic views that are a photographer's dream.

The cool shade and fragrant blooms create an immersive experience, making it easy to forget our Mid-Atlantic location.

We're at the creek's edge right now.

I can see Zach and Dave behind me filming the creek, the waterfall.

Some other visitors enjoying the waterfall up ahead.

For a short hike, the payoffs are huge on this little walk, and this just gives you another look at what the Azores can be.

It's not all rock walls and cows, and awesome sunrises and sunsets, and great food and delicious cold local beer, Super Bock.

They also have creekside trails, eucalyptus forests, just keeps rolling, man.

On we go.

(bright, pleasant music) This micro exploration exemplifies the rewards of stepping off the beaten path.

Even a brief hike like this allows us to connect deeply with Terceira's authentic landscapes, offering moments of unexpected beauty and tranquility.

(soft piano music) (soft string music) Back on the north shore of Terceira, the road winds its way past vineyards and volcanic cliffs, eventually leading to one of the island's many hidden treasures, the natural ocean pools of Quatro Ribeiras.

Tucked into a rugged black rock coastline, these tidal pools have been carefully shaped by both nature and human hands.

Concrete walkways and ladders now make it possible to slip into the Atlantic here without risking the sharpened brace of volcanic stone.

Alright, Zach, how's it feel?

- Brisk.

But it feels so good!

You gotta go for it.

- [Jeff] All right, I'll come in there with you.

- Yeah, man, you gotta get in here.

- [Jeff] Okay, I'm coming.

(soft, mellow music) The water, kissed by the open sea, is cool and bracing, startling at first, but then exhilarating.

The welcome jolt we all need right now.

We put the cameras down for a while and let the vibe of this place soak in and just float, laughed, and let the ocean do its work.

As our first full day on Terceira comes to a close, we find ourselves drawn to the sea again, not just for the breeze or the beauty, but for what lies beyond it.

From nearly every corner of this island, other islands sit on the horizon, sometimes just a faint silhouette, sometimes clear and bold in the afternoon light.

(soft, mellow music continues) They are a constant reminder that the Azores are a chain, not just of land, but of stories.

We've only scratched the surface here on Terceira, but already our lens is starting to shift focus toward an island that locals speak of in reverend tones, a place far less traveled, wilder, more rugged.

Nicknamed the Dragon Island, it's a place shaped by cliffs and legends, and it awaits quietly just across the water.

This is the song of the Azores, a place where every island has a different heartbeat, and every frame tells a story.

(soft, poignant music) (light music) - [Announcer] Production funding for "Outside: Beyond the Lens" provided by Visit Fresno County, home to unique attractions, California's fifth largest city, and easy access to three nearby national parks.

By Advanced Beverage Company, serving Bakersfield and Kern County for over 50 years.

By Hedrick's Chevrolet.

- We are proud to support the spirit of travel in each of us.

Every journey has a first step.

Adventures start here.

- [Announcer] By Hodges Electric Inc., over five decades of delivering innovative solutions for residential, agricultural, and battery storage systems.

By The Penstar Group, promoting opportunity and growth for the future.

By Central California's Valley Children's Healthcare, futures worth fighting for.

By A-Plus Signs, we never stop innovating for you.

And by Valley Air Conditioning and Repair, family-owned and trusted for over 50 years, proud to support public television and the wonders of travel.

(bright music)