Gorreana Tea Factory | A Fantastic Place to Visit on São Miguel Azores
One of the highlights of São Miguel Island Azores is a visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory (Chá Gorreana). It was founded in 1883 and today remains the oldest tea factory in Europe that is still producing delicious black and green teas. The teas from Gorreana are 100 % organic and no chemicals or pesticides are used in the cultivation process.
While a visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory is worthwhile and educational, a bonus is the two hiking trails that begin right from the parking lot of Chá Gorreana.
Here’s how to make the most of a visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory on the island of São Miguel Azores.
Table of Contents
- How to Visit the Gorreana Tea Factory Independently
- Gorreana Tea Factory Tours
- Awesome Things to Do at the Gorreana Tea Factory
- More Tea Factories on São Miguel Island
- Conclusion | Don’t Miss a Visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory
How to Visit the Gorreana Tea Factory Without a Tour
The Gorreana Tea Factory is a highlight of São Miguel. Chá Gorreana can be visited by car, public transit, or as part of a guided tour. To see all the highlights of Gorreana it’s worth visiting independently. It’s also super easy to visit by car and by bus.
By Car
The biggest city on São Miguel island is Ponta Delgada, which is also home to a large port, the airport, and numerous tourist agencies. Most visitors will stay in Ponta Delgada and rent a car to explore the island. However, with a car, it’s easy to stay anywhere in São Miguel.
The easiest way to visit Chá Gorreana is by car. The tea factory is located on the north of the island and about a 15-minute drive west of Ribeira Grande. Onsite is a large free parking lot.
By Public Transportation
São Miguel island can be explored with ease via public transportation. Three main bus companies provide occasional service to three different areas of the island.
If utilizing the buses, get an updated bus schedule from the Ponta Delgada Tourist Information Center. Google Maps can verify buses and double-check with this São Miguel bus site.
To reach the Gorreana Tea Factory, hop on a bus in the direction of Maia. The buses to Maia are run by the bus company CPR. Tell the bus driver you want to visit Gorreana and hop off at the bus stop here.
It’s about a 15-minute walk from the bus station to Gorreana. Make sure to follow the road to the backside of the factory to avoid walking on the busy EN1-1A road.
Another alternative is to hop on a frequent bus from Ponta Delgada to Ribeira Grande. In Ribeira Grande, wait for a bus in the direction of Maia.
🚌 Buses Ponta Delgada – Ribeira Grande | CPR Bus Company | Buses depart from here in Ponta Delgada, sea side of the street | Average Fare: €2.80 | Duration: 45 minutes
I had a few hours until the bus arrived in Ribeira Grande, so I opted to hike the Salto do Cabrito trail before visiting the Gorreana Tea Factory.
Gorreana Tea Factory Tours
If you don’t feel comfortable using public transportation or don’t want to rent a car, there are numerous tours that include a visit to Chá Gorreana.
➜ Half-day Gorreana – Pedestrian Walk and Tea Tasting allows for time to visit the factory and walk the tea fields
➜ Many tours include a stop at the tea plantation like this highly-rated Azores: Shore Excursion Furnas – Crater volcano and hot springs
➜ Short on time? All of the highlights of São Miguel can be seen on this Grand Circle of the Island – All the Island in a Day with Carlos
Things to Do at the Gorreana Tea Factory
All of the highlights of the Gorreana Tea Factory can be seen in around 3 hours. I was able to enjoy a Gorreana Tea Factory tour, sample the teas at the cafe, and hike both of the trails with ease during my three-hour visit.
Rain or shine, the Gorreana Tea Factory is worth a visit.
1 | Take a Gorreana Tea Factory Tour
The Gorreana Tea Factory feels kind of timeless. The factory has been producing tea on the Azores islands since 1883 and walking through the factory, not much has seemed to have changed.
Tours of Châ Gorreana are free and can be done independently or with a guide. The guides are extremely friendly and speak multiple languages, including English. If opting to use a guide, it is highly encouraged to leave a tip in the tip jar.
It’s also possible to explore the tea factory on your own terms. On the main desk, find informative pamphlets that provide the background to Europe’s oldest continuously running tea plantation.
If you’re lucky you may catch a glimpse into the manufacturing process. On my visit, all of the machinery was up and running. The tea factory was using the machinery to dry tea leaves, so the whole room was warm and smelled like heaven. This was a welcomed surprise after walking in the rain.
Besides observing the machinery of the manufacturing process, there is a small museum with old tools and items. Another highlight is watching the workers hand-stuff the tea bags.
Fábrica de Chá Gorreana | Find it Here: Plantações de Chá Gorreana Maia | General Admission: Free, but tips are encouraged for guided tours | Hours: Mon – Fri: 8:00 – 18:00 / Sat & Sun: 9:00 – 18:00 | Official Website
Quick History of the Gorreana Tea Factory
The tea on the Azores islands was probably brought over from Brazil in the early 19th century. By 1848, the seeds had been planted by a few families on the island, but there was a major lack of experience or even a general understanding of how to care for these very “foreign” plants.
Many of the crops failed, so the island brought over a Chinese Tea master, Lau-a-Pan, and his interpreter. They came to assist and teach the locals how to care for the seeds and it worked!
After this, the tea was able to grow. The unique volcanic soils and humid climate provides ample conditions for the tea to flourish. The climate also deters pests that destroy crops, so the tea here is 100% natural.
Today, Chá Gorreana produces nearly 40 tons of tea a year! These teas are of green and black varietals that are derived from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Harvesting of the tea leaves is typically from April to October.
2 | Walk Through the Tea Fields | Chá Gorreana Route
Across the street from the Gorreana Tea Factory are some of the company’s tea plantations. This is an awesome opportunity to walk along the fields of the hedges of the Camellia Sinensis shrubs.
The Chá Gorreana trail is one of the officially registered hiking trails on São Miguel island. The official route is marked with red and yellow trail markers as the PRC 28 SMI. The trail is a loop trail that starts across the street from the Chá Gorreana factory.
The trail loops around the tea plantation. Be mindful that the entire route does not follow directly along the shrubs of the Camellia Sinensis plants. While the loop hiking trail is well-marked if short on time it’s easy to just stroll through the plantation at your own leisure.
The Loop Trail of Chá Gorreana
To complete the loop trail of Chá Gorreana head in the direction of the tea plantations. The signboard indicates to take a left and follow the small footpath. The main dirt road is straight, which is great to walk if short on time.
The beginning section of the trail follows along the shrubs and provides excellent views of the tea fields. The entire trail is on earth paths. This was my first time visiting a tea plantation and it felt kind of otherworldly, especially to find them in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The trail will ascend a bit and head towards a tree-shaded forest. With the ascent, be rewarded with stunning views of the Gorreana Tea Factory and the ocean on a clear day.
The loop will eventually descend and return to the opposite side of the tea fields. The descent is fairly steep, but there is a wooden handrail that can assist hikers on the way down.
🥾 Chá Gorreana Tea Trail | PRC 28 SMI | Distance: 3.4 Km (2.1 Miles) | Duration: +/- 1 hour | Here’s my Wikiloc Trail for Chá Gorreana
3 | Discover the Caminho da Água da Gorreana Trail
There are not one, but two hiking trails at the Gorreana Tea Factory! In fact, I chose the Gorreana Tea Factory over the nearby Chá Porto Formoso for this very reason. Both of the hiking trails at Chá Gorreana did not disappoint.
The Caminho da Água da Gorreana trail is short but sweet. The trail is not part of the organized Azores Island hiking trails, but rather, run by the Ribeira Grande Municipal.
Ribeira Grande boasts seven local trails. The Trilho Municipal trail of Caminho da Água da Gorreana is officially marked as the Trilho Municipal 05 (TM05).
This out-and-back trail starts right in the parking lot of the tea factory before crossing the road to the tea plantation. The trail highlights the complex process of cultivation of the Camelia Sinensis plants.
What’s great about this trail and so many people skip over it. No tours at this time seem to walk the Caminho da Água trail, so it’s pretty quiet.
It’s easy to see the importance of water for the Gorreana Tea Factory. Each highlight is built along the Gorreana Stream and shows how the water from the Cidreira Waterfall helped strategically place the factory.
Highlights of the trail include the water holding tank, an old Roman arch bridge, the ruins of an old stone water mill, and of course, the waterfall of Cidreira (Salto do Cidreira).
🥾 Trilho Caminho da Água da Gorreana | TR 05 Ribeira Grande Municipal Trail | Distance: 1.7 Km round-trip (A little over 1 Mile) | Duration: +/- 40 minutes | Here’s my Wikiloc Trail for Trilho Caminho da Água da Gorreana
4 | Enjoy a Cup of Tea at the Tasting Room
Don’t leave the Gorreana Tea Factory without stopping in at the cafe. Here it’s possible to enjoy free tea samples of tea fresh from the factory. Each day, different teas are offered in an open and bright cafe. The best seats in the cafe are out on the covered outdoor terrace.
The Gorreana Tea Factory specializes in green and black teas. Samples include black teas of Moinha, Broken Leaf, and both Pekoe and Orange Pekoe. Green teas include the Hysson and Encosta de Bruma. Some are infused or blended with different herbs and fruits. I found the teas to be super light and aromatic, with my favorite being a special green tea Hysson blend with anise and English Key Lime.
The cafe also sells scones, cookies, and sweet treats. Many of the pastries are inspired by tea and include it as one of the main ingredients. They are all delicious, so it’s hard to choose just one.
The cafe also has a gift shop to buy tea bags, loose-leaf tea, and other souvenirs. At the entrance of the cafe, find nice and clean bathrooms.
5 | Visit the Colorful Nearby Village of Maia
After visiting the Gorreana Tea Factory, it’s super easy to stop by the seaside village of Maia. Some of the highlights of Maia include the Maia Tabaco Museum.
Museu do Tabaco da Maia | Find it Here: Estrada de S. Pedro, Maia, Portugal | General Admission: €3.50 | Hours: Mon – Fri: 9:30 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 16:30
The cliffside promenade walk in Maia follows along a sidewalk and provides many viewpoints. The colorful homes facing the north of the sea are truly wonderful.
Maia is also home to some of the most beautiful natural pools in all of São Miguel island. However, these pools are found at the end of a steep staircase. The Maia pools can be unsafe, due to the tides and how fast the weather can change. Always respect local ordinances if the natural rock pools of Maia temporarily close.
Maia can be reached on foot from the Tea Factory of Gorreana. It’s a casual downhill stroll that takes about 30 minutes. Those taking the bus can catch a bus back to Ponta Delgada at the bus stop across from the police station and in front of the school here.
➜ Places to Stay Near Maia Village
More Tea Factories on São Miguel Island
There are two tea factories on the island of São Miguel Azores. While the Gorreana Tea Factory is the oldest and continuously running tea plantation on the island, the Porto Formoso Tea Factory is just down the road.
The Porto Formoso Tea Factory was in operation from the 1920s to the 1980s. The factory temporarily shut down but was reopened in 2001 with the intent to restore the tea heritage in the Azores.
The Porto Formoso Tea Factory is also free to visit. The free tour shows an informative video about the tea manufacturing process and is accompanied by free samples. There is also a nice balcony to enjoy a cup of tea that overlooks the tea fields. It is also possible to walk around the tea plantation.
Chá Porto Formoso | Find it Here: Estrada Regional Porto Formoso, Portugal | General Admission: Free | Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:00 – 18:00, but during winter hours the factory closes at 17:00
More Things to See on the Azores Islands Portugal
The Azores island archipelago is an eco-friendly destination offering diverse activities for any traveler. Each island has its own landscape, vibe, and highlights. Nine islands make up the archipelago of the Azores which is an autonomous region of Portugal.
São Miguel is the largest island of the Azores and boasts natural hot springs, endless hiking trails, lovely beaches, whale-watching tours, and stunning crater lakes. One of the best hikes on the island is the Salto do Prego trail which showcases two beautiful waterfalls and the lost village of Sanguinho. The hike to the Window to Hell is far from “hellish.”
Santa Maria island is maybe home to one of the best multi-day treks, the Grand Route of Santa Maria.
Pico Island is home to Portugal’s tallest mountain and a dormant stratovolcano named Pico. The island of Pico is also famous for its wine and you can walk through the UNESCO-recognized vineyards.
São Jorge Island is known for its delicious cheese and the unique land formations called fajãs. An excellent trail on the north shore connects Fajã dos Cubres and Caldeira do Santo Cristo.
Faial boasts the strenuous Ten Volcanoes hike and the beautiful village of Horta.
Conclusion | Don’t Miss a Visit to the Gorreana Tea Factory
In short, the Gorreana Tea Factory is a delightful place to visit in São Miguel Azores. The highlights of visiting include a free tour of the manufacturing plant, a walk through the tea plantations, and a short walk that showcases the cultivation process.
Of course, don’t miss a chance to sample the tea or purchase a sweet treat to accompany it.
Those travelers who really love tea will want to visit the other São Miguel tea factory of Chá Porto Formoso. Both tea plantations show the unique growing process of some of Europe’s only tea plantations.
The Gorreana Tea Factory is a must-visit destination in the Azores, even if you’re not a huge fan of tea.
Have you visited any of the tea plantations in the Azores? What did you think? Also, have you visited any other tea plantations in Europe?
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