Things to do at Gorreana Tea Plantation

Gorreana sits on the north coast of São Miguel, on the stretch of road between Ribeira Grande and Maia, and it is Europe's oldest working tea plantation, founded in 1883.

Entry to the factory and the tasting room is free, and most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour on site: a short self-guided walk past the drying and rolling machinery, a look at the packing line when it is running on weekdays, and a tasting counter pouring the estate's black and green teas.

The rows of tea bushes run down toward the Atlantic behind the buildings, and that view is the main reason to time a visit for a clear morning rather than midday, when coach groups tend to arrive.