Azores
Portugal City Travel Guide: The Azores
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Map Of The Azores |
The Azores
- Nine island archipeligo in the mid-Atlantic.
- 1440 km (895 miles) west of Lisbon, 3200 km (2000 miles) from
the USA.
- The archipeligo streches for 650 km (400 miles).
- Autonomous area of Portugal.
- Created from ancient volcanoes.
- Islands of stunning natural beauty.
- Pico Mountain on Pico Island is the largest in Portugal.
- Local population of 240,000 people.
The nine-island archipeligo of the Azores is
without doubt one of the most beautiful, unspoilt places on Earth. The islands
abound with emerald-green lakes, volcanic craters or caldeiras,
pleasant vineyards and historic settlements. The islands have a
temperate climate all year round with temperatures ranging from
around 11-29 degrees Centigrade.
City Guide I
Turismo I Arrival
I Accommodation
I Entertainment
I Internet Cafes
São Miguel
São Miguel is the largest of the islands of the Azores (65
km by 16km, 40 miles by 10 miles) and the most populated (pop. 140,000).
Known as the "green island", São Miguel is the center of
government and the Azores' transport hub for international and inter-island
flights.
The main town of Ponta Delgada on the south coast is beautifully
located amidst a backdrop of small volcanic cones. The town contains
several fine baroque churches including the 16th century Igreja
Matriz de São Sebastião, the 17th century São
Pedro and the 18th century São João. The
fine Palácio da Conceição houses the
present-day government buildings and is of architectural interest,
as is the baroque Casa de Carlos Bicudo with its mermaid
façade and the three arches of the city gates - Portas
da Cidade.
The Museu Carlos Machado housed in a 16th century convent
is of interest for its exhibits of the natural history, art and
ethnography of the Azores and for a great view of the city head
up to Reduto de Mãe de Deus.
Outside Ponta Delgada the interior of the island offers some wonderful
sites. To the west, the twin lakes set within the Caldeira das
Sete Cidades appear one green and the other blue. In the north,
the historical town of Ribeira Grande is full of exquisite
churches and a little out of town are the hot springs of Caldeiras
da Ribeira Grande and to the south the Lagoa da Fogo (Fire Lake) which
makes for a pleasant hike through the scenic surroundings.
Traveling east of Ponta Delgada are the small town of Lagoa
noted for its ceramics, good beaches at Prainha and Agua
d'Alto and the town of Vila Franca do Campo, the former
capital of the island with some beautiful churches and an interesting
civic museum. Just offshore is the pictureque islet of Ilheu
- ideal for swimming or a picnic.
To the northeast, past the crater lake of Lagoa das Furnas
is the village of Furnas, famous for its bubbling hot springs
and mud. A local delicacy is cozido - meat and vegetables
cooked in pots buried in the hot earth.
São Miguel is a center for whale-watching, has two good
golf courses at Ponta Delgada and Furnas and also offers scuba diving,
snorkelling and sailing and boat-hire opportunities.
São Miguel Tourist Offices
Ponta Delgada Av. Infante D. Henrique 9504-528 Tel: 296 285 743, 296 285 125
Airport: Posto de Turismo do Aeroporto de Ponta Delgada Tel: 296 284 569
Furnas Posto de Turismo das Furnas Tel: 296 584 525
Ribeira Grande Posto de Turismo da Ribeira Grande Tel. 296
472 118
Getting to + around São Miguel
There are direct flights to Porta Delgada from Lisbon
and other European cities including London (Heathrow) with TAP.
Air Azores (part of the SATA Group) flies to many European cities
including direct flights to London (Gatwick), Zurich, Munich, Frankfurt,
Madrid and many other destinations in Europe including Manchester
in the UK via Lisbon, Porto
Faro and Funchal
and has direct flights to Boston and Providence, Rhode Island in
the USA. There are also charter flights to the Azores from Canada.
All the islands of the Azores have air connections from Porta Delgada
with SATA Air Azores. Inter-island flights are run by SATA Air Azores.
Buses from Ponta Delgada connect with most towns on the island.
There is also a bus service in Ponta Delgada.
Car or taxi rental are good options for exploring the island.
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From the Airport
The Joao Paulo II Airport is 3 km west of Ponta Delgada, there
are hourly buses to the town center.
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São Miguel has some of the most varied cuisine in the Azores with a number of good local fish restaurants and international cuisine also well represented.
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Santa Maria
Santa Maria, located due south of São Miguel is only 17
km by 9 km (10 miles by 5 miles). The island is blessed with golden,
sandy beaches and is the driest and sunniest of the Azores islands.
The main town is Vila do Porto. Christopher Columbus stopped
over on his way to the Americas. Santa Maria was the first island
to be discovered (1427) and the first to be settled.
Terceira
Terceira, 29 km by 17 km (18 miles by 10 miles), takes its name
from the fact that it was the third island of the Azores chain to
be inhabited and is now the second most populated. The interior
of the island is wet and covered with heather. Nearly all settlement
is on the coast including the magnificent Angra do Heroismo
- now a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. This ex-capital of the Azores,
though damaged in the 1980 earthquake contains a number of beautiful
palaces including the Paços do Concelho (now the city
hall), churches, castles and a cathedral. June 24 sees the lively
festa of São Joaninas complete with a bull run. Bullfighting
is an important island tradition. The island also plays host to
an American Air force base.
Terceira Tourist Office
Delegacao de Turismo da Terceira
Rua Direita 70-74
9700-066 Angra do Heroismo
Tel: 295 213 393
São Jorge
The island of São Jorge - 56 km long by 8 km wide (35 miles
by 5 miles) is another jewel of the Azores and a superb hiking destination. São Jorge affords spectacular views of
the other central islands, Velas is the largest town. The island's green pastures are ideal for diary cattle and São Jorge is rightly known for its cheeses.
Sao Jorge Tourist Office
Posto de Turismo de Sao Jorge
R. Conselheiro Dr. Jose Pereira 9800 Velas
Tel: 295 412 440
Faial
Faial is dominated by the central Caldeira, a volcanic crater
over 300m (1,000 ft) in depth. The island is well-known for the
beautiful hydrangeas that scatter the island in hedgerows. The main
town and capital is Horta with numerous historic buildings and churches - its natural harbour and marina mean it has become a center for yachting. At Ponta dos Capelinhos are
dunes of dark volcanic cinders left by an undersea eruption in the
late 1950s.
Faial Tourist Office
Posto de Turismo do Faial
Rua Vasco da Gama
9900-117 Horta
Tel: 292 292 237
Faial Resort Hotel
Graciosa
As its name of "gracious" suggests, Graciosa is a pleasant island
of sloping hills and pleasant villages. Here too are remnants of
the island's volcanic past - with a volcanic sulphurous lake at
Caldeira do Enoxfre. Santa Cruz, the small capital
is known for its white-washed houses. The island produces some good
wines and brandy and the "White Island" as it is known is famous
for its rugged coastal scenery and its thriving colonies of sea
birds.
Graciosa Tourist Office
Posto de Turismo da Graciosa
9980 Santa Cruz da Graciosa
Tel: 295 712 509
Pico
Pico is dominated by the Azores' and Portugal's highest mountain,
the 2351 m (7,712 ft) Mount Pico. The fertile, forested interior
has relatively recent lava flows (mistérios), fascinating caves and grottoes and some fine vineyards sheltered by
stone walls. The island, the second largest in the archipeligo,
has a long association with whaling (Moby Dick was set in
its waters) and town of Velas has a small but interesting
whaling museum - the Museu dos Baleeiros - which organizes
whale-watching trips in the May-September season.
Pico Tourist Office
Posto de Turismo do Pico
Rua Conselheiro Terra Pinheiro
9950 Madalena
Tel: 292 623 524
Flores
With a rugged coastline the lush island of Flores, 17 km by 12
km (10 miles by 7 miles) abounds in evergreens, crater lakes and
steep mountain waterfalls. Together with Corvo, Flores forms the
western group of islands of the archipelago. The main settlements are Santa Cruz and Lajes.
Flores Tourist Office
Posto de Turismo das Flores
9580 Santa Cruz das Flores
Tel: 292 523 69
Corvo
The tiny island Corvo ('cormorant' in Portuguese) is only
6 km by 3 km (4 miles by 2 miles) and is reached by daily boat from
nearby Flores. With around 300 inhabitants in the solitary village
of Vila Nova, the island is a haven of tranquillity and a
center for bird-watching in its crater lakes.
The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22C and 26C.
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Azores
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