Thursday, March 13, 2008

The Azores archipelago - Azores - Açores

Situated on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, in the middle of the deep blue Atlantic Ocean, lie the nine islands which form the Azorean archipelago. In the 15th century, the early Portuguese pioneers accidentally discovered the Azores in their search for the “Promised Land”. They had sailed over 1500 km from the port of Lisbon when they mistakenly took Buzzards for Hawks hovering over the Atlantic Ocean. Translated to Portuguese, Hawk means ‘Açores’, which became the name of the newly discovered land.

From the depths of the ocean, the Azores rise far above sea level. These incredible islands are surrounded by a mystical haze, which encloses their astonishing mountain landscapes, peaceful valleys, wide variety of exotic and endemic plants and its magical volcanic craters and lakes.

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Açores - Azores - São Miguel - Furnas

Açores - Azores - São Miguel - Furnas , originally uploaded by Luis Miguens .