Tropical foliage - Azores - Açores

In the early days, the conquistadors and other colonisers brought in many tropical plants for consumptive use from the tropical colonies overseas. Due to the volcanic fertile soils, many imported plants and fruits adapted quickly to their new environment. These days, you can find pineapples, lemons, oranges, passion fruits, bananas, tangerines, tea, tobacco and sweet potatoes in the fruit orchards close to the villages. The Yam or Taro plant originates in Southern Asia, and is used in many local dishes. Don’t try to eat it uncooked, the chemical components can cause severe injures to the throat, stomach and intestines.

Endemic flora - Azores - Açores

Sixty-eight species of plants are endemic to the Azores, almost 8% of all species present. Endemic species are species that live in a limited geographical area. They evolved allopathically, which means that they have been geographically isolated for a period of time long enough to evolve into a new species. From these species new subspecies have evolved scattered over the different islands.

Flora - Azores - Açores

The vegetation of the Azores is for a significant part determined by the Atlantic climate. Because the Azores are part of the Atlantic climate system (mild winters and relatively cool summers with heavy rains scattered throughout the year), the vegetation has a constant supply of water and consequently has an elongated growing season. Plants flower all year round and there is no true resting period in the annual cycle of the vegetation. The Azorean flora is not only characterised by the usual Atlantic plant species, but also by Mediterranean, tropical and a wide range of cosmopolitan species.

Many plant species occurring on the islands are exotic and were introduced by the early colonisers as food resources. They thrive well in the warm and humid climate and were able to spread quickly in the absence of their natural enemies. At this moment, 200 out of the 500 plant species present on the islands are exotic. The beautiful ginger plant that originates from the Himalayas out-competes many endemic species plants in their natural habitat and has become a significant threat to the survival of many of them. The Hydrangea was introduced 150 years ago and since it is not grazed by cattle, it was used as a natural border in pastures. The beautiful Blue Trumpet flower was also brought in, just as the Yucca cactus, Canna Indica’s, Optuntia en Agaves. The natural vegetation above 1500 m is a dense laurel-juniper shrub-forest. The islands of Pico, Faial and Terceira have the largest remnants of these unique native forests. This forest ecosystem needs a high amount of precipitation and high air humidity to develop successfully.

Air - Azores - Açores

At increasing altitudes, the temperature drops by 0.6º C with every 100 m. This leads to the condensation of the air’s’ moisture. The condensed moisture forms little drops of water, which in turn forms rain. Under these conditions wet forest or cloud forests have developed on the mountain slopes. From sea level the view on the outskirts of the island is often limited to an altitude of 500m where a long white cloud covers the mountain. The sudden appearance and disappearance of the clouds is a dynamic and fascinating process. Because of the high humidity you can get the impression that you are walking through the wet tropics. The dense vegetation and presence of a variety of incenses contribute to this feeling.

Fog - Azores - Açores

Around the Azores the ocean air is clean and clear. It is a dynamic system, driven by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The Azores have a subtropical climate which is characterised by mild winters (>15º C) and comfortable warm summers (~25º C). Around the tops of the mountains you can literally see the weather being formed. What starts out as an innocent little cloud around the mountain slopes can become Europe’s next depression. The night sky is often clear and reveals an overwhelming view of stars flickering over the ocean.

Vulcanisme - Azores - Açores

The Azores were formed by an active volcanic hotspot at the bottom of the ocean on the crevice of three tectonic plates. The islands are the tops of volcanoes that rise from the depths of the ocean and reach up 1000-2000 m above sea level. The Pico Mountain is the highest mountain of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The evidence of volcanic activity from the past can still be seen, smelt, and felt on the different islands. Even quite recently, volcanic eruptions occurred on some of the islands.

The volcanic rock found on the Azores is mainly composed of basaltic lava, which is a common bedrock material of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Powerful volcanic explosions in the region created so called Caldeiras, or craters, that are found scattered over the islands. On the continents, volcanic eruptions are usually followed by earthquakes, but on the oceanic islands this seismographic activity is minimal. However, on the Azores volcanic eruptions are accompanied by severe shocks. In 1998 an earthquake
destroyed many houses on the island of Faial.

A volcano that produces lava with a low viscosity can easily push the lava through its main pipe. What is special about the Azores is the fact that the earths crust in the Azorean plateau is relatively thick. Consequently, the lava has to travel a longer distance to the earth’s surface, which causes changes in its composition. This results in a type of lava that is characterised by a high level of acidity, called trachiet. Trachiet is less fluid than other types of basaltic lava and therefore forms clumps. In order to push the lava through the channels in the earth’s crust an enormous pressure has to be build up. Often the lava crystallises within these channels, causing the pressure to rise even more. After a period of simmering or ‘sleeping’ the volcano has built up enough pressure to push the lava out.
During these eruptions not only the lava is blown out, but also a part of the volcano can explode.

This is how the caldeiras and crater lakes on the islands were created. One can imagine that the volcano of Faial was once much higher than the Pico volcano. Its caldeira is located at an altitude of 1100m. The Pico Alte has not yet build up enough pressure to explode, being much younger than the volcanoes on the other islands. The Pico volcano has been inactive for many years. Only at the top, where small clouds of steam escape through tiny crevices, one can feel the warmth of the volcano. This simmering volcano could wake up again.
All of the islands except Corvo and Santa Maria have hot springs and sulphate springs. On Graciosa (Carapacho) and São Miguel (Furnas), health centres (Spas) have been built in order to benefit from these mineral springs.

Climate - Azores - Açores

The Azores are situated in a climatologically high-pressure area. As a result, the weather pattern is significantly different from that of the mainland of Europe and is generally more gentle (subtropical). Even though the Azores are situated at the same latitude as countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain, the humid sea climate is strikingly different from the Mediterranean climate.

The islands are covered by green and flowering plants throughout the year. Different plant species alternate their flowering period over the seasons. During winter, many calla’s and amaryllises can be found while in summer, flowering ginger plants occur all over the islands. The patterns found in the vegetation are a result of severe rain showers which occur throughout the year, with a peak in the months of January and February. Towards the west end of the archipelago the amount of precipitation increases. Yearly, the westerly island of Flores receives twice as much rainfall as the easterly São Miguel.

The average air temperature between May and September is 25 °C. Night-time temperatures during this season rarely drop lower than 18 ºC. The average winter temperature is 16 degrees and frost has only been recorded at altitudes higher than 2000 m above sea level. During summer, sea surface temperature steadily rises to about 25 degrees.

Pico - Azores - Açores

The Azores are divided into three island groups. The island of Pico, the second largest island of the archipelago, is situated in the Central Group in the immediate vicinity of the islands of Faial, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira. Pico is primarily an enormous volcano, Pico-Alte, which is Portugal’s highest mountain, standing at 2351m. The geological backbone of the volcano stretches out far to the east where many volcanoes are closely linked at an altitude of 800-1100 m above sea level. Hidden in the valleys between these volcanoes you can find small lakes surrounded by heaths and dense cloud forests.
Closer to the coast, the small villages breathe a Mediterranean atmosphere. Surrounding the villages, you will see typical, staged terraces where the local people grow vegetables, wine grapes and other fruits and graze their cattle. But it is the ocean surrounding Pico that is the most fascinating wonder of the Azores. These waters are the unique habitat of more than 25 species of whales and dolphins (pagina water- cetacean species).

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.

São Jorge - The Joy of the Festivals

Living wrapped up in the green countryside as they do, the inhabitants of São Jorge hold a colourful and joyful series of events every year.
These are the famous Holy Ghost Festivals, which date back to the time of the settlers and join the inhabitants together in a fraternal spirit.

The festival begins with the crowning of the "emperor", It continues with the displaying of the crown for 8 days in the house of the managers, and it ends on the feast day of the "empire", when a copious meal is served while the "jesters" sing old tunes accompanied by drum and cymbols; in the afternoon, bands liven things up with their music.
Sometimes "bullfighting on a rope", brought from neighbouring Terceira island, stimulates the bravest lads to challenge the animal, not always successfully but in a way that is always lively and marry. All over the island, starting on Whitsun and continuing until the summer months.


Santo Cristo folk pilgrimage
The surprise of finding the happy atmosphere of a rustic festival in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Fireworks, colourful arches and music provide the frame for the religious ceremony on Fajã of Santo Cristo in First Sunday in September.

São Jorge - The Charm of the Landscape

In São Jorge Island we can see the many shades of cool green of the pastures inhabited by plump spotted cows, the spots of blue hydrangeas and heather in the fields. The dense clusters of ferns which, mixed with arum lilies and belladonnas - the latter affectionately called "girls go to school", in some islands of the archipelago since they bloom at the start of the school year - cover the slopes. Here and there oaks, beeches, pines and eucalyptus are mixed with the remains of the laurissilva forest that covered the island before it was settled, a valuable relic of the vegetation that existed in southern Europe and North Africa over 15 million years ago. This is the natural setting that São Jorge offers for the most exciting views, to which the crystal blue ocean lends its tones and its frame made up of foam dashing against the steep cliffs along the coast.

Fajãs
Originating in the collapse of cliffs, the fajãs are flat areas that stretch along the coast. All of them have been converted into fertile orchards, into fields where yams, maize and vegetables are grown. Due to micro-climates, it is possible to grow coffee, vineyards, tropical fruits and beautiful dragon trees in some of them. There are fajãs on both sides of the island. On the lower, sunnier southern coast, you will find the fajãs of Velas, Santo Amaro, Almas, Grande, Vimes, Bodes, Além, São João, Cardoso and Alabaçal. The north is a succession of tiny fajãs at the bottom of ravines that are hundreds of metres deep; the outstanding ones are those of Caldeira de Santo Cristo (with an underwater cave and a lake from which delicious cockles are obtained - the only ones in the Azores), Cubres (also with a crystalline lake) and Ouvidor (the limiting rocks of which have been made lace-like by the ocean).

The central peaks
An area that corresponds to the most recent part of the island which is geologically the product of three important volcanic eruptions spaced out ever thousands of years, of which the "welding" can be seen in the fractures that interrupt the landscape to the east and to the west. It is made up of small volcanic cones of which the highest - Pico da Esperança, with an altitude of 1,067 metres - offers views that take in the nearest islands: Faial, Pico, Graciosa and Terceira.

Pico da Esperança

The Islets
Slightly to the north of the picturesque parish of Topo lies a verdant islet where cattle graze, brought to and from the pastures by boat. Off the western tip of the island lies Rosais islet, an inhospitable rock inhabited only by sea-birds.

The natural arches
The waves have hollowed out the hard lava, creating natural bridges and arches along the coast. The most interesting are situated at Velas and.in the fajã of Santo Amaro.

Grottoes
Walking along the coast near Urzelina, you can reach Furna das Pombas, a curious volcanic formation inhabited by wild pigeons. Algar do Montoso, situated on the peak of the same name, requires experience and equipment.

Streams
They begin as tricles of water. But they soon gain momentum and when they reach the cleavage lines of the crest of the island they often turn into striking waterfalls that leap tens or hundreds of metres until they reach the sea.

Sete Fontes

Parks
Sete Fontes in the Parish of Rosais and Silveira at Ribeira Seca display the most beautiful things nature can offer in the spring and summer.

Azorean Cuisine - Gastronomy - Brief Description

Food in the Azores has a Portuguese base, but with a strong local flavor. Limpets (a shellfish), crayfish and rabbit stews are specialties. Octopus stewed in wine is typical of São Miguel, while beef stew is traditional on Terceira. Fish chowders are rich and tasty, and the fresh catch of the day is featured at most eateries.

The wide variety of local fish is a benefit of being in the middle of the ocean, and each island has its own way of preparing the bounty of the sea. On land, there is no shortage of cows, grazing in natural pastures. Thus, the Azores offer fine beef, served in numerous ways including grilled and roasted in a wine sauce. And, the Portuguese staple of salted codfish is omnipresent here, with unusual local and traditional mainland recipes.


There is a large variety of local cheeses, mostly made from cow's milk. São Jorge's cheeses are famous throughout Europe. And, São Miguel, Pico, and Faial also produce excellent cheeses. Try them on any of the many local breads, from the sweet breads, to the flat breads of Pico, or the levedo muffins of São Miguel. And, the vast array of pastries and cakes makes the Azores a sweet place to visit. Try grilled pineapple, Dona Amelia cakes, or the cheese cakes from either Graciosa or Vila Franca on São Miguel.

Pineapple hot houses are unique to the Azores, with the island of São Miguel boasting more than 6,000. The local pineapple is quite different than any other, with a small crown, and an intense flavor. Better yet, it is grown year-round. Add pineapple to the many pastries and cakes of the Azores, and any local meal is guaranteed to end well.

While there is no shortage of table wines from the mainland, fine wines, liqueurs and brandies are distilled on the islands. Be sure to try the wines of the lava soil of Pico, the excellent wines of Graciosa, and wine from the north coast or Terceira. Exotic fruits are made into liqueurs and potent brandies. And, Especial, the local beer, is an excellent lager.

Azores - A Walkers Wild Paradise - Fauna, Flora, History, Churches and Gastronomy

Located right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America, the Azores are a widely separated group of nine islands in the Atlantic, west of Portugal. The islands are mountainous in the interior and forested, leading down to long beaches and fishing harbors.

Each endowed with their own special landscapes and charm. Each is enveloped in shades of fertile green, flowers, phenomenal volcanoes, marvelous lakes located at the bottom of craters and other mysterious caves and caverns. Pico has its very own majestic mountain which is a sight to behold. The landscap suits over 55 native vascular plants which transform the Azores into a fascinating botanical Garden for plant lovers. Cedar trees, Heather, ling, mountain grapes, white wood, ginger, dogwood and the "tamujo" bush, to name but a few of the local species.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the birds are the most attractive fauna of the region, in particular the priolo, a native species, the hawk, blackbird, "cagarro", wood-pigeon are common and red garajau. The sea off the Azores is home to hundreds of species of fish and shellfish as well as imposing mammals such as sperm whales, making it a truly living aquarium. The Azores' commitment to the preservation of nature and environmental protection led the European Union to award the Azores an honorable mention in 1995 as part of the European Awards for Tourism and the Environment.

The islands' churches provide the only remaining traces of the settlement period. The 15th to the 18th centuries saw intense building work on the islands resulting in interesting examples of civil and religious art, especially baroque. The art and ethnographic museums and the popular architecture of each islands give credence to the cultural heritage of the region and allow us to delve deeper into the history and life of Azoreans over the centuries.

The Azoreans are a deeply religious people and this finds no better expression than at their festivals, which carry on the traditions of pious devotion The Festivals of Espirito Santo, rooted in medieval traditions, (May and September). The Festivals of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres in Ponta Delgada (São Miguel); the Festivals of Sanjoaninas in Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira island); the Semana do Mar in Horta (Faial island); the festival of the whalers on the islands of Pico and Mare in August on Santa Maria island; and the merry carnival of the island of Graciosa constitute the high points of the festival calendar which lasts all year round.

The many traditional recipes of Azorean cuisine are a culinary delight for the gastronome, particularly those with a penchant for sumptuous, fresh fish who will find their own personal heaven in the Azores. For dessert, there are a wide variety of puddings as well as excellent cheeses (the prime example coming from the island of São Jorge), sweet and juicy pineapples, the tropical passion fruit and herb tea grown on the island of São Miguel, White and red wines, brandy from the island of Craciosa, verdelho from the island of Pico and Biscoitos (Terceira island) are all a "must for those making a gastronomic tour of the Azores.

Historically, the Portuguese came onto the scene in 1427 with the discovery of the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel. Due to its strategic geographic position, the archipelago was to become one of the axes of navigation between Europe, the Orient and America during the course of the 16th and 17th centuries. This period saw the occurrence of major naval battles off the Azores when the islands were set upon by pirates. Today the Azores is an autonomous region endowed with its own parliament and government.

Visiting the Azores means entering a world where nature's luxuriant beauty is on show and the presence of man becomes a distant memory as you are swept away to a primordial universe.

Volcanic Activity and Lava Tube Cave Formation in Azores

Many areas of extensive volcanic activity are associated with lava tube cave formation, in the Azores they are well-developed on several of the islands.

There are two main ways these are formed, the first is a vertical shaft created where lava originally poured out. These shafts though they can be deep rarely extend to any degree laterally. The other type of cave is the result of a lava flow cooling and solidifying on the outside but the inside continuing to flow till the tube empties to some degree.

Stages of formation of a lava tube cave

The ideal type of lava for this to occur in is the fluid pahoehoe lava, this gives rise to many beautiful formations such as uniform channels, levees, stalactites, stalagmites, lava ropes, perfect tubes and smooth floors for walking. The more viscous aa lava is also often encountered in these caves that is generally much rougher and can result in a very uneven floor to the cave. Apart from the primary lava formations we also encounter some fine secondary features, usually stalactites and stalagmites of limonite or silica.

There are lava tube caves on all the main islands (in particular Sao Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa and Pico) but the longest and the best developed for visitors is the Gruta das Torres on Pico which is over 5km. long in the Cabeco Bravo area (about 10 minutes drive from Madalena).

Gruta das Torres on Pico

There will be a visitors centre at the entrance to the cave (to be completed by June 2004). The steps down to the cave floor have already been constructed using natural local shaped blocks of lava and soon some extra blocks will be used to improve the floor is in a few rougher places. The concept at all times will be to minimise human impact in the cave and preserve it virtually as it is.

Gruta do Carvão

The temperature in the caves is 14°C all the year round and they are basically dry and clean but during prolonged periods of heavy rain there will be drips coming down from the ceiling in a few places. Waterproofs are generally not necessary. Helmets and powerful torches will be issued where necessary and only a few key area of the cave will be illuminated by fixed lighting.

A Look at the History and Culture of Azores - Churches, Museums, Whalers and Volcanoes

A few churches and buildings in which Gothic elements are present stem from the initial settlement period. The 16th and 17th centuries correspond to a golden age, with good examples of religious and civil art and architecture of the Renaissance and Baroque. The following centuries also left an important artistic legacy. The ties with Flanders in the 16th and 17th centuries provided the Azores with an important legacy of Flemish sculptures.

Museums in Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel), Angra do Heroismo (Terceira) and Horta (Faial). Sea-birds and various types of birds, including the priolo, a sort of grey bullfinch that is endemic to the region, constitute the most attractive elements of the land fauna. It is in the ocean that the greatest wealth of the Azores lies, with an abundance of hundreds of species of fish and shell-fish and large mammals such as the sperm whale and the dolphin.


The "viola de arame" and other string instruments, together with "testos" or cymbals, steel triangles and drums, mark the time of characteristic dances and songs, some happy and others sad, that express the joy and also the loneliness of a people spread out over nine islands

The Whalers' Museum. It includes the three original nineteenth-century boat houses, the restored iron-works and a new area designed to house the library. Opposite this main structure a try-works was rebuilt. The plan for the reconstruction of the building, which was highly commended by the Association of Portuguese Architects and the State Secretary of Culture in 1993, was conceived by the architect Paulo Gouveia.

The first exhibition of a collection on the subject of whaling was displayed in a provisional building in 1979. It was the realization of a dream dating back to 1968.

With the official opening of the Museum, installed in the present structures, in August 1988, the Government of the Azores paid a long-deserved tribute to our whaler. This was a decisive step towards the preservation of the memory of an activity which greatly shaped the islanders' lifestyle for over a century.

In 1987 the last Sperm whale was caught in the Azores, by the same traditional process prior to the memorable times of Moby Dick, still using the hand harpoon and lance. The memory of this activity, however, has been preserved in the old stories of the last whalers, whom the poet Almeida Firmino called «Nameless heroes, having one foot landed, the other still at sea» (Ilha Maior, 1968).

The Museum library, specialized in the whaling theme, offers a wide range of reference books and documents fundamental to the research on whaling. In the small auditorium you can also watch some films on whaling in the Azores.


There are various signs of the volcanic origin of the islands, besides the volcanic cone and craters. Deserving special mention are sulphur grottoes, with an underground lake (Graciosa), the volcanic cones of Furnas valley (Sao Miguel), the remains of the Capelinhos volcano (Faial), the sulphur grottoes next the "caldeira de Guilherme Moniz" (Terceira), the basaltic columns of "Rocha dos Bordoes" (Flores) and the grottoes and caverns, some of them hundreds of meters long, on the islands of Sao Miguel, Santa Maria, Pico, Sao Jorge and Terceira.

Dolphin and Whale Watching - Azores

From the beginning, the Azoreans hunted whales for oil. They were so successful that every major Atlantic whaling expedition would stop in the Azores. In 1979, Portugal not only outlawed whaling, but also made the deep waters around the Azores a natural reserve.
The economic impact to the whaling industry was replaced by the eco-tourism of whale and marine-life watching that soon took over. Former whalers became guides, spotters, and hosts in museums.


Lookout towers (called Vigias) were built in strategic positions high on the mountains and there, experienced searchers watched for the arrival of the sperm whales and sent messages for the whaling boats to be launched.

Today the Vigias are used for exactly the same purpose but now the watchers radio to the powerful Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) who can then take their passengers directly to the area in which the whales are swimming. The boats can manouver to within 50 metres of these enormous mammals - the minimum distance suggested by the Whale Watching Code of Ethics. In the case of dolphins, however, the boats can manoeuvre much closer and, given the right conditions, parties of 3 persons (plus a diving instructor), can actually swim with the dolphins.

The Azores in general and the narrow gap between Faial and Pico in particular are on the migratory route for various types of Whale and numerous types of Dolphin.

Hence the interest of the locals in hunting the whale and the establishment of whaling stations at Lajes do Pico and at Horta on the Island of Faial (the remains of which can be seen today). Whaling in the Azores stopped in 1987 and there is a most interesting museum of the former whaling industry at Lages do Pico, showing the amazingly small boats, the harpoons and all the necessary whaling equipment. It is well worth a visit and illustrates vividly the courage and tenacity of the Whalers (Called locally "Sea Wolves").

It is interesting to note that only sperm whales were hunted by the Azoreans (because it is the only species which floats when dead) and that the total number of whales ever caught by them is exceeded in one year by a single Japanese whale factory ship.

Today, whale watching in the Azores often means going out to sea in a small semi-inflatable motor boat in search for the largest mammal on the planet. Launches ferry people to the whales for a close-up encounter. New laws passed by the Regional Government protect the whales and the visitors by limiting the number of boats, and the speed and distance they can use to approach a herd. Experienced guides offer insights into the lives of these creatures and, best of all, seeing a whale is almost guaranteed. This is because on mountainsides throughout the central group of islands, former whalers are posted as spotters, radioing in the position and number of whales to the boats. Local whales include sperm whales, northern bottlenose, pilot, sowerby's beaked whales, and occasionally orcas. Two excellent whaling museums may be found on the island of Pico, detailing the history and culture of the now-banned trade.

The species that are commonly sighted on these trips include: Sperm Whales, the largest and most numerous in these waters are individually identified by photographs taken of the undersides of their flukes when diving. The other toothed Whales frequently sighted are Northern Bottlenose Whales, Pilot Whales, Orcas and Sowerby’s Beaked Whales. The Dolphins sighted regularly in these waters are Common, Atlantic Bottlenose, Risso, Atlantic Spotted and Striped Dolphins.

The protected waters has not simply been good for the whale watching industry, but has helped numerous whale species to recover and prosper, making whale watching an exciting and unique experience.

Corvo, the smallest of the Islands - History and Attractions

Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo), is the smallest of and the northernmost of the Azores Islands and the northernmost in Macaronesia, being just 17.45 km² (6.75 sq mi) in area and having only 468 inhabitants (2006) living in a single municipality, of the same name, the smallest in Portugal and of the Azores. The island’s only town, Corvo (or Vila Nova do Corvo), is located on the southeastern coast.


Even though Corvo is hardly inhabited, it is definitely worth a visit. Corvo is one of the more beautiful and well-preserved Azorean islands with many of the island’s traditional language, customs, and way of life preserved as a result of Corvo’s isolation. Corvo is simple, peaceful, and charming, offering beautiful scenery, great fishing off of its rocky coasts, and interesting volcanic-induced geology.

Corvo was discovered in 1452 by Diogo de Teive. However, it was not populated until around the 16th century. Because the island lacked a natural sea port and was isolated from the other Azorean islands, Corvo developed as an agro-pastoral society supported by subsistence cultivation of corn, cabbage, and potato.


The island’s landscape is diverse, home to hills, forests, rocky cliffs, rugged coastlines, volcanic cones, ravines, volcanic mountains like Mont Grosso, which rises up to 2530 feet at its highest point, and caldieras like the Caldeirão which is 1000 feet deep.


The Caldeirão and Mont Gross are probably the two biggest natural attractions of Corvo. Caldeirão is a 2530 feet deep crater formed from an old extinct volcano and is situated on Monto Grosso, the high mountain on Corvo. There are two lakes with small islets at the bottom of the Caldeirão crater. At the top of Mont Grosso, you’ll find a spectacular view of Vila Nova do Corvo and 360° sweeps of Corvo. The rocky formations in basalt of Cavaleiro and Marco are interesting cliffs that also provide magnificent vista views of the island.

The other interesting feature about Corvo is its windmills, which differ from those of the other Azorean islands. Corvo’s windmills are small and constructed of black stone. They have triangular sails that constantly spin in the direction of the winds, made possible by an ingenious interior mechanism that turns the cupola in such a way as to align the sails in the proper direction. These windmills are very similar to the ones left by the Moors on the Portuguese mainland. Corvo holds the Holy Ghost Festivals as well as a large festival in the middle of August dedicated to the island’s patron saint, Our Lady of Miracles.


Corvo is known for its cheese, corn bread, and cabbage. Traditional Corvinho dishes include the “Barca” cabbage, the “Erva do Calhau” cakes, and liver sauce and fried cabbages. The few operating restaurants on Corvo are also known for their warm hospitality and excellent service.

Graciosa Island - The white Island, History and Attractions

Graciosa Island, also known as White Island, is the northernmost of the Central Group of the Azores Islands. The island has an area of 60.84 km² in an oval form, with a length of 10 km and a width of 7 km. The entire island is a large stratovolcano which rises from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The southeastern end is dominated by a 1.6 km wide caldera, known as Caldeira.

The landscape of Graciosa enchants visitors with its tree-dotted round hills, vineyards that lie between stone walls, checkered fields of tilled land, whale-shaped rocky formations, sulphuric caverns, and bird-nested islets, which mixed with the white village houses and the onion-shaped dome windmills, provides for a truly idyllic experience.

Graciosa Island was likely first discovered in 1450 and settled by Vasco Gil Sodré, arriving from Terceira Island. Vasco Gil Sodré cleared much of the land and built a custom-house on the island, but the first captaincies of Graciosa were given instead to Pedro Correia da Cunha who married the sister of Christopher Columbus’ wife and Duarte de Barreto. In the ensuing centuries, Graciosa became an agricultural production center of wine and wheat, explaining the frequent corsair attacks it suffered during the 16th and 17th centuries.


Graciosa Island is full of natural gems. The sulphur caverns of Furna do Enxofre are probably the most unique and renowned of the island’s attractions. The caverns are a geological phenomenon not found anywhere else in the world. It was first visited by Prince Albert of Monaco, the famous oceanographer of the 19th century. At Furna do Enxofre, a deep tunnel of 100 meters is found in the interior of the crater of a former volcano. There is a huge grotto 80 meters high with stalactites and a cold underground lake of sulphurous water. The best time to visit the cavern is at noon when the sunlight reaches the interior producing a dazzling light show.

Besides Furna do Enxofre, there are other interesting but less spectacular caverns like the Manuel de Ávila, Furada, Linheiro, Bolos, Lembradeira, Calcinhas, Queimado, Labarda, Cardo, Gato, Castelo, Vermelho, Urze, Cão, and Luis. Hiring a guide and renting equipment is recommended for exploring any of these caves.

The Carapacho Hot Springs are a must as well; you’ll find spring baths that are rich in medicinal mineral waters and help treat skin and rheumatic ailments. Carapacho is located in the southern end of Graciosa Island and is a great fishing and swimming destination as well.


Bird-watching is also popular in Graciosa. The islets along the coast of the island like Praia and Baleia are habitats for numerous sea birds.

Hiking, peaceful walks, and picnicking on the island are particularly enjoyable as well. There are a number of hills that are covered with unique vegetation like beech-trees and Japanese cedars. These hills offer sweeping views of the island and sea. The Serra Dormida, Serra das Fontes, Serra Branca, Pico Timão, and Serra do Facho are just a few of these high peaks. While atop any of them, be sure to look out for the myriad picturesque windmills that Graciosa is so well-known for; many of the windmills are located atop the hills of Praia.

Flores, the Island of Flowers - History, Attractions, Festivals and Gastronomy

Flores is the westernmost island of the Azores Archipelago, part of the archipelago’s western group. The island technically lies on the North American continental plate, and the village of Fajã Grande in Flores is actually Europe’s westernmost village.

Flores is considered one of the most beautiful of the Azorean islands. The word “Flores” in Portuguese means flowers – fitting since Flores is a pretty collage of blue and pink hydrangeas, amid deep valleys, high peaks, volcanic caldeiras, fresh water lakes and waterfalls, sulphurous hot springs, pastures and vineyards, exotic forests, and cliffs carved with grottoes. Once a kept secret, Flores has seen its tourism industry grow substantially in the last decade.


Flores was first discovered in 1452 by Diogo de Teive and his son. It was named Flores for the copious wild flowers covering the entire island. It is believed the seeds of the island’s flowers were planted by migratory birds from Florida. The town was initially settled by a Fleming, Wilhelm van der Haagen, followed by farmers from the Portuguese mainland who turned the island into an agricultural producer of barley, wheat, maize and woad.

For centuries, Flores was isolated, visited only by the odd cargo trading boats, pirates, and enemy fleets like that of the English in 1587. Pirates were especially attracted to Flores; during the 16th and 17th centuries, the island served as a refueling base for Spanish galleons returning from Mexico and Peru with valuable treasures, which drew the attention of pillaging bandits.

During much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Flores was frequented by U.S. whaling ships. The French established a satellite communications center in Flores in 1963 and remained on the island until 1994. In recent years, improved port facilities and the construction of an airport have helped the island develop economically, especially in the agricultural and livestock-breeding industry.


Flores is said to offer all of the natural beauty found in the other Azorean islands in a single island. The typography of Flores is rugged with several cliffs that descend into valleys and lakes. One of the most popular attractions is the seven lakes of Flores located in the central part of the island. These craters were once volcanoes but now form seven beautiful lakes.

The Rocha dos Bordões is a spectacular scenic site offering views over the Fajã Grande and the Ribeira Grande waterfall, which drops from a 1000 feet altitude, as well as views of the other 20 waterfalls at Fajazinha. From below, the Rocha dos Bordões presents a majestic picture of vertically-indented lines of basalt formations.

The Morro Alto, which is the highest point on Flores at an altitude of 3000 feet as well as the Sete Pés Pico, the Pedrinha, Pico da Sé are all mountain peaks worth visiting. Aside from the scenic views, there are many natural lakes along the climb up the slopes of these mountains that can be enjoyed.

The caverns and hot springs of Flores are worth visiting as well. The Gruta de Enxaréus (or Gruta dos Incharéus) is an enormous cavern by the seashore, measuring 165 feet long and 80 feet wide. And Ãguas Quentes is the site of small hot springs that boil with sulphurous waters.


Flores has a vibrant festival life, holding many traditional celebrations involving folk dance and music like the Sapateia, the Tirana, the Remo, the Chamarrita Encaracolada, the Manjericão, the Pezinho de Baixo, the Ciranda and many others.

The Santa Cruz festival is a particular favorite. Held in August, the entire village of Santa Cruz is decorated and covered with flowers. Other festivals include the Holy Ghost Festival, the Sanjoaninas Festival, the Lady of Flores Festival, the Folares Festival in Easter, and the Emigrant Festival in June.


Flores offers unique specialty dishes like the Agrião Soup, molho de dobrada, terra root with linguiça, pork cozido, beans with pig's head and seaweed pastes. Flores cuisine is also particularly noted for its use of honey taken from the island’s beautiful flowers. The local seafood – crabs, limpits, and cracas – is raved by many tourists. The island also produces some of the most delicious cheeses, noted for their creamy and soft buttery textures.

Terceira - Island of Contrasts - History, Attractions and Festivals

Terceira Island ( Portuguese: Ilha Terceira) is an island in the Azores, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with an area of 396.75 km². The island's length is 29 km and the width is 18km; the perimeter is 90 km. Population is 54,996, down from a peak of 59,000. Population density is 140.73/km², its second most populated after São Miguel.


It is part of the central group of islands in the Azores archipelago. Terceira has a rich landscape characterized by green pastures, forests with luxuriant vegetation, scenic lakes, panoramic ridges, coastal cliffs, volcanic craters, and grottoes and caverns stocked with stalactites and stalagmites. Today, Terceira Island is the second most visited island of the Azores and a must-visit for vacationers of this Atlantic archipelago.

The history of Terceira dates back to 1450 when the island was first settled in the areas of Praia da Vitoria and Porto Judeu. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Terceira was an important port island for the ships sailing to the New World or India and back. During those periods, Terceira became a commercial center for the gold, silver, diamonds, furs, spices, and other various goods brought back to Europe. This led to several corsair attacks on Terceira by the English, French, and Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.


Between 1580 and 1640, the Spanish controlled Terceira and used it as a port of call for the Spanish ships bringing back loot from Peru and Mexico. But they were expelled when Portugal regained its independence in 1640. In the early 19th century, the island became a focal point for the political conflicts between the liberals and the absolutists of Portugal after the liberals established a base and regency on Terceira. The liberals were soon forced to defend an absolutist attempt to land on the island in 1829. Since the political conflict subsided in 1832, Terceira’s role in the Azores as an economic, strategic, and political center has declined steadily with São Miguel taking a more front-and-center stage.

Today, Terceira is a major destination of the Azores with a multitude of attractions. Its beaches, of course, are superb. The island is full of long stretched-out beaches like the Praia da Vitoria as well as smaller and cozier beaches with inlets and natural pools that are sheltered by volcanic rocks. Many of the smaller beaches like Porto Martins and Contendas are ideal if you are interested in just swimming while the larger ones like Praia da Vitoria are better suited for sailing, surfing, and yachting.


Terceira is also full of natural sites, especially volcanic craters. The Caldeira de Guilherm Moniz is the largest in the archipelago. Other sites include caves and caverns of stalactites and stalagmites like Agua and Cabrito as well as sulphuric fumaroles like Furnas do Enxofre. There are also vista peaks like at Mata da Serreta and the Serra da Santa Barbara as well as natural lakes like Lagoa do Negro and Lagoa do Ginjal.


Not to be forgotten, festivals also play an important role in Terceira's social culture; most of them take place between May and November. Ever popular are the music festivals like the “Angrajazz” in October and the “Ramo Grande Festival” in early November; both demonstrate the island’s love for music, especially Jazz. The “Festas of Praia da Vitoria” is another favorite, a gastronomical fair of cuisines concocted by the island’s many restaurants. This event takes place in the second week of August. The food at this festival are mostly traditional cuisine, featuring meat specialties like the Holy Ghost, alcatra, morcela (sausage), sarapatel (haggis), cozido, and caldeirada (fish stew). The cuisine in Terceira is known for its signature sweetness, whether with its meats, bread and biscuits, or potatoes.