The Azores
The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic. Visitors come for crater lakes, green pastures, hot springs, and whale watching in waters where more than twenty cetacean species have been recorded.
Islands
Nine Islands, Three Groups
The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal, roughly 1,500 kilometres west of the mainland. The nine islands are divided into three groups: the eastern group with São Miguel and Santa Maria, the central group with Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial, and the western group with Flores and Corvo.
São Miguel is the largest island, with the archipelago's largest city, Ponta Delgada. Pico rises to 2,351 metres at Ponta do Pico, the highest mountain in Portugal.
Landscape and Climate
Volcanic activity built all nine islands and still shapes them. Crater lakes fill old calderas, including the twin lakes of Sete Cidades on São Miguel, and geothermal fields at Furnas feed hot springs and steaming vents. Pastures and hydrangea hedges cover much of the lower ground, which is why the islands read as intensely green.
The climate is oceanic and mild, with temperatures moderated by the surrounding Atlantic in every season. Weather changes quickly, and it is normal to see rain and sun within the same hour.
Whale Watching and the Sea
The deep waters around the Azores are a feeding and migration ground for whales and dolphins, and more than twenty cetacean species have been recorded in the archipelago. Sperm whales are present through much of the year, while several baleen whale species pass on migration.
Boat trips depart from several islands, with São Miguel, Pico, and Faial among the main bases. The sea also draws divers and sailors, and the marina at Horta on Faial is a long-standing stop for yachts crossing the Atlantic.
Across the Archipelago
- Sete Cidades: twin crater lakes on São Miguel
- Furnas: hot springs and geothermal cooking on São Miguel
- Ponta do Pico: the highest mountain in Portugal, on Pico
- Angra do Heroísmo: a UNESCO World Heritage town on Terceira
- Pico's vineyards: a UNESCO World Heritage wine landscape
- Fajãs of São Jorge: flat coastal shelves under high cliffs
- Corvo and Flores: small, remote islands in the western group