Official Language:
Portugese
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Currency:
Euro
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Population:
Approximately 145,000 people call the Azores home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Azores: The Azores offers a mild subtropical climate, due to a warm maritime current and the absolutely oceanic position with no real extremes. You will find pleasant daytime temperatures that reach into the 70°F/21°C throughout the year. The Azores rainy season is from November to March.
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The Azores is made up of nine mountainous islands. These were discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th Century. It became a haven for Atlantic traders and explorers sailing between the Old and New Worlds. The Azores is a widely scattered chain over a thousand miles from Portugal.
Azores Islands
Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Pico, Santa Maria, São Jorge, São Miguel and Terceira.
The islands were originated from volcanoes. These volcanic eruptions created a beautiful and unspoiled environment of craters, lakes, cliffs and spectacular valleys, to which only whitewashed houses and stately little baroque churches have been added.
In the 1950s, an eruption added acreage to the island of Faial, now the port town of Horta. The capital of Sao Miguel is Ponta Delgada the other major international port.
Wherever you go you will see the trademark flowers of the island: hydrangea bushes. Faial is often called the "Blue Island" because of the blue, ball-like clusters of hydrangea blooms. There are tons of them around houses, and they serve as boundary markers between cultivated fields.
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Attractions |
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See the small Faial Island the size of which allows visitors to travel around it easily. There is a lot to see on this little island. Visit the Caldeira, a volcanic cone that has a crater at its summit. Be sure to see Capelinhos a cape formed by the eruption of 1957-58. Here you will see the aftermath. Visit the museum that commemorates the event. Hop on a boat and go over to the Feteira Coast and see the series of grottoes and marine caverns, as well as Ponta Furada.
When you have seen and enjoyed Faial, go over to the island of São Miguel which is larger than Faial. See the marvelous Sete Cidades (Seven Cities), a volcanic crater a mile above sea level and eight miles in diameter, with two lakes at the bottom. One lake looks blue from the reflection of the sky, and the other looks green, from the reflection the vegetation surrounding the lakes. You can get great pictures here as the view is remarkable. Fire Lake is another natural wonder that you should see.
For those visitors who would are not interested in exploring and are looking to relax don't feel left out. Visit any of the five natural beaches in Faial. If you are looking for a fun beach where you will find many families, Porto Pim is it. The Varadouro is more rocky, and the Faja da Praia do Norte a long beach, sheltered by cliffs that is good for snorkeling. Just a few miles away you can see the island of Pico, which offers a spectacular view. It is a massive volcanic cone which reflects the sea and the sky with beautiful colors and textures.
Check out Scrimshaw, a form of carving on whale ivory. They make great souvenirs. For shoppers who are seeking things that are outside of the normal, Faial is your place. You will find strange but beautiful things here. For example you can find flowers made from fish scales, and straw embroidery. You will find straw hats here that are very sturdy. The fig wood figures are one of a kind as well. The wood is cut into thin, transparent strips, and then used to make houses, windmills, flowers, or animals. Other local crafts include weaving and straw sculpture.
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More Information |
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Web: http://portugal-info.net/azores/saojorge.htm
Web: http://portugal-info.net/azores/index.htm
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