The Discovery of the Azores
For those who are not yet familiar with the Azores, many are the questions that arise when choosing the Atlantic islands as a vacation destination.
Where do you stay? How to go? How many islands are there? Which is the most beautiful island? Why are they called Azores? What is the climate like? What is the temperature of the water?
For this reason, this article intends to rediscover the Autonomous Region of the Azores by answering these questions, so that you can decide without complications that the Azores are the right choice.
Where are the Azores? How many islands are there in the archipelago?
The Azores archipelago is located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, between 36° and 43° North latitude and 25° and 31° West longitude.
It has an area of about 2,329.67 km² and consists of nine islands of unparalleled beauty, distributed over three geographical groups.
- Eastern Group (São Miguel and Santa Maria)
- Central Group (Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge, Graciosa)
- Western Group (Flores and Corvo)
Volcanic in origin, shaped by weather, eruptions, and earthquakes, the Azores islands belong to the Macaronesia region, along with Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape Verde.
Santa Maria (97 km²)
The first island to be discovered and to be populated, it was also the first island to be formed in the archipelago, approximately 6 million years ago.
The closest island to mainland Portugal, famous for its stunning beaches, has a hot and dry climate, with arid lands and a drier, yellowish vegetation.
It is known as the Island of the Sun or the Yellow Island because it is very sunny and because of the abundant brooms.
São Miguel (747 km²)
The island of São Miguel is the largest in the Azores archipelago and is divided into six municipalities. Its capital is the city of Ponta Delgada, which houses the headquarters of the Regional Government of the Azores.
With a population of more than 135,000, the island boasts a breathtaking array of natural beauty.
It is known as the Green Island due to the many pastures, forests, and vegetation that give it various shades of green.
Terceira (397 km²)
It was the third island to be discovered, around 1949.
It is the second most populous island in the Azores and was the last bastion of Portuguese resistance against Philippine rule in Portugal and the stage for liberal struggles.
Angra do Heroísmo, the capital, was the first town in the Azores to be elevated to city status and the only one classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The island of Terceira is known as the Lilac Island, because of the latadas of lilacs.
Faial (173 km²)
Faial is located in the central group of the Azores archipelago and is part of the so-called "triangle islands", together with São Jorge and Pico island.
The port of the city of Horta is a mandatory stop for yachtsmen due to its extraordinary geographical situation. In 1957, the island of Faial was the scene of the last great eruption of the archipelago (Capelinhos volcano).
It is known as Blue Island for the blue hydrangeas that abound.
Pico (447 km²)
Pico Island is the second largest of the archipelago and the one with the highest mountain in Portugal, with 2,351 m of altitude.
The dry and hot climate, and the mineral richness of the lava soils, allowed the success of vine culture, and the Pico Island Vine Culture Landscape is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is known as Mountain or Gray Island because of the mountain and lava soils.