 |
What are the Azores and How do I get there?
Just four hours by plane from Boston, the Azores Islands are the closest point in Europe to the United States. The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal, made up of nine distinct islands in the Atlantic. The islands are São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores, and Corvo. These volcanic islands are mountainous inland, and partially forested. The coastal areas have sea cliffs, long beaches, and fishing villages. There are also several hot springs and spas. Island areas range between 400 square miles on São Miguel to nine square miles on Corvo. The 7,700-feet peak of the extinct volcano on Pico is the highest point in Portugal. The Azores enjoys year-round mild temperatures (between 57 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Islands of the Explorers:
The Azores are located a thousand nautical miles from the European continent, at the very spot that the tectonic plates for Europe, Africa and North America meet. The nine unique islands of the archipelago are divided into three groups:
- Eastern (São Miguel and Santa Maria)
- Central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial)
- Western (Corvo and Flores).
While these are without question some of the most beautiful islands in the world, they remain an emerging destination. The government of the Azores has nurtured an infrastructure to welcome the visitor who seeks a personalized and unique experience, rather than focusing on the mass tourist market. Adding to this unique experience of the Azores, the hotels, built within the ancient palaces and monasteries, are located in the towns, valleys and along the seashore.
Unspoiled, Authentic, and Diverse
Created by dramatic volcanic activity hundreds of millions of years ago, the Azores exists as an unusual and varied environment.
From the 7,700-foot peak of Pico island, to the blue and green lakes at Sate Cidades on São Miguel, the Azores offer a lush and sculptured landscape that is reminiscent of many places: The green fields and gentle hills resemble Ireland. The baroque cities and classical architecture are like those in northern Portugal. The mountains and valleys resemble northern California. The geysers and craters remind one of Iceland.
There are sapphire blue and emerald-green lakes; stonewall-lined prairies; volcanic cones and craters; wild hydrangeas and azaleas; 15th century Gothic churches, and grand manor houses. The islands enjoy a mild climate year-round (between 57°F and 71°F), and are uncrowded–only 240,000 Azoreans live within the archipelago’s 868 square miles.
The volcanic origin of the Azores is unmistakable. Thousands of years of vegetation cover cannot hide the craters, some of which are filled with deep lakes today. Geysers and sulfur springs are common. The Azores are also known for their rolling landscapes, sprinkled with tiny settlements of whitewashed or black stone houses. The hillsides are planted with vineyards, tea, and fruit orchards. Some coastlines are rock-strewn and rugged, often plunging hundreds of feet into the sea. But, there are plenty of welcoming bays, natural pools, beaches, and inlets for swimming and sunbathing (the water temperature is warm, year-round). Water sports, yachting, fishing and whale watching are widely available. Equally popular are horseback riding, cycling and hiking.
Getting There
Direct flights from Boston and Providence to the Azores are available only through Azores Express, a U.S.-based tour operator and member of the SATA Group. For information and reservations, call Azores Express at 800-762-9995, or visit their new website: www.azores-express.com.
AZORES TRAVEL NEWS
The Azores: More Flights to an Easy European Weekend Destination
Europe has long been a popular destination for New Englanders, but visiting for just a weekend is difficult with long flights and jetlag. Now, with expanded winter direct service on Azores Express, the Azores islands are just four hours away. With flights from Boston every Tuesday and Friday, October to May, Azores Express weekend escapes packages make it easy: Fly from Boston direct to the island of São Miguel in the Azores after work on a Friday, and return the following Tuesday. With Azores Express’ lodging partners Bensaude Tursimo and the Holiday Inn Azores, travelers can select from more than seven hotels and inns on São Miguel, from seaside resorts in the historic city of Ponta Delgada, to the Art Deco masterpiece Hotel Terra Nostra in the spa town of Furnas.
Azores Express offers direct flights on wide-body aircraft to São Miguel on Tuesdays and Fridays. Connecting flights to Madeira, Lisbon and Porto are available from São Miguel, as are inter-island flights. Roundtrip airfares start at just $399. Upgrades to business-class are just $150 each way to the Azores. Package prices start at just $599, for hotel deals and to learn more, visit the Bensaude Turismo Website at www.Bensaude.pt, and the Holiday Inn Azores site at www.holidayinnazores.com.
Business Class the Price of Coach
The price of a full-fare business-class seat to Europe is more affordable on Azores Express. The new SATA Comfort Business-Class service from Boston to the Azores and mainland Portugal is just $150 more each way than a coach ticket to the Azores (while it is a $200 upgrade each way to Lisbon). A business-class ticket to Europe on other carriers can run as high as $5,800 round-trip. SATA Comfort service is offered on the airline’s new fleet of A310 aircraft.
SATA Comfort service includes a reclining business-class seat with lots of leg room and a foot rest, specially catered meals, a selection of Portuguese wines, in-flight entertainment, priority boarding and baggage handling, departure lounges in Portugal, amenities kit, and “white-glove service.” Contact your travel agent, or Azores Express at 800-762-9995.
Three New European Routes
SATA International Airlines has just launched direct service to Madrid, Spain from Ponta Delgada in the Azores. The weekly flight is offered year-round on SATA’s new Airbus aircraft, featuring both economy and business classes. The Madrid route comes just two months after launching its new service from the Azores to Zurich and Munich, Germany. Service to Munich from Ponta Delgada is offered on Fridays, complementing the carrier’s weekly flight to Frankfurt from the Azores on Sundays. Flights to Zurich from the Azores are on Saturdays. The airline plans service to London for the spring of 2005.
Three New Pousadas to Open in the Azores in 2004-5
Portugal’s finest lodging is defined by the Pousada, an elegant hotel in a historic building or in an area of great natural beauty. Now, Pousadas de Portugal is building its first properties outside of mainland Portugal, with three new Pousadas due to open in the next 12 months on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial.
Faial: The 16th Century Santa Cruz fort–in the heart of the city of Horta’s marina– has been renovated into an inn with waterfront views and dining. The Pousada is in the shopping and historic area of the famed yachting city, and has spectacular views of the adjacent island of Pico. The Pousada opened in July 2004.
Terceira: Another 16th Century fortress will be transformed into a Pousada in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Angra de Heroísmo. Set between the city’s marina and historic downtown, the new Pousada will offer fine lodging, dining, and sweeping city and sea views. The Pousada is scheduled to open in early 2005.
São Miguel: The new Pousada, outside of the Azorean capital of Ponta Delgada, will be in the former Convento dos Frades in the fishing town of Lagoa. Noted Portuguese architect Francisco Gomes de Menezes will renovate this fine example of Baroque architecture, dating from the second half of the 18th century. The new Pousada will include 38 guest rooms, meeting and banquet rooms, and a swimming pool. The Pousada is scheduled to open in 2005.
New Hotels on São Miguel, Terceira, Faial
The Bensaude group, the Azores’ largest and most respected hospitality and tourism company, has opened several new hotels, bringing its total offering to eight by year’s end. The Hotel Marina Atlântico is scheduled to open in October 2004, with 175 rooms. This four-star, seven-story building faces the Atlantic and is located on Avenida D. Henrique, the main avenue in Ponta Delgada. It is close to the city center, the museum, library, and a variety of shops and cafes. The new Estalagem dos Clérigos, in the scenic town of Nordeste on São Miguel, offers both ocean and mountain views. The lodge has easy access to beaches, hiking, and the winding road that follows the coast. There are 21 rooms and a restaurant.
On the island of Terceira, just outside the historic city of Angra de Heroísmo, the Bensaude group has built the modern seaside resort, Terceira Mar, with 140 rooms, extensive grounds with swimming pools, and restaurants, all just 5 minutes from the city center. For reservations call 011-351-296-301-880, or go to www.bensaude.pt.
The four-star Hotel do Canal opened August 1, 2004 on Faial Island. With 103 rooms, including seven singles and two suites, Hotel do Canal offers many amenities, including room service, laundry, an outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean an 80-person conference room, reading room, games room, a coffee shop, bar, gift shop, Fitness center (sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, massage, and gym), and hairdresser. The hotel also offers babysitting services, whale-watching and scenic boating trips, scuba diving, and many other recreational activities.
Also on the island of São Miguel, in the heart of Ponta Delgada, the Investaçor Group has opened its fourth hotel, the Royal Garden Hotel. With 240 rooms (including facilities for handicapped guests), gardens and covered terraces, a shopping area, and restaurants, the new hotel gives guests views of the city’s famous gates and waterfront. For more information call 011-351-292-207-400 or go to www.fayalhotel.com.
Story Ideas
Whale Watching
From the beginning, 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.
Today, whale watching in the Azores often means going out to sea in a small semi-inflatable motorboat in search of 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, English speaking, 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 whaling museums may be found on the island of Pico, detailing the history and culture of the now-banned trade.
The dolphins that are commonly sighted on these trips include: Atlantic bottlenose, risso, Atlantic spotted and striped. The protected waters has not only 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.
Peter Café Sport, Faial
Tel: 351 292 292327
www.whalewatching-azores.com
Espaço Talassa, Pico
Tel: 351 292 672010
www.espaotalassa.com
Golf and Sports
With a mild climate and lush vegetation, the Azores are perfect for outdoor sports. Golf, tennis, bicycling, hiking, parasailing and horseback riding are all offered. Yachts from around the world dock in the harbors of Horta, Ponta Delgada, and Praia da Vitoria. Deep-sea fishing, diving, surfing, wind surfing, and sailing are also to be found on all of the islands.
With three courses, golf is special here. Verdegolf on São Miguel operates two world-class courses, the 1939 Furnas course, and the new Batalha course. Both take advantage of vistas and natural features to offer a unique golfing experience. In June of 2003, another nine holes were added to the Batalha course, making it a golfing destination all its own. A new course is being designed for the island of Pico.
Verdegolf
Tel: 351 296-498-559
Fax: 351 296-498-284
E: verdegolf@virtualazores.com
www.virtualazores.com/verdegolf
Walking and Biking Tours
From seacoasts to valleys, from gardens to forests, the Azores offer a wide range of landscapes to explore on foot. Country hedgerow lanes and open fields lead to extinct volcanic craters. The Azores is best appreciated slowly and on foot, and most islands have designated hiking areas, with maps offered at the local tourism offices.
Another great way to experience the Azores is by bicycle. Little-used country roads, mountain passes, and seaside roads lend themselves to visitors in search of sweeping mountain and ocean views, waterfalls, and volcanic lakes. Well-paved and graded roads make cycling a pleasure for any experience level. For the more adventurous, dirt back roads exist leading to hidden valleys, gardens, and tiny towns. Peter Café Sport offers one-way biking tours down from the heights of Faial to Horta.
Easy Rider Tours
Tel: 800-488-8332
Fax: 978-463-6988
E: info@easyridertours.com
www.easyridertours.com
Bullfighting
Bullfighting in Portugal is a festival of horsemanship, elegance, and drama where the bull is not killed. The Portuguese bullfight is, at first glance, quite simple. A caveleiro, or rider, is dressed in a three-cornered hat and a silk jacket embroidered with gold and lace, reminiscent of 18th century nobility. In order to place the dart into the bull, the caveleiro and his Lusitano horse must draw the bull to a charge. Horse and bull then charge at each other, with the horse suddenly veering off to avoid an impact. Then the rider must place the colorful dart exactly in the bull’s back muscle and ride off unscathed, to the cheers of the crowd and the sound of music. Locals on Terceira enjoy the unusual sport of tethered bullfighting, where anyone brave or foolish enough can go a few rounds with a bull on the city streets. (Imagine the “running of the bulls” meets bungee jumping.) The bullfighting with ropes on Terceira is held from May to October. The city of Velas, on São Jorge, hosts a bullfight in June.
Festivals
Holy Ghost Festivals, or Espírito Santo Festivals, are very important to the people of the Azores. The festivals, rooted in medieval traditions, are held on all the islands from May to September. There are lively parades and large feasts, with the traditional handing out of soup and bread.
On Terceira and other islands, decorative houses called Imperios, are the staging points for the feeding of the masses. The Festivals of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres (Lord Holy Christ of Miracles) in Ponta Delgada (São Miguel) is in May. The Sanjoaninas Festivities in Angra do Heroísmo in Terceira are held in June. The Semana do Mar (Sea Week) in Horta (Faial) is in June. The festival of the whalers on Pico and the Mar (Sea) Festival on Santa Maria are in August. Carnival is held on Graciosa in the summer. One highlight of these festivals is the gathering of the bread processions, and the feasts of sweet bread and vegetable soups.
Shopping: Azorean Crafts
There is long tradition of local crafts in the Azores. Shoppers will find many quality handmade items to browse through, from scrimshaw to baskets, ceramics, textiles, and furniture. Folk figurines, flowers made from dried fish-scales, embroideries and lace, and knit blankets and bedspreads, are other typical treasures. Using local materials, the Azorean artisans in Lagoa also make blue and white ceramic decorative pieces. The traditional art of scrimshaw–carving and etching whalebone–continues today, using whalebone and teeth recovered from the sea (where it was dumped in the whaling days). Jewelry, such as pendants and earrings, are also crafted with whalebone. The Azores are also known for their miniature whaleboats. Lastly, some islands produce dolls made from the pith of fig trees, cornhusks, and hydrangea.
Azorean Cuisine
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.
One of the many benefits of living in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is the myriad of local fish. With the bounty of the sea, each island cooks up an original local meal. As for the 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 are a large variety of local cheeses, mostly made from cow’s milk. While São Miguel, Pico and Faial produce excellent cheeses, São Jorge’s that is most famous throughout Europe. Try them on any of the many local types of bread, 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 cheesecakes 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.
A New England Connection
The ties that bind the Azores to New England go back 300 years, when many English ships carrying colonists to the New World stopped in the Azores to rest and replenish supplies. Azoreans were among the first to fish the waters of North America. Many Portuguese historians believe that sailors from the Azores sighted North America years before Columbus.
For centuries, sailors had stopped in the Azores to take on oranges, the only way to ward off scurvy. It is also certain that every major whaling expedition from Nantucket Island, New Bedford, Edgartown, and other ports, sailed first to the Azores for supplies, dories, and sailors. In fact, it was New Englanders who taught the Azoreans the value of whaling.
They became so expert at landing whales that American sea captains came to the Azores just to get crews. This built the foundation of a strong commercial bond between the sailing ships of New England and the Azores. From Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, to the New Bedford whaling museum, the Azores are a vital piece of New England whaling history.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the islands became the main port of call for transatlantic clippers. Boston merchants were at home in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel. An 18th century American consul, Thomas Hickling, built a fine mansion on that city’s main avenue. Today, it is a hospitality school and hotel, offering fine food and lodging with New England flair (Hotel São Pedro). Hickling’s original estate is in the resort town of Furnas. Here, Hickling built a lush botanical garden, using the heated waters from local geysers. The garden, adjacent to the art deco Terra Nostra Hotel, is open to the public today. In 1944, an American airbase was set up on Santa Maria, and was later transferred to the NATO airbase at Lajes on Terceira.
As the whaling industry declined following the introduction of crude oil in the 1870s, many Azoreans began to immigrate to New England. They brought their work ethic to the mills in southeastern New England, and to the fishing industries around New Bedford and Gloucester, Massachusetts. They also made a significant cultural impact on New England. Popular summer feasts and festivals in Portuguese communities in New England all trace their roots to the Holy Ghost festivals of the Azores.
Foods that are commonplace in New England kitchens are also uniquely Azorean – Portuguese sweet bread, Portuguese muffins, red pepper paste, and linquiça sausage. Even the way New Englanders often pronounce Portuguese foods – “churrice” for chouriço sausage – show the range of Azorean influence. By 1998, immigration from the Azores had ended. Today, there are twice as many people of Azorean decent living outside the Azores today than in the country.
A Quick History of the Azores
A Portuguese sailor, Diogo de Silves, claimed the Azores for Portugal in 1427. Within 12 years, the Portuguese had charted seven of the islands, and in 1443 built the first settlements. In 1452, Captain Diogo de Teive sighted the final two islands of Corvo and Flores. The settlement of the islands was broken into captaincies, with each captain responsible for bringing settlers and building infrastructure. The rich farmlands, abundant water, and mild climate made the Azores an inviting place for the new arrivals. They grew wheat and other grains, and soon found out that a wide variety of plants, collected by Portuguese explorers from around the world, could flourish.
Because of the Azores’ strategic geographic position, the archipelago became the center of navigation between Europe, Africa, the East and the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries. This period saw several major naval battles off the coast of the Azores between Spanish and English fleets, as well as with pirates. Subsequent centuries saw the development of the islands, the introduction of new agriculture, and the development of cattle breeding and fishing industries.
Isolated from the rest of the world, the Azores progressed at its own pace, fending off pirates, building trade with both sides of the Atlantic, and enjoying periods of great prosperity due to high demand for its oranges, wines, and whaling. The islands developed their own culture and lexicon, and have nurtured a wealth of writers and poets. Today the Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal with a regional parliament and government. Ponta Delgada is the seat of the government ministries, while the regional parliament meets at Horta, and the regional president has offices in Angra.
The elegant and expansive architectural palette of the islands reflects that history. Ranging from gothic, to mannerist, to baroque, the Azores offer every major Portuguese style since 1450, and with a unique local flair such as the use of volcanic stone for building materials. The period from the 15th to the 18th centuries brought great public works and religious building projects. Azorean Baroque has a character all its own due to the local black stone and the lag-time in keeping with trends from the rest of Europe.
Angra do Heroísmo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was the first Atlantic city built according to 16th century Renaissance planning-standards, and is rich in cultural heritage, with well-preserved churches, palaces and fortresses.
The Natural World of the Azores
One of the wonders of this archipelago is the bio-diversity of its trees and plants, brought from locations around the world. The Azores began, for the most part, as lava rock. Then the winds brought grasses and bits of organic debris. By the time humans arrived, there were plants and evergreen forests throughout the islands. Sailors brought new plantings, such as the cryptomeria conifer (Japanese cedar) from Japan. All told, there are some 800-plus species of plants – only 300 of them are native. Cedar trees, heather, ling, mountain grapes, white wood, ginger, dogwood and the tamujo bush are a few of the local species. The newcomers include the acacia tree, flowering hydrangea and azaleas, camellia, incense and other ornamental plants. Despite their proximity, each island has its own look, feel, and climate. The fauna can vary dramatically from island to island.
The Azores' commitment to the environment led the European Union to recognize the islands in 1995 in the European Awards for Tourism and the Environment. The Azores offer numerous natural reserves, protected landscape, parks and forests.
The Azores takes it name from the sea hawk. Birds can be seen and heard everywhere on the islands, from the night calls of the cagarro, to the nests of swallows. More than 150 species of birds can be seen, of which about 35 breed in the Azores. They include various types of seagulls, plovers, terns, chaffinches, sparrows, bullfinches, buzzards, goshawks, and doves. The priolo, a native species, the hawk, blackbird, cagarro, wood pigeon, and common and red garajau are also common. The sea off the Azores is home to many species of fish and shellfish, as well as sperm whales. Not surprisingly, underwater diving and snorkeling are very popular.
The Islands of the Azores
Santa Maria
On a map, Santa Maria’s shape looks a bit like Australia. Geologists believe that the island is the oldest in the Azores, and the only one not created by ancient volcanic eruptions. It has the fewest foggy days, the most sun, and the best beaches (most with little or no surrounding development). Santa Maria is known for its yellowish sediment and limestone. Indeed, Santa Maria is a green and yellow quilt of small farms, yellow sandy beaches, and charming small villages with houses, famed for their soaring chimneys, painted blue and white. The main town of Vila do Porto is the oldest settlement in the Azores. Its streets are lined with fine old homes. When you visit Santa Maria don’t miss the peak at Pico Alto, which is the highest point of the island, and São Loren Resort, a seaside area with a fine beach and natural swimming pools.
Santa Maria lies about 50 miles from São Miguel and is the southern most island of the Azores. The most common way to get to Santa Maria is by plane, but from May to October you can get there by ferry from São Miguel.
São Miguel
The biggest, most diverse, and most populated island, São Miguel is known for its volcanic lakes, sulfur-spring spa, historic towns, beaches, and mountains. The capital of the Azores, São Miguel was first sighted in the middle of the 14th century. Settlement began in 1444 with farmers from southern Portugal and France. São Miguel is called the “Green Island.” Its long coastline is dotted with beaches, seaside villages, and mountain cliffs. Inland, the topography is breathtaking and changes quite suddenly.
Ponta Delgada is the island’s main city, and the largest city in the Azores. Its tidy black-and-white patterned sidewalks are lined with historic homes, convents, and public buildings. There are also numerous restaurants, many offering local seafood. The long main street is busy with local stores and shops, and the city has excellent hotels in all price ranges.
Ponta Delgada makes a fine base to explore the island, and the city is easily seen on foot. There is also a tourist trolley called A Lagarta that takes visitors to all the main sites. The city’s numerous gardens burst with the diverse vegetation that blooms in the Azores unique climate.
What many consider to be the highlight of a visit to the Azores is Sete Cidades, a village with two lagoons inside an extinct volcanic crater. The connected lagoons are two distinct colors – blue and green. From the Vista do Rei viewpoint, the twin lakes look too lovely to be real. The northwestern coast of the island is both rugged and charming, with a cliff-strewn shore, and heated thermal pools.
The northeastern coast of Nordeste was, until recently, the most isolated section of the island. The roads are mountainous, with endless vistas of sea and cliffs. This is a wonderful place to explore by bicycle. Pico do Carvão near the center of the island has extended views of São Miguel and out to sea. Lagoa do Fogo Park offers views of the island, and the clear, green lake at the center of the extinct crater. Furnas, the Azores’ most famous resort town, offers fine lodging, a spa, thermal baths, 23 different varieties of mineral waters, famous breads, geyser cooking, nearby beaches and a thermal lake. Add to that the only tea plantations in Europe, which produce excellent teas, processing the leaves on vintage 19th century English machinery. The eastern and southern coasts offer lots of fine beaches and small fishing towns, where one can enjoy a bottle of local wine with the days catch. Vila Franca do Campo has a seaside main street, with the fishing port in the old fortress. There is a beach, and a small lava hill off the coast, which can be reached by boat. Other beaches are to be found at Ribeira Quente, Povoação, Lagoa, and Caloura.
A Lagarta Tourist Trolley: www.lagarta.net, Tel: 296 654238
Terceira
Terceira, first called Jesus Christ Island, is the edge of the central group of the Azores, discovered in 1450.
Called Terceira because it was the third Azorean island to be discovered. Because of its location, Terceira was a very important harbor in centuries past, and the main city of Angra do Heroísmo prospered with international commerce. Today, Terceira and Angra are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with well-preserved streets and monuments. Set on a bay, the city is a wonderful mix of the cosmopolitan and the traditional.
The big tradition on Terceira is bullfighting. There are literally hundreds of traditional Portuguese and Azorean bullfights each summer. (Portuguese bullfighting is on horseback, while on Terceira, the local tradition is a kind of running of bulls, but with the bull tethered.)
When visiting Terceira, the interior of the island is as important as the coast. Its wild and hilly landscape is well suited for walks and hikes. Much of the interior is now a natural reserve. From the heights of the Serra do Cume; the patchwork of small farms, stonewalls, and grazing cattle is enchanting. The coast has beaches, lava rocks, and fishing towns. To the north there is a rocky coast, and a mix of forest and vineyards. To the south, there are cattle grazing lands, and the coastal area around Angra, with its parks and hotels. The wide bay and beach at the pretty town of Praia da Vitoria are well worth a visit, as is the volcanic lake at Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz, which is the biggest one in the Azores.
Graciosa
The small and hilly island of Graciosa was discovered in 1450. Soon after, the island’s green fields were drawing people from throughout Portugal and Flanders. While Graciosa has not seen volcanic activity in some 500 years, the island still has active geysers. Called the white island, there are low hills at the center of the island around a series of extinct volcano craters. Azoreans know Graciosa for its fine wines and brandy produced from Isabella grapes. Farmers work to keep the land in balance, with grapes and other crops rotated and grown in a complementary way. Dairy cows are abundant, as are the oxen, which work the fields.
The grottos at Algar do Carvão run deep into the red earth, and the sulfur cavern at Furna do Enxofre lead from an ancient crater into a lava cave with an underground lake.
The sea sustains the people of Graciosa, who fish in small wooden boats, catching all types of fish, seafood, shellfish, and even seaweed for export. Graciosa has a reputation for small craftshops producing handmade embroidery and linens.
Graciosa is within the central group of the Azores. Most likely, sailors from Terceira were the first to find the island. Santa Cruz da Graciosa is the main town, with many fine churches that date from the 16th and 18th centuries. If you go to Graciosa, visit the Caldeirinha where you can enjoy vast views from Terceira to Faial, and the thermal mineral springs at Termas do Carapacho spa, where you can soak in sea waters that are said to cure bone and skin diseases.
São Jorge
Long, narrow, relatively flat, and lightly settled, São Jorge is a perfect hiking destination. The lack of major roads, the open interior, and the abundance of trails makes São Jorge an idyllic hiking escape. But, any Portuguese will tell you the most important thing about São Jorge are its amazing cheeses. Its famous São Jorge cheese is the very reason the island is so open: The rolling green pastures are home to São Jorge’s cows. São Jorge cheese is made in the oldest of traditions and is of the highest of quality. As a result, this rural island has wonderful views and scenic, green fields.
The two main towns, both on the warm southern coast, are Velas and Calheta. They both offer fine old churches, palaces, and homes. Surrounding both towns, various manor homes may be found. Because of the island’s agricultural past, most towns are nearer to the cliffs of the central plain than to the sea. In the seaside town of Urzelina, a half-ruined church is all that remains from a 1808 volcanic eruption. The people of São Jorge are known for being hard workers and skilled craftspeople, and are also known for their folksongs. Pico da Esperança is the island’s highest point where you can see the islands of the central group. The botanical forest park of Sete Fontes is a wonderful stop for a picnic–just don’t forget the cheese.
Pico
Pico (Peak) is the obvious choice of name for the highest point in all of Portugal. The second longest island in the Azores, Pico remains largely forested. The volcanic explosions that built Pico are visible in the island’s wild landscapes, soaring peaks, and black cliffs that drop into the sea. Hiking is abundant, and trails soar up the mountain and along the coast, with spectacular views. Ancient lava flows are frozen in solid rock, in areas called misterios.
Pico is known for its excellent wine. All along the coastal rim of the island, two-foot walls shield the grapes from the sea and elements, to produce a unique vintage with a hint of lava. These areas have been nominated for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 19th century, even the czars of Russia sent ships here to bring back the volcanic wines of Pico. Yet, it is the sea-faring culture–first whaling, and now tuna–that so defines this place.
Pico was settled in 1460, and settlement began in Lajes, the first island municipality. Some intriguing places to visit are Escalada ao Pico (where tourists can scale Portugal’s highest mountain), and Quinta da Rosas, a forest park with exotic species. The interior of Pico is mostly a natural park, and the trials are well marked. The climb up to the 7,700-foot summit can take up to 3 hours, but the views are worth it. Many days the peak is covered in clouds; however, on clear days, it can be seen from surrounding islands, with its lava cone rising above the massive volcano. Pico once had a busting whaling trade, and two museums mark the history of this industry. In Lajes, and excellent museum traces how the people of Pico took to the seas in tiny boats to land huge whales. Whale watching in the Azores began here, and Espaço Talassa was the first company to take visitors on the ride of a lifetime. In São Roque, a former whale processing plant shows how industrial whaling was carried out. Most villages are set along the sea, with houses made of black stone, joined in white mortar.
Faial
Star-shaped, with a central peak, Faial has black-sand beaches and open views of the surrounding islands. Indeed, from Faial one can see Pico, São Jorge, and Graciosa, making it the center of its own Atlantic universe. First called Island of Ventura in the 15th century, it is known for its green forests and the lure of yachting.
The island was quickly settled once rumor spread of tin and silver discoveries. Many settlers came from Flanders to mine, and then to farm, when it turned out that there was no silver or tin to be mined at all. For the people of Flanders, the hunger and unrest of the Hundred-Year War made the island of Faial a welcome destination. Over the centuries, the Flemish blended in with the Portuguese settlers. While the culture today is distinctly Portuguese, the mix of people from all around the world makes Faial a special place.
In the city of Horta, the vast marina is one of the most famous harbors in the world. Yachts from the seven seas call here year-round. In just the first ten months of 2003, more than 1,137 yachts, visited the port with more than 4,400 crewmembers aboard, making it the busiest marina in Portugal. The port has about 250 slips, and there are many sailing bars and eateries along the harbor-side. Peter Café Sport seems the center of this sailing universe, with people from across the world sharing tales of the sea. The city’s colorful main street, which winds along the harbor, creates a stimulating center of town. The harbor’s sea walls are painted from top to bottom with the calling cards of the many yachts that have visited Horta. An old legend says that the sailor must paint the name of his or her ship on the harbor walls to ensure they return to their homeport safely. The 16th century port of Porto Pim, just blocks from Horta’s more modern harbor, offers a sandy beach set between the walls of a fort. From the Espalamaca vista, tourists can admire Horta. And, the island’s central Caldeira offers a vivid view down into the 300-foot crater of the extinct volcano. To the west, the remains of a lighthouse mark the site of a 1957-8 eruption of the Caplinhos volcano. The yearlong eruption gutted the lighthouse, and buried a small village. It also added about one mile of new shoreline to the island. Today, the area is a natural park, and the power of the eruption is still evidenced by the barren sandy area, littered with lava rock, that is only now starting to show signs of plant life. There is a hiking trial to the rim of the dormant volcano.
Flores
Depending on how you look at it, Europe either begins or ends here. Flores is the western end of Europe, and, along with Corvo, forms the western group of islands of the archipelago.
It is believed that Flores was first discovered sometime between 1450 and 1452 by Diogo de Teive. Isolation marked the island's development, and only with the construction of an airport in the 1960s did Flores have a stronger connection to the outside world.
Today, islanders thrive on fishing and agriculture. Flores is a welcome escape from the modern world, with a slow pace that is hard to find these days. The island is a mix of forests, pastures, and fields.
As the name suggests, Flores is home to many wild flowers, including blue hydrangeas and wild cubres (a yellow bloom) grown on seaside cliffs. The landscape is rugged, with crater lakes and dramatic coastal cliffs. The interior is well suited for hiking.
There is much to see in the historic town of Santa Cruz das Flores, and the Morro Alto, which is the highest point on the island. At the Baia da Alagoa, visitors can see Flores’ islets and reefs set in a beautiful bay. And, the coast of Flores is dotted with tiny islands, some home to grazing sheep.
Corvo
Corvo is an isolated, sparsely populated and intriguing place. Named for a crow, it was the last of the archipelago to be settled. The island seems to swirl around a huge crater, some 500-feet deep. Corvo is home to just a few hundred people – all-living in the seaside village of Vila Nova do Campo. There are no other towns. Corvo is mostly open hinterland–inviting for solitary hikes, and being at one with the sky and sea. The island’s isolation led to an interesting trading relationship with pirates, who where given supplies in exchange for protection. Many visitors now come to Corvo for its excellent scuba diving and fishing. Others seek the beauty of its landscape, and the solitude of one of Europe’s most isolated places.
The Hotels of the Bensaude Group
Bensaude Turismo, the Azores’ largest hospitality and tourism company, offers fine lodging on the three main islands of the Azores.
São Miguel Hotels
Ponta Delgada
A charming European city on the shores of a subtropical island, Ponta Delgada is a lively place of sidewalk cafes and bustling markets, Baroque palaces and churches, fascinating museums, and sophisticated shops. The seat of the Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, Ponta Delgada also boasts its own noted university and is home to Europe’s third-oldest newspaper. Lining the yacht-filled harbor is a two-mile seafront promenade. Narrow cobblestone streets meander up into the heart of the old town, inviting you to explore the old shops and quiet cafes.
Overlooking the harbor in the center of town is the four-star Hotel Açores Atlântico, built in 1990. From its pink-marbled and brass lobby to each room’s terra cotta-tiled balcony overlooking the sea, the Hotel Açores Atlântico was built in traditional island style by European craftsmen.
Hotel Avenida, reopened in 2004 with additional rooms and extensive renovations, is located near Avenida D. Henrique in the historic and financial center of the city. Hotel Avenida has a bar and snack bar, two lounges (including a game room), hairdressing, beauty, and tanning salons, a fitness center with sauna, conference rooms, and a private parking lot.
Hotel Avenida is distinguished by its personalized attention to business guests and families. With a cozy atmosphere, attentiveness to comfort, and modern amenities, Hotel Avenida is within walking distance of the City Museum, the Public Library, churches and shops.
S. Miguel Park Hotel offers 163 rooms, with the elegance, privacy, and comfort of a 3-star plus hotel. Each room has air conditioning, cable TV, telephone, Internet connection, and hairdryer. The décor brings to the interior common areas the beauty of the garden, making this hotel an extension of nature. Strategically located, S. Miguel Park Hotel stands above the city, near the shopping center, hospital, post office, gas station, police, and botanical gardens.
This is a place of relaxation and entertainment, with an outdoor pool, indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, beauty salon, hairdresser, gift shop, game room, and a modern fitness center. Sample the best of traditional and international cuisines in its unique restaurant.
Hotel Marina Atlântico is scheduled to open in October 2004, with 175 rooms. This four-star, seven-storey building faces the Atlantic and is located on Avenida D. Henrique, the main avenue in Ponta Delgada. It is close to the city center, the museum, library, and a variety of shops and cafes.
This contemporary hotel will provide its guests with a restaurant, bar, room service, laundry, gift shop, heated indoor pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish bath, masseuse, hairdresser, car rental, and private parking. It also will offer aconference room with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment for business functions, exhibitions, and fashion shows.
Guests are invited to use the banquet hall, reading room, games room, babysitting services, tennis courts, and recreational activities, such as whale watching. Hotel Marina Atlântico will have direct, private access to the marina. The exterior architecture, though blending with the traditional feel of the city, stands out as one of a kind: the high-tech design embodies a ship.
Rural São Miguel
The Terra Nostra Garden Hotel is located in the forested hills of São Miguel in the lush Furnas Valley, with its countless calderas, geysers, steam vents and springs. At the heart of the Valley is the tiny spa town of Furnas, with its Italianate architecture and country houses.
It was here, overlooking its own thermal spring, that New Englander Thomas Hickling built his family’s summer home in 1770. Over the years, the owners of Yankee Hall transformed the surrounding orange groves into one of the world’s most extraordinary botanical gardens, filled with exotic trees imported from every corner of the Portuguese empire: acacia, brazilwood, criptomeria, eucalyptus, maidenhair, and oriental plane trees.
Paths wind under the centuries-old trees, past ponds, pools, and springs, and through maintained acres of unusual flowers, shrubs, and trees. Today those gardens are called the Terra Nostra Park, and Yankee Hall is now a splendid villa known as the Casa do Parque. Both form part of the beautiful Hotel Terra Nostra.
Besides 81 gracious rooms, each with its own balcony overlooking the Park, the full-service Hotel boasts its own banquet halls, conference center, tennis courts, indoor pool, outdoor thermal pool, outstanding regional restaurant, exercise room, croquet field, and, nearby, a championship golf course designed by famed Scottish architect Philip Mackenzie Ross.
Estalagem dos Clérigos, a four-star hotel, which opened in 2002, is located in the small village of Nordeste, with its elegant, 19th century seven-arch bridge. Its rooms overlook the ocean and the garden, in which grow unusual species of trees and plants. Nordeste is also home to a rare small bird, the Priôlo, making a visit here a must for Nature lovers.
The hotel’s warm and cozy interior is designed to blend with the natural environment.
The hotel’s restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Terceira Hotels, Terceira Island
Terceira Mar Hotel in Fanal Bay is located five minutes from the center of Angra do Heroísmo, classified as a World Heritage city by UNESCO. The hotel has 139 rooms, each with private balconies and an ocean view, overlooking Monte Brazil or the hotel’s outdoor seawater swimming pool.
This resort-like hotel is equipped with a fitness center, Jacuzzi, Turkish bath, sauna, massage services, indoor heated pool, bar, restaurant, games and reading rooms, gift shop, hairdresser, two tennis courts, and private parking. In addition, there is a banquet hall or conference room, with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. Terceira Mar Hotel is surrounded by a beautiful, landscaped garden, and has direct access to the sea.
Terceira Mar Hotel has just received an Environmental Certification, the only hotel in the Azores to have this status, and the only one in Portugal certified by EMAS (the European Eco-Management Authority). Thus, the hotel not only offers guests the highest standard of service, but does so with attention to energy-efficiency and the economical use of its resources.
Faial Hotel
The four-star Hotel do Canal opened August 1, 2004 on Faial island. With 103 rooms, including seven singles and two suites, Hotel do Canal offers many amenities, including room service, laundry, an outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean an 80-person conference room, reading room, games room, a coffee shop, bar, gift shop, Fitness center (sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, massage, and gym), and hairdresser. The hotel also offers babysitting services, whale-watching and scenic boating trips, scuba-diving, and many other recreational activities.
For reservations and more information, please log on to www.bensaude.pt, or email comercialhoteis@bensaude.pt.
Facts for When You Go…
The Azores, Portugal
Land Mass: 868 square miles
Population: 240,000
Population Density: 90 per square mile
Main Cities: Ponta Delgada (São Miguel), Horta (Faial), Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira).
Time: Four hours later than U.S. Eastern Standard Time
Electricity: 220/110 volts AC, 50Hz.
Currency: The Euro
Language: Portuguese
Air Transportation
Azores Express, a U.S. based tour operator and SATA International, both members of the SATA Group, offer year-round direct service from Boston to the Azores. Summer service is also offered from Providence, RI. International flights from the U.S. come into São Miguel (and to Terceira in the summer). Air connections to all the other islands are operated by SATA Air Azores.
Reservations: 800-762-9995 – Tel: 508-677-0555
www.azore-express.com
SATA Main Office in Azores
Av. Infante D. Henrique, 55
9504-528 Ponta Delgada – São Miguel
Tel: 351 296 209720
Ferry Service
There is regular ferry service between São Miguel and most other islands, as well as between the islands of Faial, Pico, and São Jorge, and between Terceira and Graciosa.
Transmacor
Tel: 292 293334
www.transmacor.pt
Public Transportation
All islands except Corvo have bus and taxi transportation. Rental car services are also available on the eight main islands. Taxi and sightseeing services are available on the island of Corvo.
Portuguese National Tourist Office (New York)
Tel: 212-354-4403 www.portugal.org
Azores Regional Tourism Office
Tel: 011-351 292 200500 www.drtacores.pt
What to Pack
The Azores have an Atlantic climate – mild but given to sudden changes. Plan to bring lightweight clothing, with one or two sweaters for cool evenings. Raincoats are a good idea from October to April, when rainfall is more frequent.
AZORES EXPRESS
Azores Express has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for 14 years. The carrier is part of the SATA Group, which connects the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, with the world. SATA, founded in 1946, offers connecting service to all nine islands in the Azores.
The SATA Group is made up of four distinct companies: two airlines, SATA International and SATA Air Azores; and two tour operators, SATA Express in Canada and Azores Express in the United States. They also offer ground service and handling.
The airline operates a fleet of new Airbus A310s on Trans-Atlantic routes. For more information and reservations, contact a travel agent, or Azores Express at 800-762-9995, or visit its Website at www.Azores-Express.com
Azores Express
P.O. Box 2819
South Main Street
Fall River, MA 02721
Tel: 800-762-9995
Açores - Portugal
Tel: 351 296 209 748
Fax: 351 296 209 701
|
|