|
Santa Maria, Sao Miguel,
Terceira, Fajal, Pico, Flores, Sao Jorge, Graciosa and Corvo are
some 760 miles west of Lisbon.
The largest island, Sao Miguel, is
known for its crater lakes and the capital is Ponta Delgada, which
boasts many fine 17 and 18 century Baroque churches. A place to
visit is the spa resort of Furnas, alive with steam vents, hot
springs, boiling mud and other types of geothermal activity.
Ponta Delagada/Azores: Suggested
places to visit: Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas and Nordeste.
Azores gastronomy: There are many
delightful dishes on the island, made with fresh fish. For dessert
there are a wide variety of puddings as well as excellent cheeses
(the prime example coming from the island of Sao Jorge) sweet and
juicy pineapples, tropical passion fruit and herb tea grown on the
island of Sao Miguel.
Handicrafts: Ceramics, delicate
embroidery and lace, works made of whalebone and teeth to exquisite
floral arrangements crafted out of fish scales, to pieces made from
the pith of fig trees and hydrangea. Also are the miniatures of
elegant whale boats and lovely guitars.
General Information.
These jewels of the Atlantic Ocean, are half way between North America
and Europe. The archipelago is made up of 9 islands: Sao Miguel, Terceira,
Pico, Faial, Santa Maria, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Flores and Corvo.
The Azores are a place of natural beauty
which were discovered by Portuguese Navigators in the 15th century. On
each island you will find spectacular scenery, some with volcanic craters
with sapphire blue and emerald green lakes, soaring cliffs and lush fields
and beautiful blue hydrangeas, others with hot mineral water springs and
geysers. The temperate is mild all year long.
The food of the Azores is delicious. There are
fresh fish and seafood dishes as well as, meat, cheese, pinapples, bananas
and more.And one cannot forget the Verdelho wines from the islands of Pico
and Gracioza, that once graced the tables of the Tzars of Russia. Not to be
missed are the excellent meals at Furnas on the island of Sao Miguel, where
cooking pots are buried in the ground and the food is slowly cooked by steam
from the sulphurous springs…
Traditional handicrafts reflect the folklore of
the Azores. Skrimshaw (objects made from whale bone) miniature whaling boats,
flowers made from fish scales, wicker work, glazed earthenware, and delicate
carvings made from the fig pith.
All in all, the Azores are a wonderful place to
get away from it all and relax and get back to nature.
What each island has to offer:
Sao Miguel and Faial offer the most amentities for the tourist. Sao Miguel is
the most beautiful of the islands, famed for its crater lakes, particularly the
Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire) and the Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lake of Seven Cities),
a spectacular crater with two adjoining lakes of deep blue and emerald green. One
can visit the therapeutic springs and parks of Furnas and Ribeira Grande and the
15th and 16th century churches of Ponta Delgada, the capital of the island with
their richly decorated baroque interiors.Faial, whose capital and principal port
is Horta, is a famous meeting point for transatlantic yachtsmen. Gorgeous blue
hydrangea hedges line the fields. Not to be missed is the spectacular sight of
Caldeira, an immense crater, carpeted in green, the site of Ponta dos Capelinhos,
the HortaMuseum, with its collection of religious art, and the 16th century
fortress of Santa Cruz.Both Sao Miguel and Faial provide facilities for watersports,
particularly big game fishing and each island has an 18 hole golf course.
Sao Miguel: places to visit: Sete Cidades-Lagoa do
Fogo-Furnas-Nordeste
Faial: places to visit: Capelinhos-Caldeira-Horta’s Marina
Teceira, if known for its folklore,rope bull fights,
architecture and gastronomy.
Terceira: places to visit: Angra do Heroismo-Praia da
Vitoria-Algar do Carvao-Biscoitos
Pico is the center for Verdelho wines and the near extinct
whaling industry. The name Pico (Peak) comes from the majestic mountain at its center, Portugals
highest peak.
Pico: places to visit: Vila das Lajes-PicoMountain
Santa Maria, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Flores and Corvo offer
an abundance of flowers, windmills, vineyards, deep canyons, waterfalls and trout, perch
and carp filled lakes and the opportunity to mingle amongst remote pastoral and fishing
communities, which still practice the old traditions and crafts.
Santa Maria: places to
visit: Lugar dos Anjos-Praia Bay-Sao Lourenco Bay-Anjos Bay-Maia Bay
Graciosa: places to visit: Vila de Santa Cruz-Caldeira
Sao Jorge: places to visit: Fajas (fertile low-lying areas of the island)
Flores: places to visit: The lakes of the island-the Rocha dos Bordőes
Corvo: places to visit: Caldeirao
back to
top... |
