to the Web Portal of the Azores
Web Portal is dedicated to the Azores, a group
of nine green islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic
Ocean. On this site you can read among other things details
about the islands, useful information for your travel and
stay and see what activities these islands have to offer. Please
visit our webshop,
the Azores yellow pages and
share your Azores pictures in the photo
You can check the latest prices for Hotels in the Azores at:
Region of Azores under Portuguese influence is a group of 9 major
islands and 8 islets called formigas located about 930 miles (1500
km) from Lisbon and 2422 miles (3900 km) from the east coast of the
United States. An autonomous region of Portugal is defined as having
its own government and political and administrative statutes. Tourism
is important to the island and it’s easy to see why. Lovely wineries,
tall mountains and wonderful flora and fauna all contribute to the
beauty and serenity.
of the Azores is delightful, lying in the same general climatic
zone as Lisbon. Moderate rainfall with little season variation
makes it particularly attractive as an agricultural center, but
even more important, as a tourist and retirement location.
the Azores Islands are formed of the tops of some of the tallest
mountains on earth. They are all of volcanic origin, although
there is some coral contribution on the island of Santa Maria.
Azores naturally are grouped into three geographic areas. The
Eastern Group consists of São Miguel, Santa Maria and Formigas
Islets. The Central Group is Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico
and Faial. The Western Group includes Flores and Corvo.
Miguel is the largest and most populous of the islands with over
half the population of the Azores living here. Its nickname is
the Green Island. The nickname comes from the verdant lowlands
and the laurel forests in the hills. Numerous geysers and hot
springs add geological and botanical interest to the island.
Maria is the southernmost and first discovered island of the Azores.
It contains the oldest habitations which are spread across the
entire island, rather than being congregated in one spot. Santa
Maria is well known for its pottery, arts, and crafts.
Islets are a series of small land formations lying between São
Miguel and Santa Maria. Some are hardly more than large rocks.
There is no plant or animal life naturally occurring on the Formigas.
The name formigas means ‘ants’ in Portuguese. The group is guarded
by a lighthouse to assist in navigation around the dangerous rocks
the historical capital of the Azores—the oldest city in the Islands—where
the historic core is classified as a World Heritage Site. 50,000
inhabitants call Terceira home, mostly in the western part. The
north end of the island is a volcano.
a very small island mostly important for its cereal, wine, fruit
and cattle crops. The nickname is White Island, and the name
means ‘enchanting’. The unique Sulphur Cavern is unlike anything
else in the world.
is long and narrow and is also volcanic in origin. Its population
is about 10,000 people in two major districts. The typical crops
are fruits, cereals and cattle.
Island contains the tallest mountain in the Azores, and in all of
Portugal. Ponta do Pico is volcanic. The last major eruption was
in 1963. Pico has a significant tourism presence and a remarkable
wine (Vinho do Pico). The island was known for its whaling industry
Faial Island is The Blue
Island, named for the abundant growth of hydrangeas which bloom
in early summer. This area of the Azores is mainly agricultural,
although tourism is a growing economic boon.
Blue Sea or Buzzards?
is commonly said that the archipelago is named after the
goshawk (Açor in
Portuguese), because it was supposed to be a common bird
at the time of the discovery of the island. However the
goshawk never actually existed on the islands. Some historians
say the islands were named after the their color seen
from afar (azures means plural of blue). Most
however, insist that the name is derived from the local
subspecies of the buzzard that live on the islands(Buteo
buteo). They think the
first explorers erroneously identified these birds