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Azores |
| The Azores are a popular tourist destination, due to the weather, modest cost and easy access from the east coast of the USA. Here are some wonderful pictures from my client Claire. The islands are great for hiking, exploring and enjoying nature. |
 Church of St Sebastian built around 1455 |
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| The climate of the Azores is very mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by its distance from the continents and by the passing Gulf Stream. Because of the marine influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 61 and 77 °F depending on season. Temperatures above 86 °F or below 37 °F are unknown in the major population centers. It is also generally wet and cloudy. |
 Island of Faial |
| There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the center; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas islets to the east. They extend for more than 370 mi and lie in a northwest–southeast direction. |
 Igreja de Sao Nicolau San Miguel |
 Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz San Miguel |
 Angra do Heroismo Terceira Island |
 Volcanic pools to Terceira Island |
| All of the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity in the time since the islands were settled several centuries ago. Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 7,713 ft. If measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, the Azores are among the tallest mountains on the planet. |
 inside a volcano to Terceira Island |
 Furnas San Miguel |
 Sete Cidades San Miguel |
 Aqueduct San Miguel |
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A small number of alleged hypogea (underground structures carved into rocks) have been identified on the islands of Corvo, Santa Maria, and Terceira by Portuguese archaeologist Nuno Ribeiro, who speculated that they might date back 2,000 years, implying a human presence on the island before the Portuguese.
Wikipedia 2024 |
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Harriet
H. Ahouse | Independent Travel Consultant |