Azores - Archipelago

The Azores are a place most people have heard of but never visit unless they stop there while on a cruise.

All the nine islands of the Azores Archipelago are of volcanic origin and are located roughly between 37° and 40° north latitude and 25° and 31° west longitude, with the island of Flores being the most Westerly point of Europe. There are around a quarter of a million people who live full time in this small set of island territories. The group of islands is part of the Portuguese state and is run as the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The islands of the archipelago are divided in three geographical groups: the Eastern Group, comprising Santa Maria and São Miguel, the Central Group, including Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial, and the Western Group, composed by Corvo and Flores. The Azores, along with the archipelagos of Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde, make up the biogeographic region of Macaronesia. This is a name which means “fortunate islands” and was given to them because of the temperate climate they enjoy but it is also true for those who live there and visit them.

The nine islands of the Azores are nearly in the middle in the North Atlantic. They are scattered along a line that is 1, 815 km from Portugal in mainland Europe and 2, 625 km from the Canada on the North American continent. San Miguel is the biggest island of the archipelago, with a length of 62. 1 km and a width of 15. 8 km at its widest point. More than half of the population occupies an area of around 750 sq. km. Along with Santa Maria which is located 81 km away; San Miguel is part of the Eastern Group of the Azores. The highest point on the island is at an altitude of 1, 105 metres and this is Pico da Vara.

Santa Maria Airport is located 5 km from Vila do Porto on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria. Its claim to fame is that for a while, Air France' s supersonic Concordes used Santa Maria for refueling on journeys between Paris and Caracas

If you do stop off on a cruise, which we have a few time now, then you will find that there are a number of excursions that are worth taking. A visit to the twin volcanic lakes is a must. Within the caldera of an extinct volcano you will find two lakes with a causeway between them. The combination of different silt and vegetation has caused them to be different colours. This is not so noticeable on the causeway but once you ascend the nearby road and look back one seems to be very blue while the other is green.

There are many natural reserved areas of the island and the central botanical gardens are worth a visit as is the nearby pineapple nursery. You can also just enjoy the beautiful green mountains or the rich culture by just walking around the capital city of Ponta Delgada.

San Miguel also offers some active activities such as paragliding, horse riding, canoeing, whale watching, diving and surfing if you feel inclined to do a bit more.