what to do in the Azores

Famous for its lofty volcanic peak from which it derives its name, Pico Island is a breathtakingly beautiful travel destination and the second-largest island in the Azores archipelago after São Miguel.

Reaching the summit of Pico mountain in the nine-island Atlantic archipelago of the Azores promises to be the high point (no pun intended) of any hiker’s visit to the region.

Full of customs and tradition, the delightful UNESCO World Heritage city of Angra do Heroísmo has played a strategic role as a mid-Atlantic port over the centuries.

Dotted with flowers, waterfalls and restored scarlet-topped windmills, the enchanting pear-shaped island of Graciosa is a major attraction for nature lovers visiting the Azores.

Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and nestling between two continents, the Azores is one of the world’s premier scuba diving destinations.

One of the tourist highlights for visitors to Pico Island is Lajes do Pico, a very charming seaside town located midway along the island’s spectacular south coast in the heart of the Azores archipelago.

Ideally situated on the southern shoreline of São Miguel Island in the Azores, Vila Franca do Campo is a natural stopover for people en route between the capital Ponta Delgada and the thermal spa town of Furnas in the north-east.

Nicknamed the Blue Island due to its abundance of hydrangeas, Faial in the Azores is like a floating garden of orchards, wild exotic flowers and fertile pastures right in the middle of the Atlantic.

Nestling on the eastern shores of Terceira Island in the central group of the Azores, the picturesque port town of Praia da Vitória features a large bay with a long sandy beach and a modern marina popular with ocean-crossing vessels.

The largest place in the archipelago and capital of both São Miguel Island and the Azores since 1522, Ponta Delgada is a charming city stretched out along a wide bay on the island’s south coast.