PORTUGAL : The Azores - sightseeing
Situated 907 miles from the European coast and 2330 miles from North
America, Apart from international airports of Santa Maria, Ponta Delgada
and Angra, there are flights to the islands (operated by the regional
airline SATA) and ferry boats between the islands. The islands were
formed during the Tertiary period, in the Alpine phase. The volcanic
origin of most islands is revealed by their volcanic cones and craters.
Pico, a volcano that stands 2,351 metres high on the island of the same
name, has the highest altitude in the Azores. The last vulcano to erupt
was the Capelinhos Vulcano (Vulcão dos Capelinhos) in 1957, in western
part of Faial island, increasing the size of that island. Santa Maria
Island is the oldest Azorean island presenting several limestone and red
clay extensions.
The nine islands are divided into three groups: eastern, central and
western.
The Eastern Group is formed by the islands : São Miguel, Santa Maria and
Formigas.
São Miguel Island is the largest island of the archipelago.l. In Ponta
Delgada, the capital, the famous 18th century portals open up to a
number of monuments that are worth visiting, most of them built between
the 16th and the 18th century: Carlos Machado Museum and churches of São
Sebastião, São Pedro, São José, Colégio and Nossa Senhora da Conceição;
convent and chapel of Nossa Senhora da Esperança and Santa Ana Chapel.
Palaces: Fonte Bela and Santa Ana; Conceição and Santa Catarina; Casa de
Carlos Bicudo and the Paços do Concelho. Other places to visit: Caldeira
das Sete Cidades (green and blue lakes); Lagoa do Fogo; Ribeira Grande;
Vale das Furnas (spas and hot mineral pools) and Vila Franca do Campo.
The Central Group comprises the islands : Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge,
Pico and Faial. The capital of Terceira Island, Angra do Heroismo, has a
beautiful historic centre which has been classified in UNESCO’s
International Heritage list. Special reference to the forts of São
Sebastião and São João Baptista (16th-17th-centuries); the palaces of
the Bettencourts (Baroque) and of the Capitães-Generais; the Cathedral,
with its silver altar front and treasure; the churches of Colégio dos
Jesuítas, São Gonçalo and Nossa Senhora da Conceição (17th-century); the
churches of Misericórdia and Nossa Senhora da Guia (18th-century, the
latter encloses the Angra Museum). Graciosa Island.
On the island of Santa Cruz da Graciosa you will find ancient streets
and manor-houses, a beautiful mother-church (16th-18th centuries), Santo
Cristo Church (16th century), Cruz da Barra (Manueline) and Ethnographic
House.
The Western Group is made up of Flores and Corvo. Besides being Europe's
most westerly point, Flores Island is considered the most prettiest in
the Azores. Its capital, Santa Cruz, has an interesting museum and
several historic monuments. Rising to 2,350 metres, Pico Island is
Portugal's highest peak, attracting climbers from all over the world.
Lajes on the south coast is the region's main whale watching centre.
Tiny Corvo Island to the north west is the blown top of a huge marine
volcano known as Monte Gordo. Its main attraction is a green crater lake
dotted with nine islets. one for each island in the Azores.
The Azores had a population of 238.767 on 31 December 2002.
