The European tourist destination of the Azores is located in the North Atlantic Ocean and consists of nine islands with 26 active volcanoes, 8 of which are located below sea level in the ocean. The Portuguese archipelago of the Azores is named after the goshawk, as the first settlers of the islands believed that it was the goshawk that was present on the islands, even though the islands were inhabited by the buzzard, a bird of the goshawk family. The nine islands of São Miguel, Pico, Terceria, São Jorge, Faial, Flores, Santa Maria, Graciosa and Corvo, with the three capital cities of Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, Angra do Heroismo on Terceria and Horta on Faial, are the outermost peripheral area of the European Union, where Portuguese is the official language. The Azores are 1500 kilometres off the coast of Portugal and are a popular tourist destination for hiking, surfing and guided whale or other marine mammal tours. Let's take a trip to the Azores with practical tips for sustainable travel on the Portuguese archipelago.
The discovery of the Azores is dated back to 1431 and the Portuguese seafarer Gonçalo Velho Cabral, who arrived in the islands during the Portuguese Age of Discovery in the 15th century. The islands were first defined in writing and graphically in the Atlas of Catalonia in 1375, and settled in 1444, on the largest island of São Miguel. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, the Azores are associated with the mythological fantasy island kingdom of Atlantis, where the Basques, of Spanish and French descent, are said to have lived. On the sunken island of Atlantis, they are believed to have communicated in the Vril language. The settlement of the Azores in the 15th and 16th centuries, led by the Portuguese colony, also brought together other cultures, such as Flemings, French, English, Italians, Moors, Jews and Africans. The Azores myth says that when immigrants came to the islands, they brought their sins with them, and these sins led the spirits of the mountains to cause the eruption of volcanoes. This is how the mountains of the Azores became a volcanic area with active volcanoes and lava.
In 2019, the sustainable tourism destination of the Azores became the first archipelago in the world to be awarded the EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Seal. By developing a sustainable programme and achieving the sustainable development goals, it is working towards a just, dignified, inclusive and sustainable world. It has also been awarded the World Travel Award as Europe's Leading Adventure Destination for 2020 and the following two years, and was named Europe's Safest Destination by the travel website European Best Destinations. The geological development of the archipelago, with its flora and fauna, can be explored in the educational centres on the nine sites on each island, where the cultivation of the pineapple, the natural features and their changes, as well as the history of mankind, are presented:
The educational centres provide a full overview of the culture of the Azores and its diversity. With the capital of pineapples in São Miguel, we learn all about tropical fruit cultivation and the 6,000 greenhouses located on the largest island of the Azores. Learning about volcanoes and geological changes is possible at the education centres on Pico, Terceria, São Jorge, Faial, Flores, Santa Maria and Graciosa. To get acquainted with the Azorean culture, go on a hike to the educational centres.
The Feasts of Santo Cristo dos Milagros Festival, held on the island of São Miguel in the capital Ponta Delgada, is the largest religious festival in the Azores Islands. The festival dates back to the 16th century with the veneration of a Renaissance-style statue of the martyr Jesus Christ, which, according to the Gospel of John, represents the mocking of Christ or the Ecce Homo sign. The largest festival in the Azores and the second-largest festival in Portugal take place on the fifth Sunday after Easter.
The Holy Ghost Festival begins on the first Sunday after Easter, every Sunday in April and May until the fiftieth day after Easter, on the Feast of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost religious festival dates back to the 13th century during the Middle Ages, where the coronation of the emperor is celebrated during the offering of bread, meat and wine. The largest festival is held on the island of São Miguel in the parish of Rabo de Peixe in the municipality of Ribeira Grande. Cult of the Holy Spirit is one of the oldest religious manifestations of Christianity in Portugal.
Festival of the Knights of St. Peter is a cultural holiday and at the same time a municipal holiday of the Ribeira Grande. Residents of the municipality and city of Ribeira Sece on the island of São Miguel celebrate the holiday every year on June 29, to pay tribute to the patron saint of the city of St. Peter. On the day of St. Peter's riders, dressed as kings, knights, spearmen, bouncers and trumpeters, head for the streets of the city, to the church of St. Peter, where the king puts his hoof on the door of the church with a horse, in order to greet the saint and protector of the city of St. Peter
Romeiros — The Lenten Pilgrimages festival in the Azores and the island of São Miguel has been celebrated since the 16th century until today. During the seven weeks of fasting, a group of men takes a ritual walk around the city, stopping to pray at chapels and churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Eight days later, they return to their home village, where they and the locals attend a celebration in their parish. They began celebrating the holiday after a major earthquake in the 16th century, when they experienced a loss of population.
The Good Lord of the Stone Festival was created on the last Sunday of August 1903, when the followers of the Church of St. Archangel Michael are given a ceremony in honour of Jesus Christ at Villa Franco do Campo on the island of São Miguel. A statue of Jesus Christ in a red coat, a stick in the right hand and a wreath of thorns are ceremoniously transferred from the Misericórdia Church to Santo Cristo dos Milagres on Saturday evening, while on Sunday they hold a festive procession through the streets of the Villa, where cultural festival events take place.
The Portuguese Azores are often compared to Hawaii in Europe, as the archipelago of nine islands, with its beautiful beaches, wide waves and idyllic surfing spots, is a popular tourist destination in the North Atlantic. Thanks to the subtropical climate and pleasant temperatures in winter, when the average temperature is 13 degrees Celsius, and in summer, when the mercury reaches 24 degrees Celsius, the surfing season is open all year round. Winter weather in the Azores generates strong waves coming from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the north, while in the summer the waves of inchas from the south, which form near Antarctica and South Africa, dominate. The surfing season happens on all the islands of the Azores, although the most attractive surfing destinations are found on the island of São Miguel, where there are around 10 known surfing spots. The Azores are comparable to Hawaii, located in Polynesia, where resources on surfing beginnings are found.
São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores, offers the most visited surfing spots that can be found in the list of surfing destinations Água d'Alto, Calhetas, Maia, Milicias, Monte Verde, Mosteiros, Rabo de Peixe, Ribeira Grande, Santa Barbara, Santa Iria and São Roque. After São Miguel, the second-largest island of the Azores, Pico, is home to the surfing spots of Areia Larga, Baia da Barca, Cachorro - Baia do Poço, Lajes and Santo Amaro - Baia do Canto. The third-largest island in the Azores, Terceria includes Contendas, Porto Martins, Praia da Vitoria, Quatro Ribeiras, Santa Catarina and São Mateus. There are also plenty of surfing spots on the other islands of the Azores archipelago, where we recommend that beginners enrol in one of the surf schools or surf centres, where everyone can learn the skills of the water sport on a surfboard with the help of water surfing instructors.
The islands' surroundings, with nature reserves, the open sea and well-maintained hiking trails leading to caves and volcanoes, enchant every visitor to the European destination of the Autonomous Region of the Azores with the beauty of nature. We can take day trips to the most popular activities of the moment, to discover the characteristics of a tropical tourist destination in Portugal. From Ponte Delgada, on the open sea, we will see marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, as well as turtles and birds, accompanied by a biologist. Then discover the panoramic views on a guided trek from Vista do Rei and Sete Cidades to Caldeira Seca and Caldeira do Alferes. Terceria Island Nature Reserve - Algar do Carvão, a passage made of lava, where smoke billows from the ground and drives the blood through the veins to go from the geological formation to the Salto do Cabrito gorge, where we will discover the beauty of the natural springs with a canyoning instructor. Lastly, near Villa Franco do Campo, we will explore the seabed through a glass window on the boat.
Continuing along the current trails leads to the discovery of the volcanic world and the traditional Portuguese dish Cozido das Furnas, with views of the green landscape in the two towns of Furnas and Nordeste. From Angra do Heroismo, take the five-kilometre Dark Mysteries hiking tour, with views of Lagoa do Negro and Lagoinha do Vale Fundo. To the tea plantation in the Furnas Valley, we stop in the village of Lagoa, where we will witness a presentation of traditional ceramics with a rest by the Furnas Lake and, at the very end of the tour, a view from the Pico de Ferro belvedere. A morning kayaking adventure on the shores of Villa Franco do Campo and a tour of 4.5 kilometres will take you to explore the surroundings and go snorkelling, while a shorter tour to the nature reserve with a naturalist guide will teach you about the volcanic crater and the history of geological changes on São Miguel.
The tropical environment of the Azores, with its abundance of opportunities for activities such as marine animal watching, hiking tours, kayaking, diving, surfing and other sports, makes it an ideal tourist destination, offering volcanic holidays in the nature reserves of the nine islands of the Portuguese archipelago. In four parts, Mateja's article Azores, a European oasis brings us closer to her personal experience of life in the Azores and the culture of the Portuguese world in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy the picturesque scenery of the Azores, with views of craters and green fields.
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