Published By: Sougata Dutta

The Azores - a place for vacation

Pack your bags and book a flight, have your vacation.

Portugal has two autonomous regions, one of them is The Azores. About 1400 km west from Lisbon, in Macaronesia region of North Atlantic Ocean we can see a cluster of nine islands which are collectively known as Azores. The scenic beauty is splendid along with the mild weather which is quite rare for such northern areas. Here you can go trekking, hiking, driving or just chill In Front of a waterfall below the mountains. It is one of the most peaceful vacation destinations in the world.

History: Intriguing Enough

It is speculated by archaeologists that there should have been humans in these islands before the Portuguese. They have found underground rock structures which might have been used to store foods. But some speculations also suggest that these structures are natural and not man made. It is already known that the locals are of Scandinavian origin rather than Portuguese. These islands were found in the 14th century by prince Henry.

Clusters: 9 Islands in Account

On a surface area over 2000 square kilometres, these nine unique islands are scattered on the Azores Plateau. Corvo is the smallest among them. Flores is full of valleys and escarpments. Faial has volcanoes. Pico is the highest island of the Azores. Graciosa is a geographical mixture of volcanoes and plains. Sao Jorge is visually a long and thin island like a spear. Terceira is known for its circular shape with a large crater. Sao Miguel is the largest island here. Santa Maria is oldest among these islands with brown sandy beaches. And you can spend your vacation in any of these islands.

Things to Do: Infinite

These islands have caves, beaches, forests, hills, plains, craters, volcanoes and what not. You can spend your vacation in your style. These islands don’t only provide you geographical variety but also social, cultural and historical varieties along with heritage spots, churches, museums, gardens, bathing areas and what not. You can explore the natural spots with an adventurous hike or just chill and roam around the islands in a car.

Tourism: Whole Package

Azores is one of the world’s best tourist spots. You can go to Azores at a specific time to participate in specific social activities, you can go for single or multi-island guided tours even for self-drive tour options. Even if you want to keep your group out of the hustle, you can go for small private tours too.

How to Go: Transportation

To go to Azores, you can fly to Joao Paulo II Airport at Ponta Delgada. The internal transport there is based on cars, boats and ships.