Car Hire Azores - Mini guide to Azores
Azores is situated 1,460 kilometres from the European coast and 3,750 kilometres from North America. This legendary Portuguese island, stuck out in middle of the Atlantic, has its own distinctive charm which enjoys year-round mild temperatures.
The archipelago of the Azores was discovered during the first half of the 15th century by Portuguese navigators, consisting of nine islands, divided into three groups: the eastern (Sao Miguel and Santa Maria), the central (Terceira, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial), and the western (Corvo and Flores).
Visitor will be touched by the sapphire blue and emerald green lakes, fertile prairies, and volcanic cones and craters. The scenery on the islands is typified by colourful hydrangeas and azaleas, 15th-century churches, and majestic manor houses.
The islands are often referred to as garden-like pieces of heaven; you won’t find any concrete jungles here, just sweeping beaches, exotic flower patches, and beautiful sunsets. Although the islands are sparsely inhabited, you are certainly not alone; the surrounding waters are home to hundreds of dolphins and whales, an excellent spot for a bit of marine life watching.
The smallest of all the islands and most peaceful is Corvo Island. Its attractions are the charming villages with narrow cobble-stoned streets. In Caldeirao (an enormous volcanic crater), there are two lakes with nine small islands; each worth exploring by hired boats and offering great snorkeling locations.
On Flores Island, in Santa Cruz, there are fine example of Baroque churches such as Sao Boaventura (Baroque) and Nossa Senhora da Conceiptao (19th century) and the Ethnographic Museum. For day trips, there's the Ribeira Grande Waterfall, great for picknicking and getting in touch with nature, or the nearby lakes of Lagoas, where you can explore by boat seven lakes teeming with nature.
There are flights operated by the regional airline flights from Lisbon to Santa Maria, Ponta Delgada, and Angra and regular boat trips between the islands.
