In the middle of the immense blue Atlantic Ocean, Mother Nature created an area of unparalleled beauty that is ready to be discovered: The Azores.
This gorgeous, mysterious islands archipelago is of volcanic origin and is situated at almost 1,400 kilometers off the coast of Portugal. The Azores consists of nine islands that are divided into the eastern group of Santa Maria and São Miguel, the central group of Terceira, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial, and finally Flores and Corvo. The largest city, Ponta Delgada is located on the island of São Miguel.
Landscape of the Azores
A taste of the Azores
The islands are characterized by a extreme abundance and impressive nature. The floral splendor is enormous, especially in summer. The landscape of the Azores is very diverse. You’ll find beautiful forests, but also crater lakes, volcanoes, hills, volcanic caves, underwater caves, and sulfur sources.
Because tourism has no excesses, one can still find true relaxation and enjoy the authentic villages with beautiful churches and mansions. The Azores are also plenty of opportunities for outdoor sports such as mountain biking, fishing, sailing and of course not to forget dolphins and whale watching!
Dolphin watching
An overview of the most visited islands
São Miguel, the largest island, seduces you with its crater lakes Lagoa das Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo. You can feel the power of the earth in the geysers, thermal springs, and in the volcanic lakes.
The islands of the central islands of Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Faial and Graciosa are harmoniously scattered in the blue sea, where whales and dolphins welcome visitors.
Faial is characterized by the bright blue colors of the hydrangeas, the colorful marina with murals of sailors from all over the world and the extinct volcano of Capelinhos that reminds a lunar landscape.
Opposite of Faial, you find the Island Pico, the mountain rising from the sea, with its vineyards planted into black lava fields, a unique landscape which is included on the World Heritage List.
Pico Island
These are the Azores. Nine islands, nine small worlds that are so different but also have much in common.
How to reach the Azores?
The Azores are directly accessible from Schiphol with TUIfly. The tour operator TUI, flies directly to Ponta Delgada. You can also fly with the Portuguese flag carrier TAP, with a stopover in Lisbon. Or reach Lisbon with one of the various European companies and then fly with SATA, the airline of the Azores, to one of the islands.
Recently TUIfly opened its first European commercial flight to Pico, the second largest Island of the Azores. From Pico you can take the boat within 30 minutes to Faial and within 40 minutes you can fly to Sao Miguel. This is the perfect getaway if you want to do some Island hopping (which is a must). With TUI you can fly back directly to Amsterdam from where you can fly to all the others cities in the world.