A group of five stunning islands makes up the central Azores, with Flores and Corvo forming their own group to the west and São Miguel and Santa Maria another to the east. We’re taking a look at all three groups, and this time it’s the central group’s turn. Each of the five islands of Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico and Faial is unique, and as you’ll see they’re all incredibly lovely. Here goes.
Azores tours of Gorgeous Graciosa
Graciosa Island is nicknamed the White Island, just over six miles long and four miles wide, known for its extraordinary natural beauty. Home to four thousand or so people, life here is slow and easy. Step off the boat or plane and you’ll feel yourself relax. Give it a few hours and you’ll be ambling around at island pace. It’s beautiful, there’s no rush, so absorb the atmosphere at your leisure.
Graciosa’s vast volcanic crater contains a wealth of fascinating plants and animals. Walk around the edge for a ton of eye-popping official ‘miradouros’, official viewpoints where the landscapes spread below are particularly arresting. To see inside the crater itself visit the Gruta da Maria Encantada cave. This place is all about high-drama views and the wooden observation tower above it is even better, although not for the faint hearted.
The crater contains another cave, the Furna do Enxofre, which runs deep underground to reveal a cauldron of sticky, thick boiling mud. Think science fiction and outer space movies and you get the picture. It’s weird, weird, weird – but in a good way. The cavern’s huge lake is another awe-inspiring sight, with more bubbling mud. You’re a long way below the surface at this stage, down a 37m spiral staircase with 183 steps, with a tough climb back up. Then head for the Santa Cruz da Graciosa visitor centre, full of interesting artefacts, imagery and exhibits showcasing the island’s history.
Although the Graciosan economy runs on agriculture and wine there are no pin-neat rows of vines like you see in Portugal’s Duoro Valley. Low-slung drystone walls of volcanic rocks called biscoitos outline small square or curved compartments of land. The rocks get hot in the sun then radiate warmth back into the fertile soil after dusk, helping ripen the grapes in the time-honoured Azorean way. Find out how they make their wine at the Adega E cooperativa Agricola Da Ilha Graciosa in Santa Cruz, or buy bottles of Pedras Brancas wine in a local shop.
Take totally amazing tours of Terceira
Terceira is home to the Azores’ oldest city, Angra do Heroísmo. Itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is the capital of the archipelago and as you’d expect from a capital, it has plenty of museums, galleries, churches, shops and other and other indoor attractions.
A stroll around the streets and plazas is an eye-opener in itself, with history making itself felt at every turn. This is the Azores, so take it easy. People-watch. Take an urban hike to the city’s outer reaches where the real people live, see what it’s like to be an islander. The pretty town of Praia da Vitória is another highlight with its vividly colourful buildings, ruined city walls, sandy beach and smart marina.
Terceira’s fringes are just as lovely as its inland landscapes. This place, like every Azorean island, is born of violence and volcanic mayhem, and it shows. But around the edge of the volcanoes that formed the island around eight million years ago you’ll find wonderful sandy beaches.
Once more, the viewpoints are a highlight. Dozens of stunning views are yours and many are best accessed by the road circling the island, which also takes you to most of the most popular towns and attractions. Head up high to the mountaintops on tiny, narrow roads, maybe visiting the Monte Brasil peninsula nature reserve. Once a volcano, the thick lush forests covering the peninsula are a feast of flowers in spring, along a path to the summit where there’s a viewpoint. You can drive there but the walk, if sometimes muddy, is a treat for walker and nature-lovers. The cross at the top commemorates the island’s discovery in 1432.
Head further inland to experience the bizarre Algar do Carvão, an ancient lava tube filled with greenery at the top, with steps down to a complex cave system filled with crystal clear lakes and pools. The main cavern is 46m down, a dizzying vertical drop, and there’s another 46m descent to the lagoon at the tube’s bottom.
Climb the Serra do Cume, 550m above sea level, to marvel at the view from a pair of spectacular viewing platforms. And don’t miss the views from the 1021m summit of Serra de Santa Bárbara, an extinct volcano to the west of Terceira and its highest point. The vistas are mouth-watering and on a clear day you might even be able to see other Azorean islands. Way up here it becomes obvious how very far apart some of these islands are. No wonder they’re all so different.
Seriously beautiful São Jorge
33 miles long, just five miles wide and home to just over 8000 people, there are two ways to get to São Jorge: by air or ferry. In an archipelago where every island is astonishing, the dramatic cliffs, fantasy-like landscapes and curious fajãs – the name for the well-drained sloping land that formed after long-ago avalanches – make it unique. Because Sao Jorge is so steep and hilly, most people live on these relatively flat and fertile fajãs.
This is a very simple place. The town of Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo has no electricity and there are no roads into it. If you decide to go to the island, the cheese is world famous. You can walk to a cheese factory to sample the wares and find out how it’s made, and this is where the only coffee in Europe is grown.
One thing to remember; the island is no stranger to avalanches and earthquakes. March 2022 saw around 1800 earthquakes hit Sao Jorge. Thousands fled and experts were worried there might be a large tremor or eruption. Luckily it didn’t happen. There are constant earthquakes here, more or less every day, so prepare for rumbles whenever you visit. If you want to check out the current status of volcanic activity on the island before you visit, click here.
Meet vibrant Pico island
The Azores second-biggest island, Pico, is home to more jaw-dropping landscapes. Pico Mountain is the highest peak in Portugal, rich in vineyards. Despite the green this is nicknamed the grey island because it’s the most volcanic of all, with curious lava formations everywhere.
The sea is the ultimate in blue and the island’s own wine is a real treat thanks to the volcanic soil and Verdelho grapes. Pico is also loved for its glorious gastronomy so order your food, sit back in the sunshine, sip your wine and fall in love. Or do more wine-loving things. Maybe take a tour of Museu do Vinho, or visit the Cooperativa Vitivinícola do Pico.
If the thought of a lava tube inspires you, go to the Gruta das Torres. This is Portugal’s biggest lava tube and an hour-and-a-half-long guided tour reveals its secrets. You’ll leave shocked and humbled by the sheer majesty of the place and the violence of the processes that created it.
The views from the summit of Montanha do Pico are hard to describe, they’re so… BIG! The only way is to climb, so leave yourself at least seven hours and make sure the weather won’t turn nasty. Like every mountain on the planet, the higher up you go the colder and the more dangerous it is. If that’s a bit much for you there are loads of easier walking trails to enjoy, each as lovely as the last.
The whale watching here is something special. These creatures are magical and it’s such a treat to spot them, most likely between April and October at Espaço Talassa, Lajes do Pico. You can swim too, which gives your visit another lovely dimension. While there are no beaches to speak of, the Atlantic is your playground and there’s a free saltwater pool for safe swimming, the Piscina Municipal da Madalena.
Fabulous Faial
Faial has a Flemish air to it, a different feel from the other islands. Volcanic like the rest, it’s famed for the gorgeous blue hydrangeas that dot the hillsides. The name Faial comes from ‘ faias’, Portuguese for beech trees, and parts of it are freshly verdant. The lunar-like volcanic landscapes at Capelinhos are the opposite, wild and bleak and bare.
A massive volcanic eruption in 1957 added extra land to the original island, connecting it to the mainland with a new isthmus. These days Faial is 67 square miles in size and home to about 15,000 people, and Horta is its capital. The city’s famous blue houses and walls give the island its nickname, the Blue Island, and the grim history of whaling here during the 1700s is thankfully long gone. Sailors spending time here have painted fascinating murals all over the marina walls, an attraction in themselves. Restaurants, shops, bars and entertainment await you in this bustling, colourful and invigorating place. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Angústias church is particularly pretty.
This is a land of dramatic volcanic cones and fertile calderas, pure white houses, smart sailing yachts and an ancient stone fortress, mellow in the sunshine with Pico in the background. You’ll find tiny, quiet coves with soft sand, a picturesque coastline, strange landscapes and lush greenery. The huge Caldeira crater is remarkable, especially when viewed from the five mile hiking trail around its edge.
The Lighthouse of Ponta dos Capelinhos is a survivor of the 1950s eruption, left standing amongst the chaos and worth a visit to dream, imagine, and feel relieved you weren’t here when it happened! The underground museum and visitor centre explains everything beautifully. And whale watching is a big deal here, as is dolphin watching. The seas are stacked with marine life; everything from sperm whales and pilot whales to members of a third of all the whale species on earth. This is whale central, which adds to the magic.
Book Azores tours to discover truly heavenly places
It is a privilege to visit this archipelago, a place where raw geology is rarely far below the surface and wild landscapes rule. People cling on amongst all the natural majesty but the impact humans make on the islands is small, and we have by no means conquered them. While the Azorean islands are small, they’re also kind of mighty. See which of these Azores tours floats your boat.
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