The Azores

About the Azores

The Azores

The Azores, officially titled the Autonomous Region of the Azores, are a group of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, at a distance of 1643 km from Lisbon, Portugal, and 3618 km from Boston, USA. The Archipelago is an autonomous territory of the Portuguese Republic, which means that it has an independent Political and Administrative system. The Azores are part of the European Union, as an ultraperiphery region. Read more.

Azores History and Culture

Portuguese navigator Diogo de Silves is believed to have been the first to discover the Azores around 1427, initially landing on the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel. The archipelago remained largely uninhabited until 1439 when settlers began coming over from mainland Portugal. Read more.

Geography of the Azores

The Azores are a Portuguese territory made up of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,360km (850mi) west of continental Portugal. Read more.

Protected Areas

The Azores are home to a wide array of natural reserves, parks and protected habitats, including land sites, waterways, fauna, flora, landscapes, ecosystems and other natural components that, due to their rarity, ecological value and scientific and cultural importance, need to be safeguarded. Read more.

Azores Weather

The climate in the Azores is temperate, with the medium temperatures at 13ºC in the winter and a pleasant 24ºC in the summer. Read more.

Travel Tips

You can get to the Azores by plane, with direct flights from several European cities: Lisbon, Porto, Funchal (Madeira), Amsterdam, Stockholm, Barcelona, Billund, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Munich, Paris and Oslo. Read more.

Food & Wine

The Azorean cuisine is a fusion of local, traditional dishes, and international gastronomy, which has infiltrated the local customs throughout the many centuries in which the Azores were regularly visited by trade ships from all around the world, bearing new spices and aromas, unknown techniques and ingredients. Read more.

Festivals & Events

Visiting the Azores means getting in touch with nature, seeing gorgeous volcanic landscapes with glistening lakes at the bottom of green-lined calderas, dangerous peaks that fall into the sea, intriguing caves that hide surprising secrets, lava tunnels that lead deep into the heart of the earth and awe-inspiring mountain trails that guide you to otherworldly craters. Read more.

Things to Do

Visiting the Azores is allowing yourself to experience things that you never dared to before. Read more.