Azores, Portugal

Azores, Portugal is the name of the group of islands off of the coast of Portugal. The Azores consist of nine major islands and eight small islets, taking up about 373 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. All of the islands were formed from volcanoes, though there hasn't been an eruption in over 40 years. Some of the major Azores islands are actually just the tips of some of the tallest mountains on the planet when measured from their bases at the sea's bottom. Imagine that - living on a mountaintop surrounded by the ocean.

The Azores were originally settled in 1439 by the people of Algarve and Alentejo, only to be taken by King Phillip II of Spain in 1583. Azores was later returned to Portugal at the end of the Iberian Union.

Azores, Portugal was so large that the archipelago was split up into three separate districts (similar to states) between 1836 and 1976;

* Angra included the islands of Sao Jorge, Terceira and Graciosa. The capital, Angra do Heroísmo, is on the island of Terceira.

* Horta consisted of the islands of Faial, Flores, Pico and Corvo. Horta on the island of Faial was the capital.

* Ponta Delgada included the Santa Maria islands and Sao Miguel, with the capital being at Ponta Delgadaon found on the island of Sao Miguel. Ponta Delgadaon is the largest of the Azores cities with a population of only 55,000.

The three districts further divided into 19 municipalities (counties), which are separated by parishes (towns). In all, the Azores have 156 parishes today, though the division into districts did not last. In 1976 the districts of Azores, Portugal were suppressed and the Azores became one of the Autonomous Regions of Portugal, appropriately named Regiao Autónoma dos Acores, the Autonomous Region of Azores.

It takes about two hours by airplane to travel to Azores, Portugal from Lisbon, and only about five hours from the east coast of North America. Tourism is the largest industry of Azores, Portugal, so there is no shortage of hotels and inns to rest your head. But you won't want to get too much rest with so much to do while visiting the Azores islands.

Of course you can spend a day at the beach or go fishing, but there are many other activities to partake in. You can book a jeep safari or go bird watching on Miguel Island. Hike the Mountain of Pica. Take a geological tour or golf at one of two island golf courses. Swim with the dolphins or go whale watching for a day. Want to see it all? You can book a cruise that takes you to see all nine of the Azores, Portugal islands. With so much to do, you'd better schedule a couple of weeks. You won't want to miss one bit of Azores, Portugal.

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