With its mild climate and occasional rain in the months of June and July, the Azores provide a green backdrop for most photos.The average temperature in the summer ranges between 22°C – 26°C. As it rains more frequently with heavier winds in the winter, I expected to see homes furnished with a fire place to fight off the dampness. I was told by a Flemish woman, who had recently moved there from Belgium, there is no need for a fire place as the winter temps only drop to 18° C – 22°C. Moist and green, a heaven for vegetation and animal life – this is how I would describe the Azores.

Vinyards on Pico (World Heritage Site)

Tranquility

Cows everywhere...

A four-leaf clover

Hills on Faial

Vegetation on Pico Island

… is what I was asked by almost everyone when I told them of our summer holiday destination. And from now on I can tell my readers… you will find them right here at  Magical Azores Islands.

Bem-vindo aos Açores!

Rob, the webmaster, did an excellent job of allocating all the important topics into one library. Just visit his website and you will probably find all the answers to your questions such as location, climate, beaches, information about each of the nine volcanic islands, etc. When I miss the Azores – we were on Faial in June 2009 – I visit his Magical Azores Islands website.

Bem-vindo aos Açores! This flag was the first thing we saw we stepped out of the Horta airport.

As our rental home was at the end of the village Almoxarife, we enjoyed the country way of life. This included curious looks from our neighbors as we walked by, dust twirling in the air from a passing tractor, a rooster’s wake up call at sunrise, bats circling above us on a starry night and wondering about unfenced bulls (tied down with a rope only) up the street.

There wasn’t any noise pollution except for the creatures’ natural sounds.

country life in the Azores

If you are looking for a quiet place to vacation, then visit the idyllic island of Faial by car or walking tours. Azores: Car Tours and Walks (Landscapes)

One of the most fascinating sites in the Azores was its lush and colorful vegetation. Big cacti greeted us outside the Horta airport, we picked wild strawberries on the outskirts of the crater, mint grew wild in many spots and the roads of Faial were lined with hydrangeas. Blue skies, blue waters, black beaches, but yet so much color inland.

In the early 90s, a British newspaper had complained about the abundance of hydrangeas in the Azores. They had found them too boring.

Wild strawberries - edible ones - growing on a hillside near the crater.

The Azores, with its abundant vegetation, provide a wonderful playground for all island creatures.

For more information on walks and car tours around the islands:Azores: Car Tours and Walks (Landscapes)

This is one of my favorite photos I took on Faial – the moonscape of Capelinhos.

The Azores Islands are volcanic and Capelinhos, on Faial’s western end, is still covered in ash with very little vegetation (the eruption took place in 1957/1958).

This is also the site of the underground Capelinhos Interpretation Centre.