About The Islands
-Flores- the original name for the island is Ilha das Flores. The name Flores is named after the word flower.
-Corvo- Smallest Island in the Azores, it is surrounded by water and is the most isolated island in the Acores. It has around 1000 inhabitants, around 400 of them still depend on cattle raising and winery as a source of income. You can also go and see Caldeirão - a extinct volcanic crater that has a beautiful lagoon.
-Graciosa- The most interesting attraction on the island is Furna Do Enxofre, An extinct volcano with a crater, which it is possible to enter all the way to the very bottom. Many years ago a tower was placed there with internal steps, that leads you rather comfortably to the very bottom. At the bottom there is a beautiful large deep lake. It can be difficult to rent a car on Graciosa, specially during the summer. There are busses which take to all of the island, but only for some time of the day. You have to ask at the tourist office when you are there. So I recommend that you " rent a taxi " for a day, or for some hours. It is very easy to hitchhike. 2 restaurant's which I would like to recommend are Restaurant "O Golfinno" ( also known as "Dolphin") in Carapacho, and Restaurant "Toma-la-da Ca" in Praia.
-Terceira- Terceira is the third largest island, the people who inhabit the island still rely on agriculture for income and there are very few restaurants on the island. The scenery however is hilltop after hilltop of true Portuguese culture. There is one beach on Praia de Vitoria. It is man-made and small, about 1 mile at best, but it is the usual summer hangout for the locals. They have naturally formed volcanic caves (Algar do Carvão and Gruta do Natal) on the interior of the island. It is a very cool experience to go inside and see what the inside of a volcano looks like!
-São Jorge- On São Jorge there are many, many places with beautiful nature, which inspires to walks into the countryside. São Jorge is well known for the tasteful cheese produced on the island. Unfortunately there are no sandy beaches on this island. It is possible to take a ferry from São Jorge to Faial, Pico and Terceira. The ferry to Pico and Faial departs several times during the daytime. The ferry to Terceira Faial departs a few times a week. The airport is situated close to Velas. One of the most beautiful walks goes from the main road with a grade of 600 meters to Faja Da Caldeira. During the decent it's possible to take a " shower " under the waterfalls. Further along the coast you reach Faja dos Cubles. The walk takes about 3-5 hours incl. some breaks. The view's are breathtaking. Velas has several nice restaurants. Especially with nice seafood and cheese.
-Pico- at Pico Island you can climb the mountain, 2351 meters above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in Portugal. Ideally you climb the mountain in the afternoon so you can see the sunset when you are in the top. Then in the morning to see the sunrise you climb a little mountain that is called Pico Pequenino (Little Pico) that the mountain has on the top. From there you can see the islands of Faial and São Jorge perfectly.
-Faial-
-São Miguel- São Miguel has several calderas, and hot springs can be found scattered over the island; mostly in the middle highlands. In the west there is a caldera and volcano crater that is almost filled by the beautiful Sete Cidades twin seas and the town of Sete Cidades. Steep mountain walls surround the lakes, one is azure blue, the other is greyish, and this is explained in a local myth. This is the most famous site of the island and a must see when you go to visit the island! Do- There are some marked hiking trails on the island, for example in and around the Sete Cidades caldera. These are usually one-day trails that any beginner hiker can enjoy. There are organized whale- and dolphin-watching from small boats operating out of Ponta Delgada is increasingly popular with tourists.
-Santa Maria-