The Azores
São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial
Back in the 15th century, in mid Atlantic, the wind caught the sails of Henry the Navigator's mighty fleet just as a magnificent Buzzard wheeled overhead. "Açor!" shouted the captain, thinking the bird to be a Goshawk. He ordered his sailors to follow it back to its breeding grounds and that is how they discovered the nine beautiful islands which were promptly names Açores, or Azores as the anglicised version has it.
Today very little has changed in The Azores. Buzzards still circle overhead while in the inter-island waters dolphins play with the boats and whales pass through the protected waters. There is wonderful scenery, each island with its own personality and atmosphere.
The archipelago lies some 950 miles west of Lisbon in the Atlantic Ocean and the islands are a semi-autonomous province of Portugal. Volcanic by nature, this is a nature-lover's paradise, combining beautifully unspoilt scenery and a wonderful relaxed, old-fashioned rural charm. 
For generations they have been known by mariners as a stopping off point and today they are still popular with yachtsmen.
During our 10-night holiday we'll be staying on three of the nine islands and visiting another. We start on the largest, São Miguel where we'll spend a couple of days walking in the fabulous scenery and exploring the further points of the island. The volcanic origins will soon become apparent and we'll also be looking for the islands' only endemic bird, the endangered Azores Bullfinch. Our next base will be Pico which takes its name from Portugal's highest mountain which dominates the island. En route we will spend a day visiting the World Heritage Site of Terceira (so named as it was the third island to be discovered). On Pico we'll see why the islands' wines are so unique and naturally have plenty of opportunity to taste them! Our last base will be the island of Faial, renowned amongst international yachtsmen. Here we'll visit the caldeira and the new part of the island formed when a volcano erupted in 1957. Whale watching in The Azores is some of the best in the world with a 90% chance of success. We'll spend two half days, the first from Pico and the second from Horta on Faial and, if 2007 is anything to go by, we're in for a treat!
This holiday offers a delightful introduction to these beautiful islands - and it's almost certain you will want to return!
