Azores

An Adventure of a lifetime

Faial

Located at the western end of the 5 islands that form the central group, Faial Island has been side by side with Pico every step of the way. The famous and international harbour of Horta helped the exportation of Pico wine and improved the development of this industry. As a major tourist attraction, Horta´s marina has brought a lot of movement to the island as it is a point of connection between America and Europe. The geographical location of the island contributed to the development of telecommunication. Submarine cables from Germany, England and North America, were installed in Faial. It developed the reception and the transmission of worldwide communications, making Faial closer to the World, especially during World War II.

Walking around Horta city center its noticeable the influence of the Flemish culture, the first people who settled on the island, and its impact in their history over the years. When visiting Faial there is a drastic contrast on the island, one side a full blossom vegetation and the other one a dry flowerless side. From the blue hydrangeas to the best view of Pico, the picture completely changes when visiting the Capelinhos, location where the last volcanic eruption occurred in the Azores.

The eruption of the Capelinhos volcano in 1957, which lasted thirteen months, changed the lives of the inhabitants of this island forever, and due to this situation, many inhabitants decided to emigrate to America and Canada. Today, Capelinhos area is a must see, the whole scenario is a life lesson and a demonstration of the reality lived in the Azores. Ex-libris of Faial, the Caldeira crater, is a natural reserve situated at 1 043m, where you can find, in perfect condition, the natural vegetation of the Azores representative on this island before its settlement, a flora sanctuary full of laurel vegetation, and a small lake at the bottom, it amazes anyone who sets eyes in this beautiful setup.