The Azores
The Azores are a group of nine islands and eight small Formigas, situated in the Atlantic Ocean between Lisbon and New York. The Azores are tranquil and diverse and possess an exquisite beauty all of their own.
The Azores all have volcanic origins and some people believe they may even be the remnants of the legendary lost city of Atlantis.
The Azores benefit from a maritime climate, with mild winters and warm summers. Unlike the Canary Islands, the Azores are green with an abundance of flowers.
The Azores are oceanic islands which means that they do not sit on continental shelves but are volcanic in origin. Oceanic Islands tend to be distant from the mainland. The Azores are typical of these type of islands. They are distant from the mainland and are surrounded by the vast ocean of the Atlantic.
The Azores are Portuguese and as such, the architecture resembles the continental Portuguese archictecture. However, the Azoreans architecture does have its own individual characteristics. Because of the isolated location of the Azores, the architecture tends to be simpler than mainland Portugal. This is probably due to the limitations of local materials. The chapels and shrines tend to be relatively small compared to mainland chapels.
Islands of the Azores are:
Corvo Island | Faial Island | Flores Island | Graciosa Island | Pico Island | Santa Maria Island | Sao Jorge Island | Sao Miguel Island | Terceira Island