FAIAL - AÇORES - AUGUST 1979

THE BLUE ISLAND

Faial was discovered by Diogo de Silves, a Portuguese pilot, in 1427. Different tones of blue - from the sky, the sea and inland, decorating the houses, covering the walls, lining the roadsides, and dividing the fields – justify the name given to the Island. But actually the name Blue Island was created by poet Raul Brandão, due to the large quantity of Hydrangeas that bloom in summer. The island, with an area of 173 square kilometres and roughly fifteen thousand inhabitants, is part of the central group of the Azores archipelago, 4 miles from Pico, 11 miles from São Jorge and 66 miles from Terceira. It is located 28º7'longitude West and 38º6'latitude North. Horta is the seat of the only municipality in Faial, and the liveliest, and most cosmopolitan city of the Azores. Furthermore, it has a fabulous view over Pico Island!"


"PICO - From the Marina of Faial, a fantastic view to Pico"



"PORT AND MARINA - In the 18th century the whaling fleets came to Horta, which became a very important stopping point for the yachts crossing the Atlantic in the 19th century (the port was built in 1876). Horta's location was responsible for Pan American establishing a Clipper base there, as well as for the building of the British, American, French, German and Italian intercontinental submarine cable stations. Today, the Marina is usually filled with yachts which keep stopping here during their trips across the Atlantic and its sea wall is covered with hundreds of paintings and messages left by the sailors who call in at the port. Peter's Café is the meeting point for locals and travellers, as well as the home of the «gin tonic»"


"BAY OF PORTO PIM - The Porto Pim Bay on the right hand side of the photo has a very nice, calm and warm black lava sand beach"


"ALMOXARIFE BEACH is the «other» beach on the island, a wonderful one with a fantastic view of the Pico Island"


"FAYAL HOTEL - There is also a chance of using the swimming pool of the Fayal Resort Hotel, an amazing hotel in the countryside, five minutes from town, and with a marvellous view over the city, the bay and the Pico"


"MOUNT CARNEIRO - Touring the island with a group of friends: from here we can see the Flamengo Valley, the city of Horta and the island of Pico"



"CALDEIRA - Basically in the island centre, the Caldeira is the two km wide and five hundred meter deep crater of the extinct volcano from which the island originated. The Caldeira was classified as a Natural Reserve due to its valuable endemic vegetation and unique landscape. Until 1957 the island was circular (20 km x 25 km) but in 1957 a great volcanic eruption from the “Ilhéu dos Capelinhos”, about 1 km from the coast, projected large quantities of lava and ash forming an islet that later became connected to Faial by an isthmus. This enlarged the island by 2.4 square kilometers"



"MONTE DA GUIA - Another vulcanic cone, with spectacular view of Faial and the Atlantic Ocean".