Sailing in the Azores
The Azores are in the Atlantic Ocean and are Portugal's territory, although they are located 750 miles from it.
You can find lots of interesting information about the islands on the Internet, so in this article, we will focus on the specifics of the local charter yachting, our impressions, and useful tips for future travelers!
«Why the Azores?» — you will ask. When I was getting my IYT Bareboat Skipper license, my instructor, who repeatedly crossed the Atlantic, told us: «If you ever have a chance, be sure to visit the Azores, I have never seen more beautiful islands.»
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The Azores are an important stop when crossing the Atlantic. But charter yachting is not as popular here, so the choice of charter yachts is small. There are two or three proven companies you can work with — on the islands of Faial and San Miguel.
The Azores are usually divided into three groups: Western, Central, and Eastern. We visited the Central Group, which consists of five islands: Faial, São Jorge, Pico, Terceira, and Graciosa Island.
Each island has an airport. Small turboprop airplanes fly between the islands, and there are also ferries.
Faial Island
Faial is perhaps the first island visited by sailors crossing the Atlantic from west to east. Here you can refuel, get fresh water, make the necessary repairs, and just relax. Sailors gather in the most famous tavern of the town of Horta — Peter's Café with live music, young wine, and tasty meat.
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All food on the Azores is very, very fresh and tasty since it is grown in almost ideal conditions. In fish shops, you can buy any fish that is found in coastal waters, even such exotic as deep-sea morua or moray. When sightseeing on the islands, everywhere we tried the dishes that the locals eat. The Azores are not spoiled by tourists, so the prices in restaurants are rather low, local chefs value their reputation very much and cannot afford to cook poorly.
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The most convenient way to visit the islands' sights is a rental car (the price of a compact car is 20-30 euros per day on any island). When you drive, the greenery around is just amazing. We haven't seen such bright, clean greenery anywhere. In addition to greenery and numerous herds of cows, you drive through small and very cozy villages. When we drove along the island of Faial, we arrived at the westernmost point of the island at sunset and saw how the sun set in the ocean. The view is unforgettable.
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The specifics of local yachting
Since this is the ocean, before leaving the marina on the islands, there is a mandatory check-out procedure where you must indicate the destination of the crossing, the number of crew members, and the estimated time of arrival. All data is entered into a common database.
After arrival to another island, a check-in procedure is mandatory. If the yacht did not arrive at the destination port on time, then after a while, they will begin to search for it.
Beginners who are used to the smooth waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Turkish or Greek coastal waters, may not like crossings in the ocean at first since there are always waves from two, or even from three directions at the same time. This is especially difficult when there is little wind — the sails are not enough, and you have to turn on the motor. When the crossing is 50-60 miles, constant rocking can affect the untrained crew.
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There is practically no anchorage. Everywhere there are rocks and very big depths. On the island of São Jorge, there is only one tiny Velas marina. Nearby, birds are nesting on the surrounding cliffs and performing a wild concert after sunset. During the crossing from São Jorge to Terceira, we met a lot of dolphins. The marina in Hangra do Heroismo on Terceira is large, well-equipped, and sheltered.
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Pico Island
There are three yacht mooring places on Pico Island. The town of Cais do Pico is a small mooring place, protected from south winds and waves from the south and west. Mooring is possible on several stationary buoys. The marina of the town of Lajes do Pico is protected from the north and east winds and has only two places for guest yachts. These are places near the wall at the very beginning of the marina, which are poorly protected from the waves. In addition, the fairway to the marina is very narrow and shallow — yachts with a draft of more than 2.65 will not be able to enter it. The town and port of Madalena is a small harbor, protected from the north and east winds and waves. Ferries are continually coming here, there are several barrels, but they are most often busy.
If you are planning to visit the island of Pico and the volcano — the highest point in Portugal, we recommend that you plan 24 hours for this trip. In the evening you can go from Horta to Madalena by ferry, which will take you one hour. Early in the morning, you can start climbing Pico volcano and return back to Horta in the evening. Do not forget to try the famous wine from local grapes growing on the slopes of the volcano.
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In the coastal waters of the island of Pico, there is a whales and dolphins migration route. There are lots of organized tours for whale-watching. Special observers with powerful binoculars constantly inspect the horizon from the hills in search of whale fountains. When whales appear, information is reported to travel agencies, and speedboats with tourists immediately go to the appointed place. We did not see the whales. But we saw numerous flocks of dolphins of five or six different species.
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The climate in the Azores
In conclusion, we'll talk about the weather on the islands. It is very changeable.
The sun is shining, and clouds can come in 5 minutes, and it will start raining. Seeing Pico without a hat of clouds clinging to the top is a big luck. We have noticed, though, that the Windguru here works perfectly for one day ahead. The best time for yachting in the Azores is the period from early June to September. At this time, the air warms up to 24-26 degrees, and the water is a comfortable 18-19 degrees.
We recommend that everyone traveling to the Azores get insurance on air tickets in case of bad weather. In this case, if the flights are canceled because of the weather, which happens here very often, you will not lose money for missed connecting flights home.
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Yachting in the Azores is not for everyone, at least, not for the first trip. But if you understand and feel the ocean, its magnificent harmony, you will definitely come back here.
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