The Azores

THE Smack in the middle of the Atlantic, nine small islands brave the high waters, mild weather, lush vegetation, adorable dolphins and relatively no danger at all. An Archipelago that technically belongs to Portugal, but linguistically is in a league all of its own. AZORES You can only reach the Azores by plane, which is really sad for people with a fear of flying, but they do have pretty Azorean flight attendants, so there's always an upside to any issue! What in God's name is that? Environmental Facts More than half the bathing areas are blue flag. 13°C Winter Average 24°C Summer Average 41 Important Bird Areas: 30 on land, 11 at sea. A quarter of the land is Protected Natural Space. Population Facts 26% Female 24% Male 1ИИИИ 50% Bovine IИПИИ 111ННИ11 пиппи Getting Here and Moving Around As you already know, flying is the only way to travel to the Azores. There are direct flights from Lisbon, Porto, Funchal, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Barcelona, Billund, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Munich, Paris and Oslo, Boston and Toronto. (Now try reading that again, out loud this time, as fast as you can.) They're all operated by the local airline. remember the flight attendants? $$$ Air Sea Travelling between the islands can be done either by plane or by boat, the former being more expensive and the latter being slower. Time is money, but just how much, and is it more that the airplane fare? Bird watching and sightseeing What to do? Sailing, whale watching. diving and fishing Camping, canyoning, canoeing and surfing Climb Portugal's Highest mountain, Pico (235lm), Choose from a variety of hiking and walking trails. Visit UNESCO World Heritage sites. What to eat? The Azoreans pride themselvs on their healthy cuisine, which includes fresh fish and seafood, season vegetables, local cheese and the best meat money can but from all those grazing bovines. However, there's no need to give up your fast-foot diet, as you can find plenty of deep fried products in the very Western shopping malls and food chains, tucked away behind all those trees and vegetation. When to come? The summer months are of course the most crowded ones, when the sunny weather brings out tourists and locals alike, who flock to the beaches and natural swimming pools, getting cooked under the sun. August is the worst month, as it seems that the whole of Europe goes on vacation during those precious 31 days. We recommend the shoulder months, leaning into the high season without the threat of encountering your bosses on their vacation. May and September are still well within the whales' migration season, and the good weather lasts until late 0ctober. Avoid the crowds and the oumped up prices and choose a calmer date instead. AZORES Now you know. Brought to you by www.yazores.com