, Angra do Heroismo , Azores

Island of Terceira , Azores.

This is the third of the islands we are visiting in the Azores archipelago, and it is getting better by the minute!
After Flores, which was really beautiful and tranquil, we sailed 138 miles of SW winds in record time of 22 hours to Horta, the capital of the Island of Faial. Horta is nice and small. It was a big whaling centre in times gone by. It has a large natural harbour with good protection. A big wind breaker of a mole and the dead volcano, Calera Inferno, makes it an obvious stop- over port for Atlantic crossings yachts. The facilities in the marina are brilliant. Electricity and water are on the quay side and diesel at the reception quay. Laundry is easily reached by walking and within the marina.
The whole area of the marina is like a huge artistic pallet crowded with colours and paintings done by the yachties who have stopped over here. Being a bit of an artist myself I had to do one as well, just to show coming generations and other fans that Yacht Aros More from the Clyde Cruising Club, skippered by David and crewed by Gitte were here in the year of 2009. (Sorry for sounding a bit pompous, but why not blow your own whistle!).
The first week in August the town of Horta hosts a festival to the seas. All visiting yachts were given an invitation from the Mayor of the town. The invite included a bunch of Hydrangeas, A large piece of local cheese and a jar of local honey. A very kind gesture from this remote community, we thought. A vast program of all sorts of different watersports was produced. Other activities including concerts, dances and typical gastronomic art.
We took part in some activities but left early on Sunday 1st August for the island of Terceira, and the main town of Angra do Heroismo. It is a distance of 70 Miles and we motored all the way, as there was absolutely no wind. As we started out before sunrise we saw the volcano of Pico on the island of Pico for the very first time. The volcano could be seen from the marina in Horta but was covered in clouds all the time. We sailed along this magnificent sugar cone of a mountain of 7000 feet up Canal do Sao Jorge. En route we had several visits from dolphins and saw a lot of seabirds.
The city of Angra do Heroismo was in 1983 declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site after a devastating earthquake in 1980. The city is an absolute jewel. All the houses are beautifully kept in many pastel colours all with terracotta roofs. Being the most important town in the Azores due to its superior natural anchorage many explorers called in here for centuries. A lot of history is connected to the town.
The city is buzzing with life and you will always find a nice breezy parasol and a cup of expresso.