The Azores: The Bradt Travel Guide [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by David Sayers (Author) "The nine islands of the Azores and the European Union's remotest outpost are spread over some 600km of ocean (the Economic Free Zone is about..." (more)
Key Phrases: laurisilva forest, hydrangea hedges, whale factory, Ponta Delgada, Santa Cruz, Sao Miguel (more...)

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Product Description
The Azores are the Atlantic Ocean's best-kept secret. Here life is lived at a slower pace. Amid the quiet pastures and pretty fishing villages, a tranquillity reigns which belies the turbulent geological past that gave birth to this cluster of volcanic islands.

Azores: The Bradt Travel Guide allows you to get the very most from a glorious landscape. Scale the rugged sides of Pico mountain or take a gentler stroll to the mythical lakes of Sete Cidades. Walk the length of Europe's westernmost coastline on the island of Flores or dive among fabulous underwater lava formations. You cannot fail to be enchanted by these garden islands of the Atlantic.

This guide contains: information on where to stay and where to eat; clear maps and town plans; information on culture and history; scenic walks; illustrated guide to the islands' key flora; whale-watching, diving and fishing. (5 1/4 x 8 1/2, 272 pages, color photos, illustrations, maps)

From the Back Cover
The Azores are the Atlantic Ocean's best-kept secret. Here life is lived at a slower pace. Amid the quiet pastures and pretty fishing villages, a tranquillity reigns which belies the turbulent geological past that gave birth to this cluster of volcanic islands. Azores: The Bradt Travel Guide allows you to get the very most from a glorious landscape. Scale the rugged sides of Pico mountain or take a gentler stroll to the mythical lakes of Sete Cidades. Walk the length of Europe's westernmost coastline on the island of Flores or dive among fabulous underwater lava formations. You cannot fail to be enchanted by these garden islands of the Atlantic. This guide contains: information on where to stay and where to eat; clear maps and town plans; information on culture and history; scenic walks; illustrated guide to the islands' key flora; whale-watching, diving and fishing. (5 1/4 x 8 1/2, 272 pages, color photos, illustrations, maps)


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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1st edition (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841620262
• ISBN-13: 978-1841620268
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,733,533 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, only Guide, August 25, 2003

By A Customer

Nothing about the Azores islands is what you would expect. They exist in the middle of the Atlantic where there should be no land. Their culture is European, the flora Asian, the terrain a wild meeting of volcano and sea. And, in the midst of these nine Portuguese islands, one finds a common volcanic past, and very little in common. This is the perfect guide, it has all the info you need.

Fist, let me explain first that the Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal, some 2,000 nautical miles due east of Portsmouth, and 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Portugal. They were created by violent volcanic activity some 100 million years ago, and exist at the meeting place of the tectonic plates of Africa, Europe and America. Consisting of nine islands, it is divided into three groups: the eastern (São Miguel and Santa Maria), the central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial), and the western (Corvo and Flores). The islands were uninhabited until Portuguese sailors sighted them in the 1420s. By 1450 the first Portuguese settlements has been built.