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By Luís Serra, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile
Reading time about 4 minutes
In the middle of the Atlantic, nine green islands rise from the blue. The Azores are dormant volcanoes, lagoons inside craters and a silence broken only by the ocean. An archipelago where nature still has the final word.
Spread across nine islands, the Azores are one of Europe's most astonishing nature destinations. Volcanic lakes, mountains that break through the clouds, whales offshore and a green that never ends. In this guide we gather the essentials for discovering the archipelago, and at the end a few pieces of Azores craftwork born of this isolated land.
What to see in the Azores
Lagoa das Sete Cidades, on São Miguel
Two sister lakes, one blue and one green, rest at the bottom of an immense crater. The legend tells of an impossible love between a princess and a shepherd; science speaks of reflections and depth. Both are right.
Furnas
A valley where the earth breathes. Steam rises from the fumaroles, and in the hot ground the famous cozido das Furnas is cooked, buried for hours. The smell of sulphur is the perfume of a living place.
Mount Pico
The highest point in Portugal rises above a sea of vines planted in volcanic stone, a World Heritage Site. Climbing to the summit at sunrise means seeing the neighbouring islands float among the clouds.
Whale watching
The Azorean seas are among the best in the world for spotting cetaceans. Sperm whales and dolphins cross these waters all year round, and seeing them offshore is a privilege you never forget.
To plan your trip, the official portal Visit Portugal gathers all the information about the region. And to discover the pieces linked to this territory, see our collection by region.
What to bring home: Azores craftwork
On the islands, far from everything, plaited basketry and crochet were for centuries gestures of necessity and of art. Today, each piece is the memory of an isolated land that learned to create beauty with whatever was at hand.
From the volcanoes to the hands that plait, the Azores stay with those who visit them and with those who take a piece of them home.
Discover all the pieces by region at Ra-Ro.
