default-logo
Azores,Islands, Santa Maria, History, Lighthouse

The History of the Azores Islands

The history of the Azores islands and their discovery is an interesting and often conflicted series of events that reflects on the current Azorean diaspora. The nine islands knowns as the Azores or Açores (Portuguese) were discovered officially in the 15th century. Goncalo Velho...

Summertime Island Hopping on The Azores Islands

If you’re looking for your next bucket-list destination for summer, then look no further then to the 9 Atlantic islands located 90 minutes from Lisbon, known as the Azores islands. The summer here ranges from mid-June until about Mid September. On average, it is between 20...

Guide to Fruits, Flowers and Trees Grown in the Azores

Welcome to Paradise! Located a short two-hour flight from mainland Europe these nine islands are one of the most beautiful island destinations. Their old-world charm and natural beauty add to the unique character that each one of these islands has. The Azores are famous for their...

Portuguese Coffee & Tea Grown on the Azores Islands

One interesting fact I discovered is that the Azores islands are one of the only 2 locations in Europe to grow coffee and the only commercial producer of tea in Europe. I decided to explore deeper into how and why these small islands, located in the North Atlantic ocean, chose to...

Portugal’s Age of Discovery: Madeira & Porto Santo

In the early 15th century, European merchants became accustomed to vast trade with various East regions. They wanted to improve their productivity and route time by finding a shorter path to the east by sea. Many European nations were becoming maritime powers and were starting to...

What is Winter like in the Azores?

The 9 Azores Islands located in the Mid-Atlantic ocean are an oasis of flora and fauna that amazes the senses. The weather patterns in the Azores are very erratic, and sometimes heavy rain on the island can cause short-term flooding, or sometimes even landslides have occurred....

The Best Local Eats While in the Azores

One of the most exciting parts of traveling is enjoying the various foods you encounter on your journey. While in the Azores, this should be no exception! The Azores islands are a group of sustainable islands that flourish in their natural beauty and produce some of the most...

Madeira Islands Annual Spring Flower Festival

The annual flower festival on the island of Madeira is a perfect festival to represent Madeira island’s natural beauty.  The island is known for its unique gardens and exotic flowers, where anything and everything grows in these fertile soils. This is a colorful, fun...

Meals Cooked in a Volcano on São Miguel Island

A past-time for generations on the island of Sao Miguel is the fascinating way they produced their “Cozidho”, which is cooked belowground in a small wooden barrel. This is then filled with all the meats, potatoes, sausage, vegetables, cabbage, and spices, etc. Once it...

Christopher Columbus in Madeira

The legends of Christopher Columbus have become notorious in history with many people debating whether he was the son of a Genoa weaver born in Italy or was he born in Portugal since he never spoke or wrote in his native language of Italian and always wrote in Portuguese and...