Welcome to Horta, the charming harbor town that’s stolen countless sailors’ hearts! This colorful Azorean gem packs serious punch into one perfect day. From the famous marina murals to volcanic adventures on Faial Island, we’ll show you exactly how to make the most of your first visit to this Atlantic paradise.
The island of Faial has an extensive network of well-marked hiking trails and paths for every kind of hiking enthusiast, from unexperienced to ultra-fit.
Here’s the 10 best hiking trails in Faial
There are a number of beaches and natural pools in Faial, one white sandy beach, a handful of black sand stretches and various natural or semi-natural pools that should be enough for almost every traveller’s relax, sunbathing and swimming need.
When the weather is nice, the sunsets on the southwest coast of Faial are nothing short of spectacular!
The Morro de Castelo Branco (White Castle Hill) is a fascinating and curious whitish rock formation that lies on the south-west coast of the island of Faial, close to Horta Airport in the freguesia (civil parish) of Castelo Branco.
Just 65 years ago the island of Faial, in the Azores, was 2,4 square kilometres smaller, and had more than twice the population it has today.
Capelinhos, the volcano, was just one of the thousands of submerged dormant cone off the coast of the island of Faial, in the Azores archipelago
Horta is the municipality and the major city of the island of Faial, Azores with around 7000 inhabitants. Founded in 1467 by Josse van Huerter, is now a major stop for yachts and vessels sailing across the Atlantic Oceans due to its naturally sheltered harbour and its Marina, which is one of the main attractions for tourists too.
When we first came to the Azores, almost ten years ago in 2012, we had no idea that we would be living in Faial and call it our home in a few years.
With 19.8 km in length and 14 km in maximum width, the 173.1 km2 of surface of Faial Island, in the Azores central group, have an almost pentagonal shape. It is the third most inhabited island in the archipelago, roughly 15,000 residents.
