First Impressions of Faial
Mentioning the Azores to many people, actually most people, results in a blank stare followed by the obligatory "where's that then?" So perhaps a little geography lesson is in order....
Located about 1600 kms west of Portugal, it is the most westerly point of Europe. It consists of nine islands. Flores and tiny Corvo are the most westerly. Faial Island is part of what is known as the "Central Group". Below is a map with Azores circled to give an impression of their distance from mainland Europe, shown by the yellow line to Lisbon. As you can see, from the most easterly island to the most westerly is a fair distance.
A zoom in....
Fail is shown with the yellow marker. Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink!
And here's a nice sat view of the island itself, showing the major settlements / areas.
Travel time to the Azores from the UK can be as short as 7 hours... it's roughly two and a half hours to Lisbon and then two and a half hours or so to the islands. There is a short lay-over; on the fastest flights it is just about long enough to get between terminals in Lisbon, pass security an such and grab a coffee. Some flights however have longer layovers, so it is important to check this for your flights both ways when booking. Unless you like hanging about in airports for hours!
Landing in Faial can be fun, as mentioned before. On arrival though, you will find a small modern airport that is a breeze to navigate, has all the expected facilities and is, most importantly quick and easy to get out of.
My first impression, travelling in August was the warmth - not a nasty dry heat, but a definite upgrade on the UK's temperatures, also there was a gentle breeze off the sea, which keeps everything pleasant.
In the photo above, you'll see the amazing sky (believe me it's not like this all the time!) and the distant volcano on the island of Pico. There's lots of green. And everything seems very clean and orderly. These are the visual sights that first hit home.
Another thing that will strike you almost immediately is the clean air. The smell of fresh sea air, mixed with the smell of grass (no, not that type of grass) and vegetation. With a residential population of around 15,000, Faial is not full of polluting traffic. Going further, the Blue Island, as it is known, is also attempting to be as environmentally green as possible, with wind farms providing substantial power to augment the standard Diesel powered electricity generation.
The way we should all be doing it..... The Azores also uses geothermal where possible.
Collecting the bags was painless and picking up the pre-arranged hire car was hassle free. Worth mentioning - if you are visiting the Azores in 'peak season', it is vital that you book a car well in advance if you need one. The number of available hire cars is limited, no doubt another environmental decision. Cars usually have small engines, quite appropriate for the small size of the islands. What you need here is something nippy or all-terrain; no need for a motorway cruiser.
The land of the compact hatch, the compact all-terrain and not to mention the flatbed-truck.
Next Up - Almoxarife
