About Pico

Pico is the second largest island in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. With a landscape dominated by exotic plants and its namesake volcano, Pico is one of the best islands in the Azores for hiking and mountain biking. Wine production also plays an important role in Pico’s culture, with UNESCO protected vineyards in the towns of Lajido, Cabrito and Madelena, which are all well worth seeing. Pico boasts the finest natural swimming holes in the archipelago, too, and the longest lava tube in Europe, which reaches over 3 miles, so there’s plenty to enjoy whilst exploring the island. Given Pico’s central location in the Azores, it is a good departure point for the rest of the archipelago. From the island’s main port on the north-central coast, numerous ferry routes are provided to most of the other islands.

About Santa Maria

Santa Maria is the oldest and southernmost island of the Portuguese Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. Known locally as ‘the island of the sun’ and ‘the yellow island’, Santa Maria boasts the sunniest climate of the Azores and a landscape characterised by dry vegetation and sandy shorelines. The island has a rich cultural heritage, too, which is evident in the town of Anjos, the first landfall of Christopher Columbus on his return voyage from the Americas. Also, each traditional home in Santa Maria’s villages has a distinctively coloured chimney in order to contrast with the whitewashed masonry. Santa Maria also claims the best swimming spots in the archipelago, with a wide choice of stunning beaches and refreshing tidal pools. The most popular beach is Praia Formosa on the south coast which also offers excellent surfing, water skiing and sailing conditions. Santa Maria is well connected to the other Azorean islands by ferry, with numerous routes provided from its port on the southwest coast to almost every island.