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 Azores Accommodation
Faial Guest & Manor Houses
Faial Holiday Apartments
Faial Hotels
Faial Inns
Azores Golf Courses
Golf Courses in Azores
Island of Faial Guest Book
Faial Forum
Azores Pousada
Pousada Santa Cruz
Azores Wines
Azores Wines
Islands of Azores - Ilha do Faial
This island of 16.000 inhabitants was originally settled by the Flemish in
the 15th Century and was named São Luís. Its length is 21 kilometres and
14 kilometres wide. It is recorded that the island's first inhabitant was a
hermit. In 1468 the Flemish Captain Josse van Huerter was appointed
Governor of the Island through the good influences of the daughter of
Dom João I. He encouraged 2.000 of his fellow countrymen to emigrate
to join him in cultivating and growing plants for the dye industry. In 1567
the first fort was constructed which over the years grew to a total of six.
Between 1589 and 1597 the island was raided by Walter Raleigh, the Duke of
Essex and the Duke of Cumberland, all Englishmen. Anglo Saxon influences
can be seen from the names of properties and during the 19th Century wealthy
Americans held an influence in the island. In 1857 the first Whaling Company
was founded on the Island.
During the first part of the 20th Century this island was considered a
valuable location to contribute by pre-forecasting impending weather
conditions for Europe. Cable links were laid across the bed of the Atlantic
Ocean to relay the information and later expanded in all directions to and
to linkup with other continents. Today it is a prosperous island with
fertile agriculture, a famous destination for yachtsmen crossing the
Atlantic Ocean, and with it they bring an international flavour that can be
seen.
The island has since 1976 been the seat of the Parliament that governs the
Autonomous Region of the Azores and most of the administrative departments
including that of Tourism. There is a museum in the Colégio de Jesuitas
which is mainly devoted to the history of the laying of the underwater
cables. There is also an exhibit of "scrimshaws" in a room above the famous
Chez Peter Café, a popular haunt for tourists and passing yachtsmen
of all nationalities. The island's main attractions are its hydrangea blooms,
the capital Horta and its unpretentious villages. A headland on the
west side of the island named Capelinhos is a dramatic evidence of a
volcano that erupted from the bottom of the sea in 1957 and caused some
2.000 people to become homeless. Close by is Caldeira which is a vast
crater some 400 meters deep which is accessed by a short tunnel. A 2 hour
walk will take the visitor around the rim presenting constant views of the
attractive sight below created by the mass and the variety of the vegetation.
There are regular flights from Lisbon to this island and connections to the
others. Boats are available to the islands of Ilha do Pico, Ilha de São
Jorge and Ilha Terceira. The boat trip to the last two islands
can only be taken in the summer months.
Island
of Faial Weather (detailed)
Detailed Ilha do Faial weather conditions
Island
of Faial Island Photos
Horta
· Horta
· Faial Fishing Boat
· Faial View towards Pico
· Faial Beach
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Island
of Faial Events |
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Rally Ilha Azul
| June |
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Fiestas do Mar - (Horta)
| 1st Week of August
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Azores Islands
Corvo
· Flores
· Graciosa
· Pico
· Santa Maria
· São Jorge
· São Miguel
· Terceira
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Useful Faial Telephone Numbers
