The nine islands together make up a total area of 898 square miles. They are divided into three distinct groups: the eastern islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria; the central group: Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial; and the western group, Flores and Corvo. Over 850 miles west of Lisbon, they rest upon the Mid Atlantic Ridge, forming the peaks of that long submarine chain of mountains — and therein lies the story of their birth.
Most of the islands have steep rocky coastlines. Corvo, the smallest of the Azores which is virtually inaccessible to those who don’t know exactly where to land, with low green mountain ranges in a generally pyramid-shaped profile. The island of Pico consists almost entirely of the central peak to which it owes its name, a magnificent volcanic cone of perfect proportions, like a Japanese painting; rising to a height of 7,700 ft, it’s by far the tallest peak in the Azores, taller even than any mountain in continental Portugal.
Due to the rich volcanic soil and to the mild subtropical climate, the Azores are enormously fertile. Even uncultivated regions are lush with greenery and the fields can produce three or four crops a year. With the exception of a few bare mountain peaks and the dry cindery soil in areas of recent volcanic activity, it’s the luxuriant greenness that makes such an impression on visitors, often compared with Ireland’s emerald beauty. The landscape is generally much gentler than in Madeira, much less arid than the Canaries. Owing to the adequate rainfall, water is certainly no problem to the Azores which Nature has further endowed with freshwater reserves in the form of mountain lakes or lagoons, their overspill trickling sweetly down to meet the Atlantic brine.