The Azores – an introduction
The Azores comprise a group of nine volcanic islands situated along the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge halfway between North America and Europe. Portugal to which these islands belong is a 2.5 hour flight or 1,500 km to the east.
Pico island is considered one of the most beautiful of the Azorean islands. Pico is located right on the edge where the African continental plate drifts away from the American plate and is dominated by an old volcano of the same name. The Pico rises up steeply from the sea to a towering height of 2,351 m making it the highest mountain of Portugal. Only 5 km off the coast, however, the ocean floor drops to a depth of 1600 m.
Pico is a green island with a dazzling variety of colours. February is the month for picking oranges fresh from the trees. In July, walls of blue and white Hydrangeas line the roads. In August wild ginger lilies dominate the landscape with their yellow glow and sweet smell. Tasty grapes for Pico’s famous red and white wines are harvested in August and September. The island’s climate is warm-temperate, often humid. The summer maximum is around 30°C and even in winter, temperatures seldom sink below 15°C.
A journey to Pico is a journey into the past. Life on Pico has its own slower rhythm. The tranquillity and relaxation of the people combined with spectacular nature and beautiful landscapes make it ideal for a secluded vacation. But there is also plenty of opportunity for people who prefer active and adventurous holidays. Most favourite activities on Pico include diving, snorkeling, hiking and Whale-Watching.
Diving in the Azores is best during the months of May to October but you can actually dive all year round. Visibility around the islands is outstanding, and the water temperature a pleasant 22 -23 celcius making the diving even more of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. . Pico’s conditions and probability are so good here that we will actually guarantee an encounter with the big Atlantic fish and the lava formations under water, which resulted from volcanic flow in the past. Divers will frequently see groupa, mackerel, barracudas, yellow-fin tuna and trigger fish. Common stingrays grow to enormous size in these waters. Even large mantas are sometimes encountered. Small sea creatures such as sea spiders, sea urchins, tubeworm, octopus, moray eels and lobsters hide in the small underwater formations. Night dives are particularly spectacular since the luminescent plankton can provide an eerie glow at certain times of the year. Shrimp in huge swarms provide rainbow colours and nudibranches and anemones provide colours as well. Around the island of Pico, there are over 35 dive spots with caves, grottos as well as walls, flats and seamounds close to the island. Again, the tremendous variety of species within a very short distance is a divers dream. Diving in the Azores is a great way to swim with turtles and diving birds, to find black coral and soft coral and scores of other beautiful species.
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You've booked your diving trip and you are telling everyone where your off to for your diving this summer. Everyone will tell you that sounds lovely, but then asks "Azores where are they?" that is when you know it's somewhere special. Has anyone asked you where the Red Sea is?
dive the dive, dive the difference
