Perfect island destination for sailing, visiting a famous sailor’s cafe and exploring an extinct volcano.
Faial is known as the “blue island” for the abundance of hydrangeas of a very particular hue. These flowers are fairly common in all the archipelago, and they change color based on the pH level of the soil. This “hydrangea blue” is hard to get, but here, as you will notice, it happens quite naturally and effortlessly.
The scenery changes dramatically at the Capelinhos volcano, where the world seems to stand still. The volcano was active for 13 months between 1957 and 1958 and, after its eruption, the lava that slid towards the Atlantic Ocean added new land to the island’s landscape. Following this trail of destruction, people left their ruins behind, most of them migrating to nearby islands or to North America. These days, despite some plants that started to grow in the area, it’s still deserted enough to make you think about the force of Nature.
Horta, the only city in Faial, is worldwide famous amongst sailors for the almost 100-year-old cafe Peter’s (if those walls could talk… Well, they have enough embellishments pinned all over to tell part of the story, but I’m sure some secrets are very well kept) and for its Marina (decorated all over by the hands of the visitors who sailed to the island).