About Graciosa

Graciosa is the northernmost island of the Central Group in the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal in the North Atlantic. With a landscape dominated by clay and whitewashed houses, Graciosa is known locally as ‘the white island’. Offering the perfect scenery for a relaxing getaway, it’s dotted with historic buildings, traditional windmills and picturesque vineyards. It also has the most rural feel of the Azorean islands. As well as being a great location for hiking, diving and fishing, Graciosa boasts natural hot springs in Carapacho to the south, where you can soak in 40°C water renowned for its healing properties. From the town of Praia on the east coast, you can choose from a wide range of sailings to most islands in the Azores, making Graciosa a good departure point for exploring this idyllic archipelago.

About Pico

Pico is a large island in the Central Group of the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the heart of the North Atlantic Ocean. With its formidable, albeit dormant, namesake volcano commanding the horizon, Pico’s grand landscape offers some of the best hiking and climbing in the Azores. The ever changing scenery makes for some gorgeous backdrops, with brightly coloured exotic plants giving way to vast lava rock formations and enticing, natural swimming holes, offering unforgettable walks and bike rides. Pico also has a rich history and deep-rooted links to the whaling industry, ever since it was discovered in the mid-fifteenth century, while boasting a long-standing fine wine culture, with its unique vineyard landscape commended by UNESCO in 2004. As part of the Central Group, Pico is well linked to the majority of islands in the archipelago by ferry, with vessels docking in the town of Sao Roque on the north coast.