Looking east to Europe and west to the outer Atlantic, the Macaronesian island group of the Azores has a culture and heritage all of its own, and a remarkably homogeneous population.

The islands are a halfway house between two worlds. As early as the fifteenth century, they were an important trading post for ships plying the routes to the Indies, Americas and Africa. Nowadays, they're vital for transatlantic air traffic and an important cablehead for the latest fiberoptic intercontinental submarine communications cables.

The people of the Azores have travelled to the four corners of the earth, while the islands have always welcomed new inhabitants. And as travellers themselves, they reserve a special warmth for visitors.

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