Madeira and the 23 Portuguese speaking islands of the Atlantic

Other than Madeira, can you name another Portuguese speaking island?

Pico Mountain Ascent
Pico Mountain Ascent – Kindly sent by Gill and Andy Tysoe

There are 23 Portuguese speaking islands in the Atlantic but most people struggle to name more than one or two.

Madeira has become the most well known, perhaps due to its close proximity with Europe. The nine islands of the Azores, however, rarely get spoken about, despite being just four hours from London. These islands offer world class whale watching and miles of unspoilt walking trails, so why are people not talking about them more?

Authentic Island experiences for the discerning traveller

To be fair, most of us are a little shaky when it comes to naming the hundreds of small islands around the world. But these are often the best places to visit. Unspoilt and away from the crowds, the low levels of tourism mean that you can enjoy an authentic holiday experience.  

Tailer-made holidays to Portuguese Speaking Islands

Faial AzoresSince discovering the Azores 25 years ago, we have specialised in the Portuguese-speaking islands of the Atlantic. We love to shine a spotlight on each of these wonderful islands, because they often get overlooked but have loads to offer.

Have you heard of Cape Verde for instance? Though some have been to Sal, with it’s large resorts and multitude of watersports activities, very few have explored the other 8 islands in this African Archipelago. Then there are the twin islands of Sao Tome and Principe, a country that is truly in its infancy as a tourist destination.

The Portuguese Empire and the Age of Discovery

Porto Santo
Porto Santo – Curioso Photography – Shutterstock.com

Under the auspice of Prince Henry the navigator, the Portuguese started exploring the Atlantic by heading down the west coast of Africa.  By chance, they came upon the sandy island of Porto Santo (Holy Harbour) next to Madeira, and slowly the adventurous Portuguese started to claim these diverse and strategic islands as their own.

Each archipelago has its own unique identity, although they do share a common volcanic origin with Madeira and Cape Verde being the geological oldest islands and São Tomé and the Azores the youngest.  The climate of these remarkable islands is as varied as the islands are to each other.  

The Azores

Santo Espirito on Santa Maria
Santo Espirito on Santa Maria – Kindly sent in by Eric Dyke

The cooler, more temperate islands of the Azores are the furthest north and lie 900 miles west of mainland Portugal.  The Azores have a year-round mild climate, with average temperatures of 17°C in the winter and 24°C in the summer.  

There are 9 stunning islands, with a landscape similar to New Zealand but only 4 hours away!  Each island has its own unique and proud identity, which only becomes apparent the longer you stay. Corvo prides itself on being the most remote. Flores, for is flowers and waterfalls. Graciosa, a biosphere. Terceira, the cultural and historical beating heart. Pico, for its wine. Faial, with its transatlantic links. Sao Jorge, for its dramatic walks. Santa Maria, being in the lee of Sao Miguel is the driest. Finally, Sao Miguel; the biggest island which has a little bit of all the islands within its shores.

Madeira

Madeira Walking Holiday
Max on his Madeira Walking Holiday

Madeira, being a little further south and off the coast of Morocco tends to be drier and warmer, with average winter temperatures of 20°C and 26°C in the summer. Since the 1860’s tourism here has been flourishing and continues to do so to this day.  Madeira is very much ‘up and coming’ as a holiday destination, particular for those who like active experiences. You can go walking, surfing, canyoning, mountain biking and much more. Funchal is a wonderful city and most people will enjoy a ride up the mountain in a cable car, then a taboggan ride back down. The steep rugged peaks of Madeira have certainly established themselves as an instagramable identity!

Cape Verde

Brava, Cape Verde
Brava, Cape Verde – Kindly sent by Val and Tony Corbett

If you continue south along the west coast of Africa you come to the driest of all the islands, Cape Verde. The islands seldom get too hot and, in the winter the climate is perfect of us north Europeans with daytime temperatures of 25°C and evenings around 18°C.  The name, Cape Verde, implies somewhere green and lush, which is an unfortunate misrepresentation because these islands have very little rainfall and tend to be arid for most of the year.  However, these islands also surprise most people as there is a clear divide between the eastern islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio; which can only be described as desert islands. Which, unlike the western islands of Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao, Santiago, Fogo and Brava are like the foothills of the Atlas Mountains; remote, dramatic, culturally dynamic and could almost be described and a different country!

Sao Tomé and Principé

Pico Cao Grande, Sao Tome
Pico Cao Grande, Sao Tome – Kindly sent by Emma Noon

Finally, as you arrive at the equator, the smallest of the Portuguese islands of São Tomé, Principé and Rolas reveal themselves. These are tropical islands, where the humidity is high and temperatures an almost constant 28°C.  These remotest of islands are a tropical paradise; seldom visited with a feeling of a time now forgotten, where the clocks run slower, the people more innocent and the scenery unspoilt. The journey to these islands is not a straightforward one, but for the dedicated traveller the rewards are definitely worth the effort.

Multi Award Winning Holidays to Macronesia

At Archipelago Choice, we have a knowledgeable team of Activity Holidays Specialists who know all about the AzoresCape VerdeMadeira and Sao Tome.

 

If you’re interested in a visit and would like to talk to someone who has been:

📞Call us, on: 017687 21040

💻Or email: team@archipelagochoice.com