PT-796799

An official from Portugal!! Yay. The last time I got one was last year in May. 

These last days I'm only thinking about my holidays, next week, but this card brought me back some memories of my last holidays in Faial island. 

Faial Island is the 4th largest island in the Archipelago. It is 21km long and 14km wide (173.42km2), which corresponds to 7% of the total landmass of the Azores, and has the 3rd largest population, with approximately 15,000 inhabitants (2011 census).

The island is formed by a line of mountains that crosses from east to west dotted by numerous volcanic peaks. The largest of these is Caldeira, a giant crater that is 2,000m across by 400m deep, the result of intense eruptions that greatly contributed to the formation of the island as it exists today.

PT-796799, sent by Fernando.

At the western tip of the island stands the Capelinhos Volcano that began to erupt in 1957 and ended in 1958. Just a little more than 60 years ago, this eruption deeply marked the island and its effects are still visible today.

The highlands of the island are marked by hills and extensive areas of pasture and forest, which create striking landscapes with an intense palette of greens. The coast is characterized by a great variety of geographical formations, from slopes dominated by cliffs to protected bays, natural pools, and several black sand beaches.

Horta, the only city in the Triangle, is known as the “Sea City”, with a history connected to navigation, international trade, telecommunications, aviation, and whaling dating back 600 years.

Ever since it was settled, Horta has been a place where peoples and cultures from different parts of the world have met and interacted. Its marina is one of the busiest in the world, welcoming more than 1,200 vessels on their journeys across the Atlantic every year. First started centuries ago, calling into the port of Horta is still a mandatory ritual today for sailors from all over the world. 

Today, the island is still recognized for the harmonious way it combines the best of nature on land and sea with this feeling of closeness to the rest of the world––a feeling that stems from sharing, a sense of curiosity, and generosity. - in: https://www.discoverfaial.com