Had you never heard of it before? Or are you wondering exactly why the islands of the Azores, on the sites you browse, are sometimes called the blue island, the black island, the green island…? These charming attributes specific to the Azores help you grasp the variety of the islands that make up the archipelago.
Travel to the Azores, a specialist in creating tailor-made travel itineraries within the framework of eco-responsible tourism, answers all your questions on the subject.
1 – What are the colours of the Azores islands and their meanings?
The Azores archipelago is made up of 9 islands, each with its own particularities, and as such each has a colour that defines it. Here is the list of the islands and their colours, from the easternmost to the westernmost:
- Santa Maria is YELLOW – this is due to the presence of broom on the island, these eponymously coloured shrubs proliferating everywhere on the island
- São Miguel is GREEN – the island has the most pastures compared with the others
- Terceira is PURPLE – for the presence of its lilacs and its particularly colourful sunsets
- Graciosa is WHITE – this colour is linked to the island’s geomorphological characteristics, notably the presence of a lot of white clay
- São Jorge is BROWN – thanks to the colour of the rock of Ponta dos Rosais, a protected natural site located on the west of the island
- Pico is GREY – a colour echoed by the ashes of the Pico volcano that gave the island its name
- Faial is BLUE – filled with hydrangeas, just like its neighbours, Faial took on the colour of these flowers
- Flores is PINK – while the presence of floral species often defines an island’s colour in the Azores, Flores is no exception to the rule, thanks to its magnificent rhododendrons
- Corvo is BLACK – its fenced fields and the charred lava of its Caldeira are the colours that inspired the island’s own
2 – Why do the islands of the Azores archipelago each have an assigned colour?
The origin is attributed, though not with certainty, to the writer Raul Brandão in his writings from the early 20th century.
It can also be explained by another theory. For many years, even decades, the Azores archipelago has had the goal of developing the preservation of its biodiversity on a large scale. Indeed, the Azores are fortunate to have a certain autonomy regarding the management of their resources: the second paragraph of Article 6 of the Portuguese Constitution states: The archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira constitute autonomous regions endowed with their own political and administrative statutes and their own organs of government.
This state of affairs allows the archipelago to have the economic and political means to organise the preservation of its environment. Regularly, the conservation areas expand, both on land and at sea. Giving colours to the islands helps make them unique, and draws attention to the incredible variety of landscapes and natural elements that exist. It’s therefore an honourable, very well-thought-out strategy for achieving this goal!
Are you planning to fly off to the archipelago? Travel to the Azores helps you organise your stay in the best way, and creates your tailor-made discovery itineraries based on your budget, the number of days, with respect for healthy and sustainable tourism. We negotiate and book for you all the essential services of your trip and provide you with a personalised guide and an interactive map. Everything is ready before your departure, you have nothing to think about or organise!
Receive your free quote by contacting us at the following address: contact@voyage-aux-acores.com or by filling out the contact form.
