Azores Islands: Where wind and rain play the main roles

Most people know the Azores from the weather report: The high of the same name usually ensures sunshine in Central Europe. But the weather conditions on the islands themselves are a challenge.

The Azores are a paradise for surfers. On the north coast of São Miguel there is one surfing bay next to the other. Huge waves roll toward the beaches, lashed by the wind. The surfing conditions on the Azores are considered perfect: there are bays in all directions – depending on the wind, surfers can choose the ideal location.

Laurence from Lucerne in Switzerland is standing with three friends on the coast near Santa Bárbara and looks excitedly at the sea; he’s already wearing his wetsuit and the surfboard under his arm.

For him, surfing in the Azores is a first. “I saw a video somewhere online. I don’t know from whom. And he said we should take a look at the Azores. Then I googled that. And the pictures looked super cool. And then we decided pretty quickly, to come here. “

Without the wind, which is so important for surfers, there would probably not be so many sailors in the Azores. Robin Kenny, for example. The Briton is a professional sailor and transports sailing ships across the oceans. Today it is a twelve-meter yacht that Robin and his team are bringing to England from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

Classic stopover

The Azores are a classic stopover. It took the crew 17 days to get here. Kenny says: “It started off quite well, but then we got into a storm with a strong headwind, which of course slowed us down a lot. We might have made it in 15 days, but 17 is still good.”

There are still twelve days to Brighton, England. But first there are a few days of rest on the Azores island of Faial. “The island is practically on our route, the wind always blows you here. So a stop makes perfect sense, also to fill up our water tanks, load fresh food on board and refuel,” says Kenny. “You can also have parts of the ship repaired here that may have broken on the crossing.”

Not by ship, but with a small propeller plane, it is almost 250 kilometers north-west – to the Azores island of Corvo. It is already on the North American plate, with only water around it. In such an unprotected location, the wind is particularly strong. And the approach very shaky.

The airport manager guides the machines himself

After touching down there is an emergency stop. Because the slope is only 800 meters long. Airport manager Marco da Silva stands personally on the tarmac and guides the landed machine to the parking position in front of the terminal, which is more the size of a bus stop.

“The airport is very important for Corvo. Because even when there is a strong wind blowing, planes can usually take off and land. At sea it looks different: no ships can sail when the waves are high. After all, we are in the middle of the Atlantic.” “, so da Silva. “Especially in winter the sea is wild. Sometimes no ship can berth or cast off with us for a month.”

Marco has also experienced such bad weather that no aircraft could take off or land for five days. The people on Corvo are then completely cut off from the outside world. “You have to prepare for this, also mentally, and have everything you need in stock at home. The airport represents something like the infrastructure for survival.”

Because groceries and mail also come to the island by plane. Three times a week in winter and five times in summer. Normally. Because almost everything in the Azores depends on the wind.