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shooting the azores: where the wind and the clouds dance

@Gabriel Kent3/1/2026blog

i landed in the azores and immediately noticed the air. it's *dry as a bone, but the temp is holding at 22°c which is perfect for me. i just checked and it's...crisp and thin out there, so if you're hoping for that heavy tropical air, pack extra moisturizer. the locals call this "the breathing air" because it's so light.

if you get bored of faial, pico island is just a short ferry ride away. i heard a rumor from a guy at the bar that the best sunrise shots are on pico, but you have to wake up at 4 am for it. he also warned me about the cows. apparently, they own the roads and don't care about tourists. i almost got run over by one this morning. true story.

i did some recon at the caldeira do faial. it's a massive crater that looks like the earth sneezed. i got some killer shots, but the wind up there is no joke. it almost blew my camera into the ocean. i had to anchor myself with my tripod and my own body weight. worth it though.

someone told me that the town of horta has the best coffee in the azores. i found a place called cafe peter, and they make it strong enough to wake the dead. i also tried the local pastry, bolo do caco, which is like a garlic bread but better. don't leave without it.

here's a shot of the caldeira from the path:


and the town of horta:


and the ocean view from my hotel:


i found a great spot for sunset on the coast. it's not marked on any map, but a local fisherman told me about it. he said it's where the sun sinks into the water and the colors are unreal*. i'll link to his fish restaurant if you ever go: Restaurante O Pescador.

also, for more info on the caldeira, check out this TripAdvisor page. and if you want to book a ferry to pico, this is the company.

here's a map of the area:


i'm heading to sao jorge next. i heard the cliffs there are insane. we'll see.

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About the author: Gabriel Kent

Coffee addict. Tech enthusiast. Professional curious person.

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