Faial

Faial is one of the nine islands that form the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the westernmost island of the Central Group. Its capital and only municipality is Horta. It is known for being a popular destination for sailors and for hosting the Capelinhos volcano.

Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking conditions on Faial are excellent. There are many farmers who drive around the island and look after their cows, which are often distributed among different meadows. They are more than happy to carry strangers either in the front or back of their pick-up trucks. The back is usually used for animals, so you might get a little dirty. Some people will also bring you straight to your destination.

How to get there
Faial's capital Horta is a very popular destination for sailors coming from all over the world, but mostly from continental Europe. It is therefore probably the most promising island of the Azores for hitchhiking a sailing boat. Otherwise you have to fly in, either from Lisbon or from several of the other islands of the Azores. Within the Azores, you can also take a ferry. See useful information for tips on saving money when taking a ferry. Note that there are very few connections to Flores, which only run in summer and even then are sometimes cancelled due to bad weather.

Useful information
There is a nice walking trail from the Caldeira all the way to the Capelinhos volcano, known as Trilho dos 10 Volcões (27km). You can hitchhike all the way up to the Caldeira and back from Capelinhos and sometimes also in between, if you are tired from walking. Go to the public "swimming pool" in the Atlantic Ocean at Varadouro, and have a shower afterwards in excellent and free facilities.

isin: Azores