The Azores Islands are a group of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, belonging to Portugal and forming an autonomous region of the country.

Quick Scoop: Where They Are

  • The Azores lie roughly in the middle of the North Atlantic, between Europe and North America.
  • They are about 1,400–1,600 km (around 870–1,000 miles) west of mainland Portugal, making them the westernmost part of Portugal and, in some definitions, of Europe.
  • The closest mainland point is the Portuguese coast near Lisbon and Cape Roca.

A Bit More Detail

  • Politically, the Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal, similar in status to Madeira.
  • Geographically, they sit on or near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and all nine main islands are volcanic in origin.
  • The islands stretch roughly between 36.5°–40° N (latitude) and 24.5°–31.5° W (longitude), spread over about 600 km of ocean.

How The Islands Are Grouped

You can think of the Azores as three small clusters scattered across the ocean:

  • Eastern Group: São Miguel and Santa Maria (+ the Formigas islets).
  • Central Group: Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial.
  • Western Group: Flores and Corvo.

Mini Example For Orientation

If you flew straight west from Lisbon, you would reach the Azores after about a 2.5–3 hour flight over the Atlantic; fly further west again and you eventually reach North America.

TL;DR: The Azores Islands are a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km west of mainland Portugal, roughly halfway between Europe and North America.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.