Horta

It is said that about 1000 sailing yachts pass through Horta every year, the main bulk arriving from the Caribbean or the US East Coast from mid May on. Now, in early August, the big rush seemed over when we arrived late in the night and tied up to an otherwise empty reception pier.

But it wasn't to stay that way, as Horta just started the big "Week of the Sea Event" with all sorts of regattas, even of remote controlled model sail boats, to cruisers or old whaling boats. In the evenings food stands opened all along the promenade and every night various bands, more or less famous, performed on stages erected on the sea front. Even our favorite rock band, Bild Zero, was here on one evening.

Otherwise Horta remained what it is, a cross-roads of long distance sailors of all flavors. It is certainly all different from the rest of the Azores, but also different from other yachting Meccas, and still a place we like to visit. Now it isn't the much commercialized Cafe Sport that we like to drop by for a small meal, but the simple, local Clube Nautico, where they serve quite a nice lunch, including drinks and coffee for 5 Euros.

So six days passed by quickly, before we moved on to another old favorite, Velas on Sao Jorge.