the marina of horta

GingerBC

The Horta waterfront is mostly locals during the winter months. Loys of boat repairs and cleaning going on in preparation for the next season. Fine with us! The lack of traffic allowed us to study the many paintings along the wall and walkway. So many round-the-world sailors stop in Horta. Quite the place!

301anneh

Every sailor who sails into the harbour leaves a messagenon the harbour wall, quirky and worth a look as you pass.

Grahamlison

If you like looking at moored yachts then this place is fun. Lots of "graffiti" from visiting yachts people.

pjj89511

It is so fun and interesting to walk around the arena and see ALL the murals that folks have left. Some of them are so clever.

Helena1113

Nice Harbour where you can walk and take in the scenery. Peter's Cafe is also in this area..nice place to sit and chat.

maryjoe0777

Exciting to see all the messages painted along the dock by people from all over the world who had sailed here. Very Colorful place besides the excitement and romance of being here.

filmg

If you're a yachtsman crossing the Atlantic, Horta is a good stop. If you're a tourist, it's fun to see the boats, and (maybe) chat with the people. Other than that, there is not much to say. The harbour is best viewed from a cafe, with a beverage.

suec413

We are the second owners of the Sailing. Vessel Piano. We added our dates to the original owners painting on the sea wall. We also took cycles around the volcanic crater, and then downhill back to the base it was awesome! Horta is a great place to begin travels around the Acores. We also visited all of the other islands and found them equally exciting. we fully recommend them to other travellers .

AnthonyG764

Hundreds of yachts cross the Atlantic every year. Most sailors stop in this marina on their way. They also leave a little painting to mark this moment. This is a unique marina, international, with adventurers, sailors, fishermen, whale and dolphin watchers. Unique.

CJSNetwork

We sat on our balcony watching the continual activity in the marina - everything from large cargo boats, coasters, a gas tanker to children learning to sail their dinghies as well as the yachts etc.

NomadicTraveller7

You would not come to the Azores or Faial just to see the Marina of Horta and the paintings by sailors who have docked here. But this is a must see if visiting the island. Wander along the quays and try to think about the great adventures the brave people who made these paintings had, how they gave up jobs and a comfortable life for this once in a lifetime experience to cross or re-cross the Atlantic and how it changed them as people, couples or families. It is nice to see how many people did it as families. Have a drink after in Peter's cafe - Cafe Sport. Think about how many people were desperate to reach dry land and celebrate with a gin and tonic or humble beer in this famous watering hole

Thalassobiote

I am more on the other side of the thing being a mariner and passing by Horta harbour quite often.Nonetheless I would recommend a walk on this quay to everybody fascinated by sailing and travels by the sea. Its best merit is being a real, spontaneus place. Mariners painted the walls for decades now and it is not uncommon meeting a crew playing with paints, brushes and tape to leave thei sign.

TBD1945

come sailors and sailboats to visit this marina. It is better than any boat show. And you must spend time walking the docks and seeing the "art" created by the crews once they make landfall in the Azores. My favorite piece of art...the drawing of a sailboat with the words IT WAS A HARD TRIP.

JRV160

We loved the Horta Marina.. Particularly all the sailor's paintings. There's a great array of yachts of all sizes, and it's clear why they choose to dock in Horta! I'd recommend it, but ideally not when a cruise liner docks, and floods the little town with 'cruisers'!

BruceYork

Yeh - I'm one of those silly people who sailed across the Atlantic (on Anahita) for fun! So after eighteen days at sea it was great to enter the marina at Horta and walk on dry land again.Truthfully, I very much enjoyed our five day rest here & we painted a Betty Boo with our names on (Bruce, Bijan, Roseanne & Paul) not for good luck as many people believe but actually to ward off bad luck. We arrived shortly before the end of May and the weather was still cool to say the least. Out of the wind it was quite pleasant but the iciness of the wind could still chill to the bone.Loved looking round the hundreds of paintings on the walls and walkways was amazing. The atmosphere in the few decent bars also great. And the camaraderie of fellow sailors second to none. Disappointingly (for Paul at least) the women were among the ugliest I've ever come across and must clearly have been the end result of years of interbreeding!Anyway, been there & ticked the box. Unsure why anyone would travel here unless doing a trans-Atlantic.