Horta : Profile

Location

Horta is located on the SE coast of Faial, which is the smallest of the three "Triangle Islands". The island has one of the main airports in the Azores and Horta itself owes its importance to its sheltered harbour. The town has several beautiful old buildings.
Almost every concrete wall and surface here is covered with paintings done by boats that have stopped here. It is tradition to leave a painting behind (and your paint if you have any left) to commemorate your voyage.
The volcanic eruption of the 1950's is well documented in the cruising guides, but the Island also suffered a major earthquake in 1998, measuring more than 6 on the Richter scale, severely damaging many buildings.

Clearance

On arrival yachts should berth alongside the reception quay (minimum 3 m). The marina office is open 0800-1200, 1300-2000 (seven days a week in the high season April to June).

The offices of immigration, maritime police, customs (Alfandega) and Guarda Nacional Republicana are next to the marina office in the same building. The marina staff will inform the captain of the order in which these officials must be visited, both on arrival and at departure. Normally it will be Harbour Master first, then Immigration and finally Customs, who may or may not be there, depending if a cruise ship has just arrived.

The marina office will assign a berth once clearance is completed. Yachts arriving after office hours should wait at the reception quay until the next morning.

On departure, one should first pay the marina fees, then take the receipt to the Guarda Nacional Republicana and the Capitania for outward clearance.

Last updated July 2008

Docking

It is forbidden for boats, local or visiting, to anchor at Porto Pim (south of Horta) due to the optical fibre submarine cable laid there.

Although the marina at Horta officially has "300 berths", this includes raft-ups, and along the jetty wall yachts raft up to 3 deep in busy season.

Horta Marina
Cais de Santa Cruz,, 9900-017 Horta
Tel:+351 2 9239 1693, Fax:+351 2 9220 8315, VHF Channel 6, 10, 11, 16
www.marinasazores.com, hortamarina@aptosa.com
Opening Hours: daily 0800-1200 and 1300-1700 (in summer until 2000)
Position 38º31.9' N, 28º37.5' W. 300 berths. 20 ton travel lift, fuel, dry docks, repairs. Water & electricity to all berths included in fee (note MAYS sell transformers so you can connect to European power). There is a utilities block in the northern part of the marina with laundry, showers. Telephone, fax and email services are available at the marina office. Bar. Yacht club.