The pristine waters of the Azores are a paradise for fishing enthusiasts and the ultimate destination for anglers in search of granders.  Renowned for excellent blue marlin fishing, and considered by many to be the home of the giants, many different species can be found in these waters. 

The waters surrounding the Azores boast a veritable feast of fish and shark. But the Blue Marlin hold a special place of honor--6 out of 10 fishing competition world records were set in the Azores, with the fishers in question catching impressively-sized Blue Marlin. The largest ever caught was 1,189 pounds!

Between the swordfish, wahoo, yellow mouth barracuda and several species of tuna (bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin), fishers may also find different species of shark, the white marlin and the most desired species of all: the great Atlantic blue marlin.

Within 15 minutes of leaving any island, sport fishermen can find excellent fishing grounds as the waters surrounding the Islands drop off rapidly to depths in excess of 3,200 feet.

The best time for fishing in the Azores is from April to October, when fishermen can expect flat calm seas and clear skies.  There are several specialized companies that provide fishing tours: Brasilia Fishing Charters, Xacara or Portugal Sport and Adventure.

If you are into big game fishing, check here the top places in the nine Azorean islands:

Santa Maria – departure from Marina of Vila do Porto;

São Miguel – departure from Marina of Ponta Delgada and Marina of Vila Franca do Campo;

Terceira – departure from Marina of Angra do Heroísmo and Mariana of Praia da Vitória;

Graciosa – departure from Port of Praia;

São Jorge – departure from Port of Velas;

Pico – departure from Madalena, Lajes and São Roque;

Faial – departure from Marina of Horta;

Flores – departure from Port of Santa Cruz and Port of Fajã Grande.

But if you prefer coastal fishing, each island has also top spots where you can have fishing experiences of a lifetime:

Santa Maria – Ponta Negra, Ponta do Marvão and Maia;

São Miguel – Ponta da Brenha, Poços de São Vicente and Ribeira do Nordeste;

Terceira – Silveira, São Mateus and Porto Novo;

Graciosa – Baía do Carapacho, Baía da Folga and Porto Afonso;

São Jorge – Laje do Morro, Baía da Enfiada and Ponta das Eiras;

Pico – Lugar da Furna, Baía de São Roque and Correntes;

Faial – Lajinhas, Ribeirinha and Varadouro;

Flores – Boqueirão (Santa Cruz), São Pedro (Santa Cruz) and Port of Fajã Grande. 

Please make sure that you let us know if you set any fishing world record in the Azorean waters!