Pousada da Horta

The Pousada da Horta is one of the Azores’ most historic hotels.

The hotel began life as a 16^th century fort, built by Spanish King Felipe II to protect Horta’s harbour from privateers and pirates (during his reign as King of Portugal in the 1500s). The fort was still functioning as a military base in the 1800s, seeing action during the US/UK War of 1812 and the Portuguese Revolution of 1821.  The building was eventually designated a national monument in 1947 before being decommissioned and repurposed as a Pousada in 1969.

Location is everything – you’ll be staying on the Rua Vasco do Gama: Horta’s main seafront avenida which runs from the ferry port in the north down to Porto Pim beach in the south. The town’s colourful marina is a minute’s walk away and you’ll have a great selection of restaurants and cafebars right on your doorstep. Of the hotel’s twenty-seven air conditioned rooms, our favourites are their superior sea view rooms – they have a magnificent view out across the channel to the neighbouring island of Pico and her volcanic mountain. There’s also an outdoor swimming pool, an excellent restaurant and bar, and free Wi-Fi.