A transatlantic stopover for armed galleons in the 16th-18th centuries and seaplanes in the 1930s, the port of Horta is a dream for all ocean-going yachtsmen, who hope one day to anchor here. On the legendary dykes and quays, where the greatest sailors have docked, every crew or solo sailor leaves a painted trace of their passage (‘or else misfortune’ say the superstitious!), transforming the marina into an open-air art gallery. While you're waiting to set sail on the high seas, this is the place to set off on a whale-watching excursion.