North Atlantic
On the southeast side of Faial, Horta’s protected harbor has long welcomed whalers and mariners to this island with a population of just 14,000 residents. And one very special café that’s perhaps the most legendary yachting pub in the world, here on the harbor front, still rolls out the welcome mat for all who arrive by sea or air. Fronting the marina, it’s impossible to miss the bright blue façade of Peter Café Sport, which for more than a century has welcomed sailors from the world over for comfort, camaraderie and nostalgia. The bar’s cozy interior is festooned with everything from colorful nautical flags and paper Post-it notes seeking crew to whaling-era and yachting memorabilia from all the world’s oceans. There’s a log book where sailors share notes from their crossings. Peter’s is a one-stop shop offering a table that doesn’t rock and a warm meal atop it, a post office address for sailors to receive mail, provisioning and repair advice, and pretty much anything else a traveling sailor could desire before continuing their seaward journey. It’s the kind of storied place where long lost friends have crossed paths by happenstance, cruising the world’s oceans, new friendships have been forged, surely a romance or two sparked and many a hearty bowl of “whale soup” (the house favorite hearty stew, which is actually made from vegetables and beef) slurped down. And then there are the legendary gin and tonics—brightened up with Azorean passion fruit liqueur—that flow.
Find BEAUTY in UNEXPECTED places while visiting HORTA
28
Powered by FlippingBook