Ponta Delgada, capital of the autonomous region of the Azores and the chief town and port of the whole archipelago, is at sea level, has a population of 29,000 and lies in a wide bay on the south coast of the island of Sao Miguel. West of the town is one of the two international airports in the Azores. The pride of Ponta Delgada is its small
university, opened in 1975 and boasting about a thousand graduates to date.
Townscape
The town is built on gently rising ground between green hills, and with its many churches, its trim white houses and the lush gardens on its outskirts presents an attractive spectacle to visitors arriving by sea.