Azores on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at . If measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic, the Azores are actually some of the tallest mountains on the planet. The climate of the Azores is very mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by its distance from the continents and by the passing Gulf Stream. Due to the marine influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between and depending on season. Temperatures above or below are unknown in
Flores Island (Azores) sites were named for settlers of this mid-century period, including Santa Cruz, Lajes and Ponta Delgada. The name of the island of Flores has been made familiar to generations of English readers by the quotation: "At Flores in the Azores Sir Richard Grenville lay...", which is the opening line of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's epic poem, "The Revenge, A Ballad of the Fleet". On 9 September 1591, a small English fleet of six ships under Lord Thomas Howard was anchored in the bay of Ribeira da Cruz in Flores, and was surprised by 53 ships under Alfonso de Bazán. The English