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ICTON 2009 will take place in the city of Ponta Delgada, in the island of São Miguel.
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São Miguel is the largest of the 9 islands of the archipelago of Azores,
located approximately 1900 km of the coast of continental Portugal. São Miguel,
also known as the “Green Island”, is considered among the most beautiful
islands of the north Atlantic, given its luxurious vegetation, deep crater lakes,
geysers, warm sea waters and natural hot water springs. The crossing of the warm
stream of the Gulf of Mexico, ensures a temperate climate with temperatures varying
between 15ºC in winter and 27ºC in the summer and around 20ºC for the sea water.
The latter makes these islands a haven for beachers in search of temperate waters.
The natural beauty of the island landscape makes it one of the most appealing tourist
attractions of the Portuguese territory. Nevertheless, it has been kept relatively
safe from swarms of visitors that are usual in other locations.
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Ponta Delgada is the main city in the island of São Miguel, with a population of
65000 inhabitants. Since this is the capital of the archipelago, a visitor will
find all the main commodities available in major cities of the country.
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A word of advice: If you enjoy nature vacations, consider staying for a few days
before or after the conference.
There are a number of activities to enjoy in the island of São Miguel, here are
only a few.
- At the dates around ICTON2009, the weather should be good enough to enjoy the black
sanded beaches of the island, carved between massive cliffs. You will find the most
populated beaches at a 5 min drive from the city of Ponta Delgada. But if you are
willing to search a bit further, you will find it worthwhile to find the isolated
beaches.
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- Given the volcanic activity in the islands, you will also find hot water springs
and small streams to bathe and enjoy. Just a warning though, the water in these
springs contains a lot of iron, hence its orange color. As such, you should bring
an old swim suit that you do not mind having some trouble washing later. In addition
to the hot water springs, you will also find some lakes
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- Hiking or driving around the island is a must. Although it is not necessary for
attending the conference, you may want to team up with some colleagues and rent
a vehicle. Do it in advance! If you take your time to enjoy the scenery and local
attractions, you will need a minimum two days drive around the island through the
north in the first day, and the south in the second day.
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- There are other activities that we can recommend. These include whale watching,
golf or simply to enjoy local food and drinks. If you happen to like beef, you may
like to know that some of the tenderest meat in Portugal is produced biologically
in these islands.
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Check the ICTON registration soon for conference-sponsored activities.
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Venue
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ICTON 2009 will be held at University of Azores. The University is located at a
5 minutes walking distance from the center of the city of Ponta Delgada. It presents
more than 6 auditoriums and amphitheaters with capacities exceeding 100 people per
room. These rooms are partially located in an auditorium complex, which also contains
the Aula Magna, a large meeting room with a capacity exceeding 400 persons, and
a poster room.
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Travel
Traveling to the Azores islands is easy, although it may become somewhat of a challenge
if you do not know where to go. The simplest way to travel to the conference is
to hire a travel agency. They have all the necessary knowledge to arrange
flights to and from the city of Ponta Delgada.
In any case, you may want to hire the travel by yourself. In that way, you will
want to know that the only airline authorized by the Portuguese government to travel
to the Azores islands is SATA international.
As such, you have the following options to get to ICTON 2009:
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Contact SATA international (+351 296 209
720) and book a direct flight, in case there is one from your location.
The current international locations served weekly by
SATA international are:
- Amsterdam
- Dublin
- Frankfurt
- London
- Manchester
- Boston
However, be aware that further locations may be added to this list until the conference
date. The best way to find accurate information is to contact
SATA international (+351 296 209 720)
directly.
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Book a connection flight from your location to an international location served by
SATA international (+351 296 209 720)
and follow with point 1. However, note that the flights in point 1 are weekly.
So you want to make sure that you will not miss them.
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Get an indirect flight through Lisbon. There are multiple flights from anywhere
in the world to Lisbon. So why not to take a flight to Lisbon, and then catch a flight
to Ponta Delgada? You will have up to three flights per day from
Lisbon to Ponta Delgada. In the same way, you should contact
SATA international (+351 296 209 720) to get complete information.
Accomodation
A List of hotels will be published here soon.
More information click here...
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