In the 15th and 16th centuries, the world was being divided by two seafaring superpowers: Spain and Portugal. Spain conquered vast parts of the Americas. Portugal built a global trading network from Africa to India and the East Indies. On paper, Spain ruled the Atlantic – but one group of islands deep in that ocean remained Portuguese: the Azores.

So…
Why didn’t Spain conquer the Azores?
Why are they Portuguese, even though Spain controlled everything westward?

Here’s the full story – and the surprising reason why Spain never took them.

🏝️ The Azores: Portuguese from the Beginning

The Azores were discovered between 1427 and 1432 by Portuguese explorers – most likely Diogo de Silves or one of his contemporaries. The islands were uninhabited and located deep in the Atlantic. Portugal quickly colonized them, bringing in settlers from Portugal and even Flanders.

📌 And this happened well before Columbus sailed west for Spain in 1492.
So the Azores were already firmly Portuguese territory long before Spain entered the Atlantic race.

✍️ Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Splitting the World

When Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas for Spain in 1492, tensions grew between the two powers. Both wanted control over new territories. To avoid war, they turned to diplomacy.

In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed. It drew an imaginary line from north to south:

Everything west of that line would belong to Spain.

Everything east would belong to Portugal.

The line was placed roughly 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands (about 1,770 km).

➡️ Crucially, the Azores were east of this line – and so they remained Portuguese.

🛡️ So Why Didn’t Spain Just Take the Azores?

Good question. Spain was powerful, had an enormous navy, and dominated the Atlantic. So why not just invade?

Here’s why:

1. The Azores were already settled and fortified.

By the time Spain became an Atlantic power, the Azores had been settled for over 60 years. They had ports, towns, defenses, and a loyal Portuguese population. Spain would have had to fight Portugal directly – and for what gain?

2. The Treaty of Tordesillas was sacred.

The treaty was backed by Pope Alexander VI (a Spaniard!), giving it religious legitimacy. Breaking it would have sparked a major diplomatic and spiritual crisis – not something Spain wanted to risk.

3. Spain actually did have the Azores for a while – legally.

From 1580 to 1640, Spain and Portugal were under a personal union. The King of Spain (Philip II) became King of Portugal too. During this time, Spain “controlled” the Azores – but through inheritance, not war.

After Portugal regained independence in 1640, the Azores remained with Portugal – as they always had.

4. Strategic balance and pragmatism.

Spain had more than enough on its plate – from South America to the Philippines. Attacking a long-time ally (and fellow Catholic power) over a handful of islands would have been strategically foolish.

🧭 Bonus: Why Brazil is Portuguese (Thanks to the Line!)

Here’s a twist: the Treaty of Tordesillas also gave Portugal a surprise bonus.

When Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in Brazil in 1500, it turned out that part of South America lay east of the Tordesillas Line. So – despite being in “Spanish America” – Brazil became Portuguese.

➡️ That’s why people in Brazil speak Portuguese today!

🧭 Conclusion

Even though Spain was the dominant Atlantic and colonial power, the Azores remained Portuguese because:

They were discovered and settled by Portugal first.

The Treaty of Tordesillas assigned them clearly to Portugal.

Spain respected the treaty for political and religious reasons.

Spain had the Azores briefly under a legal union, not conquest.

Portugal reclaimed them after regaining independence in 1640.

🏁 That’s why the Azores are Portuguese today – not Spanish.
Not because Spain was weak – but because history, treaties, and diplomacy kept the islands under Portuguese control.