Fancy an adventure? But you don’t want to fly halfway around the world for it? Then a vacation in the Azores is probably just the thing for you. Here you can hike through dense jungle, up active volcanoes and along mighty craters. But you can also just chill on the sandy beach or go surfing. In any case, you won’t be bored here. I’ll give you lots of tips for your perfect Azores holidays. What is the best time to travel to the Azores? How much does a vacation in the Azores cost and what else should you consider when planning your trip?
The Azores are a truly spectacular sub-tropical vacation spot in Europe. There are active volcanoes, hot springs, endless craters with crystal-clear lakes, lots of jungle, but also great beaches for swimming and surfing, as well as idyllic fishing villages with a unique culture. A vacation in the Azores is especially worthwhile if you like hiking and being active on vacation. I can assure you: You will definitely not get bored in the Azores.
But since the Azores are a bit more complicated to plan than other vacation destinations, I have summarized in this article all the questions that I myself had at the beginning and for which I could not always find good answers. I hope this helps you a bit with your own planning.
Azores: Profile
The Azores are a chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean and are located 1369 km (850 Miles) west of the European mainland and about 3.000 to 4.000 km from Boston (1.864 to 2.485 Miles). They belong to Portugal but are an autonomous region with their own government and also partly different entry requirements than those on mainland Portugal.
Islands and capitals:
- São Miguel – Ponta Delgada
- Santa Maria -Vila do Porto
- Pico – Madalena
- Terceira – Angra do Heroísmo
- Faial – Horta
- São Jorge – Velas
- Graciosa – Santa Cruz da Graciosa
- Flores – Santa Cruz das Flores
- Corvo – Vila do Corvo
Currency: Euro €
Electricity: 230 volts. You can get by here with normal European plugs (You can find some adapters here).
Population: ~ 245,000 (of which 138,000 live on the largest island, São Miguel)
Flight time: about 4 to 5 hours
Time difference: The Azores are in time zone UTC -1. Depending on the season, the time difference from the east coast of the USA and Canada is 4 or 5 hours.
Azores Flights – What is the best way to get to the Azores?
There are airports on each island, usually located near the largest cities. The easiest way to reach the Azores by direct flight is to the main island of São Miguel (Ponta Delgada). The airports on the other islands are much smaller and are used for traffic between the archipelagos.
But there are also direct flights from some international destinations going to Terceira Island, for example from New York, Boston, Toronto or Montreal. From those cities one flight is around 5 hours.
Flights with a stopover in Lisbon
As an alternative to direct flights, you can take a stopover to Lisbon with a change of plane. From Lisbon, there are many direct flights to São Miguel, Horta and Flores, mostly with TAP air Portugal.
Many vacationers in the Azores also combine their trip with a city break in Lisbon because of the flights. If this also interests you, you can find many Lisbon tips here:
How do you get from the airport to your hotel?
From Ponta Delgada Airport, you can take a taxi for around €10 to the city center or the harbor, where many hotels are located.
You can also pick up your rental car directly at the airport and drive directly to your hotel from there.
There is also an Aerobus shuttle that runs at regular intervals from 7:00 am to 12:00 am. This does not apply throughout the year.
What is the weather like in the Azores?
The temperatures in the Azores are quite constant throughout the year at a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. The humidity is always very high. The water temperatures also do not change much over the seasons, so you can even go into the water in winter.
It rains a lot in the Azores, even in summer. There are also storms in summer, but they are much more likely in winter.
It is not uncommon to have dense fog and rain in the higher regions of the island and glorious sunshine on the beaches at the same time. It also happens that the weather changes completely from one day to the next.
You can still go hiking in the Azores all year round. However, it can get quite cold in the higher regions of the island. So you should definitely take at least a rainproof jacket, a sweater and long trousers with you on your vacation in the Azores. But don’t forget your shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts either. If you plan on doing a lot of hiking, I definitely recommend getting rain gear for your hiking backpack.
The locals often use websites like windy.com for weather reports. Wind speeds are also displayed here and you can see from the colored wind values on the map whether it will be stormy or not. It’s also best to always pay attention to the values for wind gusts. This is because the wind values only ever give an average. However, since the wind never blows constantly, the wind gust values help you to recognize whether you should, for example, rather not go on a hike along the coast or whether it is okay.
The website https://www.spotazores.com/ is also very helpful when planning your trip. Over 20 webcams show the current weather conditions at the most popular spots on various islands. So you know, for example, whether it is worth driving to the craters on São Miguel, or whether the view is completely zero.
Best time to travel to the Azores?
Despite the fairly constant temperatures, there are still some differences depending on when you travel to the Azores. Other factors than the weather play a role in your best travel time, such as the tourist crowds, the possible connections between the islands, costs, when you can see whales and more.
Summer (June to August): This is the peak tourist season. The weather is often at its best with little rainfall. But this is also when the largest number of tourists come, as there are many more cheap direct flights.
Spring: In spring, many exotic plants bloom in full splendor. The weather and temperatures are usually quite good.
Autumn: September to October are, in my opinion, the best months to travel to the Azores. There are fewer tourists, which is probably also due to the fact that the direct flights are more expensive. The weather is still pleasant during these months. Although there are fewer hours of sunshine and it can be quite changeable. However, that’s what makes this island chain so appealing to me.
You have to expect the occasional rainy and foggy day. But the temperatures are still pleasant. Even in October, almost everyone is still walking around outside in shorts and T-shirts.
Winter: The further it gets towards winter, the more likely it is to experience heavy rainfall. The hours of sunshine per day are also quite low. However, it is still quite warm, around 12 to 18 degrees Celsius. However, there are only a few flights to the Azores islands in winter, and these are often more expensive. The good thing about it: Not many other tourists come up with the idea of flying to the Azores in winter.
If you want to watch whales, the best time to travel is from May to September.
Which Azores Islands?
There are a total of 9 islands spread over 3 archipelagos:
- Southeastern Azores (Grupo Ocidental): São Miguel, Santa Maria
- Central Azores (Grupo Central): Pico, Faial, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge
- Northwestern Azores (Grupo Oriental): Flores, Corvo
São Miguel is the largest of the nine islands and offers a good mix of everything. It should definitely be your first port of call. There are also many well-known attractions here, such as the Sete Cidades volcanic crater or the Furnas hot springs. The island offers enough highlights and activities for two weeks. But you can also experience a lot in a week. Most people live on São Miguel, so you will also find a few bars and clubs here, especially in Ponta Delgada. But there are also quieter and more remote regions.
You can find much more information about São Miguel here:
A little more remote and perhaps a good choice for that very reason – especially if you are looking for even more peace and seclusion – are the islands of Flores, Graciosa and Corvo. These are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Flores in particular is special in terms of its geography. There are many natural highlights here, although the island is quite small. Corvo, the neighboring island of Flores, is the smallest island in the island chain and also has the fewest inhabitants. Many tourists take day trips to Corvo by ferry from Flores. You can find lots of tips and the best places to visit in Flores and Corvo in this article:
Pico is characterized by the large volcano in its center. This is why most travelers come here, because you can also climb to the top if you register. The view from the top over the highlands is breathtaking. But Pico is also famous for its wine-growing landscape. It is also a hotspot for whale watching.
Lots of tips for Pico can be found here:
The capital of the smaller neighboring island of Faial, Horta, is a central starting point for all sailors who want to cross the Atlantic. Accordingly, the city is also very lively. In addition, Faial offers many hiking trails through jungles and over craters. The part of the island that was only created 50 years ago by a maritime volcanic eruption is particularly special.
The elongated island of São Jorge is known for its steep cliffs and pastures.
Terceira is a good mix of everything, with most of the island’s coastline consisting of steep cliffs.
Santa Maria is the smaller neighboring island of São Miguel. It is not only the oldest island in the Azores, but it was also the first to be discovered. In contrast to the other islands, there are white sandy beaches here.
How long should you plan for a vacation in the Azores?
In general, I would advise you to follow the motto “less is more” when planning your trip.
For example, if you only have two weeks’ vacation, it makes sense to visit the main island of São Miguel and two other islands. Keep in mind that you will also need a certain travel time between the islands with all the associated procedures, such as at the airport and picking up and dropping off the rental car, etc. A few hours can easily be lost. And with the constantly changing weather conditions in the Azores, something can always go wrong and you may have to reschedule.
It also makes sense to focus on only one other island group besides São Miguel for a two-week trip. Otherwise, all the flying back and forth will simply be too stressful. Below are my personal recommendations for the number of islands and island groups depending on the number of vacation weeks you have available:
- 1 week Azores vacation: Only one island. It makes the most sense to spend your entire vacation on São Miguel.
- 2 weeks Azores vacation: Start with São Miguel and plan 5-7 days here. It is also possible to visit 2 more islands in another archipelago. For example, 3 days on Pico and 2 days on Faial.
- 3 weeks Azores vacation: São Miguel and either 3-4 islands of the central Azores or 2 islands on 2 different island groups (e.g. Faial and Pico as well as Flores and Corvo).
- 4 weeks or more Azores vacation: All islands are possible. However, I would personally rather spend more time on a few islands than have to see them all.
Azores island hopping: how do you get from island to island?
There are basically two different ways to island hop in the Azores:
- By ferry
- By plane
1. Azores Island hopping – By ferry
With Atlânticoline, there is only one provider that allows you to travel between individual islands on the 3 different lines:
- Pink line – This line runs between Flores and Corvo.
- Blue line – This line runs between Pico and Faial, several times a day and takes about 30 minutes.
- Green line – This line also runs between Pico and Faial but on some days it also goes to São Jorge.
- Yellow line – This line is the only option for getting from one archipelago to the next. You can reach all islands except Corvo with this line. Due to weather conditions, this line is only available from May to September.
- Purple line – This line also only runs between Pico, Faial and São Jorge during the summer months.
Important for your travel planning: From October, there are no more ferries from São Miguel to the other islands, as the sea can often be too stormy then.
2. Azores island hopping – by plane
To get to the other island groups from October onwards, you have to fly with Sata Azores Airlines. However, flights are available all year round as a faster alternative to the ferries.
Sata Azores Airlines offers several flights a day to and from all possible islands in the Azores. For example, a flight from São Miguel to Pico costs around €90. And back from Horta on Faial to São Miguel, also around €90.
It’s best to book a flight about 2-3 days in advance. This way you can travel to the islands a little more spontaneously and also take the weather into account. For example, you can check when good weather is forecast on Pico to climb the volcano. Of course, the later you book, the more likely it is that everything will be fully booked. When I was traveling in October, I always managed to get there quite well by booking 2-3 days in advance.
I also always flew in the evening. That way, I had a whole day ahead of me in which I could still do something.
Car rental Azores
In my opinion, the best way to get around the islands is by rental car. There is also public transport, but it is very limited. With a rental car, you are much more flexible and can also get to more remote regions.
What type of rental car is best?
In principle, it is sufficient to book the smallest class with three-door cars, such as a smart. This will get you everywhere. Most of the time I even got a class higher (five-door). Most rental cars are in the Fiat Mistra, Renault Clio or Ford Fiesta league and not the newest either. But for the short distances, and sometimes also worse roads, these are perfectly adequate.
How much does a rental car cost per day in the Azores?
Car rental prices in the Azores vary greatly from island to island. On more frequently visited islands such as São Miguel, Pico or Faial, you can expect to pay around €20-30 per day. However, sometimes it is also cheaper. By contrast, car rental prices on Flores start at €100 per day, even if you book well in advance. This is because there are fewer rental cars available here.
It’s best to use a price comparison site, such as check24. I’ve always booked through them. Sometimes the car rental prices via Check24 are even cheaper. It’s best to check it out yourself here:
Book a rental car on different islands?
A rental car is actually worthwhile on almost all islands. You don’t always have to take the same rental car with you on the ferry. It is easier and cheaper to only rent the car for as long as you need it on each island.
For me, the provider with the cheapest prices was always Ilha Verde. In principle, I recommend booking with the same provider if you are on different islands. The good thing about this is that the €1200 deposit is only blocked once by the credit card. You only have to do this when you return the car after the first rental. Then you will receive a written receipt. You then show this at all further car rental bookings and at the last return, before you fly back home, the deposit will be refunded.
If you book with different providers, the deposit will be refunded, but depending on the bank, this can take a few days. And if you are unlucky, it may be that your credit card will no longer be accepted because of the credit limit.
Tip: In general, picking up and returning the rental car was always quick and easy for me. However, especially in Ponta Delgada, when many travelers want to pick up or return their car at the same time, it can take a while. So you shouldn’t be late in returning your car if you want to catch your flight home on time.
Azores Costs
An important point for your decision to travel to the Azores is of course the costs. These can vary greatly depending on the time of year, the type of travel and also how much comfort you need.
I will give you an overview of the costs of my own vacation in the Azores and also try to reflect on where I could have saved more. Looking back, I can say that the Azores are not one of the cheapest travel destinations in Europe. I paid a total of €2598 for a two-week vacation in the Azores.
Here you will find an overview of all my expenses by item:
I divided my costs into the following items:
- Flights (€577): This includes the return flight and two flights within the islands
- Accommodation (€1231.60): I had a total of 7 different accommodations. 2 of them were Airbnbs and 5 were hotels. I always looked for cool 4- and 5-star hotels.
- Rental car (€429.69): I booked rental cars a total of four times. Twice on São Miguel and once each on Pico and Faial.
- Petrol costs (€114.1): Since I had 4 different rental cars, I had to refuel a total of 4 times.
- Admission fees (€57.6): admission fees for all kind of tourist highlights
Conclusion: I could have saved the most on accommodation, especially if I hadn’t traveled alone but with another person. This would have halved these costs. Besides, I could have booked cheap accommodation. However, I often found good deals for really cool 5-star hotels, for example on trivago.
I could have saved around €100 on the return flight if I had booked a flight with a stopover in Lisbon.
I spent the least on food. But that was also because I had always had a big breakfast included in the hotel price and then I was usually no longer hungry for the rest of the day ;) If there was a buffet, I also took something with me for later, e.g. sandwiches.
I also didn’t pay many entrance fees because I did a lot of hiking and they are usually free.
Azores Accommodations
The Azores offer many great accommodations. Especially on São Miguel, you will find fantastic hotels in the 4- and 5-star categories, which are also known nationwide. But Airbnb and vacation apartments are also a good alternative – especially on the smaller islands.
Here are my hotel tips for São Miguel:
- West: Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico in Ponta Delgada – great rooms with luxurious bathrooms, swimming pool, great bar
- West: Azor Hotel in Ponta Delgada – modern furnishings, cool spa for €10 entry, the best breakfast I had of all the
- East: Terra Nostra Garden Hotel in Furnas – 24-hour access to the hot springs
- East: Tradicampo Eco Country Houses in Nordestinho – a mix between a holiday apartment and a hotel, outdoor swimming pool, local specialties and tips from the owner
Azores Places of Interest – These are the highlights
The following highlights in the Azores should not be missed.
- São Miguel: Sete Cidades
- São Miguel: Furnas
- São Miguel: Salto Prego Waterfall
- Pico: Volcano
- Pico: Gruta das Torres
- Faial: Horta
- Faial: Vulcão dos Capelinhos
- Flores: Waterfalls – Poço Ribeira do Ferreiro
- Fores: Cascata do Poço do Bacalhau
- Flores: Caldeira Rasa e Funda
- Corvo: Caldeirão
Besides these highlights, there are many more attractions on each island.
Which is more beautiful: the Azores or Madeira?
Answering this question is very difficult because both island regions in the Atlantic are amazing and you can’t go wrong with either vacation spot.
Generally speaking, I would say that you will find more sandy beaches in the Azores. On the other hand, the unique laurel forests on Madeira are larger. In addition, Madeira also has more inhabitants and more tourists. So you will also find more opportunities to go out and party here than in the Azores. The Azores, on the other hand, have many more secluded spots where you will often not meet many other people.
If you want to learn more about Madeira, take a look here:
As you can see, you have to plan a vacation in the Azores a little in advance. However, it is still possible to have a fantastic vacation here. Do you have any other Azores tips? Then write them in the comments!
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