Guide to Azores Islands

The archipelago of the Azores (Portuguese: Açores) is an autonomous region of Portugal. This group of islands of the Atlantic Ocean is an ultra-peripheral area of the European Union.

Latest census data reports just over a quarter of a million residents live on these islands but with a diaspora of more than two million living overseas, primarily in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and mainland Europe. In the Channel Islands they have for long formed a substantial minority so that public phoneboxes feature dialling instructions in the Azores dialect.

The Azores consist primarily of 9 main islands:

The islands form three groups; travel between groups is more difficult than within them:

• Western islands: Corvo and Flores – small, sparsely populated, secluded
• Central islands: Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge, and Graciosa – easy to travel between, vineyards
• Eastern islands: São Miguel (biggest island) and Santa Maria

Açores (uh-SOH-r(ih)sh, /ɐ.ˈso.ɾɨʃ/)

These nine volcanic islands are situated in the northern Atlantic, about 1500 km from the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula and about 3900 km from North America. Seismic activity, though rare, still occurs on occasion.

The Azores have three cities recognized as "capitals":

• Ponta Delgada — Presidency of the regional government, economic capital
• Angra do Heroísmo — Representative of the Portuguese Republic, historic capital
• Horta — Legislative Assembly

High season is summer — late June, July, August — when the weather is warm and children are on school vacation. Middle season (shoulder season) is spring and fall — April, May, early June, and September, October — when the weather is cooler and it is less crowded; this is a very good time for hiking. Low season is winter — November through March — and some places are closed.

History

While ancient and medieval legends tell about Atlantic islands which could have been the Azores, the first known inhabitants were Portuguese, who discovered and settled them in the 15th century. The Azores became an important waypoint during the Age of Discovery.

Climate

The weather is mild, but frequently changing. It never gets very hot or very cold, but it can easily go from sun to rain and back in a day. It is often windy, sometimes very windy. A light rain jacket is advisable most of the year.

The archipelago is spread out in the area between 37° N and the parallels of latitude that pass through the Lisbon area (38° 43' / 38° 55' N), giving it generally a tepid, and oceanic climate, with mild annual oscillations. Daily maximum temperatures usually range 15-25 °C. The average annual rainfall increases from east to west, and it ranges 700-1600 mm annually on average, reaching 6300 mm on Mount Pico, the highest Portuguese mountain at 2351 m. The Azores high, an area of high atmospheric pressure, is named after the islands.

You should be warned, if what you are searching for is a beach holiday with plenty of sun, the Azores are not right for you. The temperature never gets very hot, the ocean waters are always rather chilly, and pools are generally unheated, so it is not a good destination for a beach or pool focused vacation. However, if going to the beach is just one of the activities you will do, it should be just perfect.

In the winter, though the temperatures are mild (cool, not cold), it can be very rainy, foggy, and windy, to the point that it is dangerous to go outside, and especially dangerous to hike.

Visitor information

The official language in Azores is Portuguese, which is spoken by the native population with a very particular accent, which varies a bit from island to island. English is widely spoken though, one reason for it being the growing importance of the tourism sector, but also because of high numbers of Azorians having migrated to the USA and Canada, which is why you can nowadays find many people with family ties in North America or older people who have even lived there and therefore speak English surprisingly well.

The Azores are part of Portugal and therefore of the European Union and Schengen Area.

By plane

The main entry point is Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL)—also called João Paulo II Airport—on the island of São Miguel. However, international airports are also on Faial (HOR), Flores (FLW), Santa Maria (SMA), Terceira (TER) islands. Also Pico airport (PIX).

Consider an “open jaw” ticket – returning from a different airport than your arrival one – so that you can see more islands without needing to circle back.

When leaving, remember to leave plenty of time to clear passport control ″after″ security!

Free connecting flight from SATA

Residents of the Azores and students flying from mainland Portugal, or Funchal, are eligible for a free connecting flight to any of the islands. The free flight must be arranged at least 7 days in advance and can be booked through the SATA Air Açores website.

By boat

The Azores are a common stopover for small craft crossing the Atlantic, especially when crossing from west to east. There are facilities for small craft at least in Lajes das Flores on Flores, in Horta on Faial, in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, in Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória on Terceira, and on Santa Maria (all of these ports of entry). It may be possible to join a crew for the voyage.

The Azores are also a waypoint for many cruise ships on transatlantic routes.

Renting a car is by far the easiest way to get around the islands. In paid parking areas (main towns), use coins in the pay-and-display machines.

For getting between islands, planes are the fastest way. Ferries are cheaper but much slower, though convenient for traveling between the central islands.

If you want to explore several islands, easiest is the central group, which features five islands in a tight group, either by plane or ferry. Also consider flying into Terceira and out of São Miguel, or the other way around, and optionally including other islands.

By plane

SATA Air Açores offers flights between each of the islands. The cost for each flight is capped at around 90 EUR by the authorities. Flights are faster but more expensive than the ferry, and are the only way to travel between the eastern, western and central island groups during low season. Flights are more tolerant of storms (causing choppy seas) than ferries and will be stopped later as the weather gets worse.

By ferry

Ferries connect each of the islands and are operated by Atlanticoline. There are several lines that operate:

• Azul (blue): Faial - Pico
• Verde (green): Faial - Pico - São Jorge
• Rosa (pink): Corvo - Flores
• Lilás (purple): Faial - Pico - São Jorge - Terceira
• Branca (white): Faial - Pico - São Jorge - Graciosa - Terceira

Youth discount on ferries with the Interjovem Card

The Interjovem Card limits the cost of any ferry trip to 7.50 EUR making the ferry by far the cheapest way to travel between islands. The card is available to anyone between the ages of 13 and 30 and costs 40 EUR. Buy it from:

• The official app - available from the Play Store on Android
• Azores Youth Hostels
• Atlanticoline
• RIAC (Integrated Network for Support to the Citizen) service points
• Travel agencies
• Clube Naval da Horta
• Academic Association – University of the Azores

By hitchhiking

Azoreans readily pick up hitchhikers. Given the poor bus service on the islands hitch-hiking is often the easiest way to get around for those without a car.

By car

Renting a car is the easiest way to get around the islands, with companies providing cars and scooters on every island. Given limited inventory, make sure to reserve ahead of time.

Parking is mostly free: parking lots or the side of the street (use side streets, pull over, don’t block traffic or garages, don’t park on yellow lines). In main towns, there is paid parking, with pay-and-display machines, and some paid lots. Warning: use coins only! Do not insert a card into the machines (on Terceira at least): as of 2025, they do not work and in most machines, the slots are blocked, but some are open and you risk losing your card when it drops inside! The iParque app & website are very difficult to use: to pay by credit card, you need to use the website (with PayPal; in the app you need a Portuguese bank account); you need to add a minimum of 20 EUR; and your balance is tied to a single town (“entity”), so you need to add or transfer money if you go to multiple towns or islands. Save yourself the hassle and use coins.

Alternatively, just pay the fine if you get a parking ticket. The fines are quite low (maybe 10 EUR), and you can easily pay online by scanning a QR code and using a credit card via PayPal. Make sure to only pay your fine (“pagamento deste aviso”), not all existing fines (“pagamento de todos os avisos”), if any.

By bus

On most islands there are bus services, crossing the main villages. On the smaller islands, however, the buses may have only a few runs per day or none at all on certain days (Sundays, holidays).

By taxi

Taxis are centrally regulated throughout the islands so visitors pay the same rate as locals. In São Miguel (2015), it costs about 10 EUR between the two ends of Ponta Delgada; out of town trips are 20-30 EUR or 40-50 EUR to the farthest parts of the island. In Terceira (2026) it cost € 24.50 from the airport to a hotel in Angra.

Taxis are generally not visually identifiable as such, but sometimes they park in parking stalls with the word "TAXI" painted on the ground. If in doubt, look around outside the airport or ferry terminal (especially soon after the arrival of a flight or ferry), or ask a local.

By bicycle

Cycling around the islands is possible if you are in great shape, and don't mind a lot of hill climbing. This is more an option if cycling is the purpose (cycling enthusiast), rather than for transportation.

See the Regions section above for points of interest in each island.

Itineraries

São Miguel and other islands

1. Start in São Miguel Island
2. From Ponta Delgada (in São Miguel), fly to Faial. Do a whale watching tour.
3. Take the boat to Pico Island. Do a whale watching tour. Climb Pico mountain if you are in good shape.
4. Take the channel boat to São Jorge Island. Fly to Terceira Island.

Many activities and sights are accessible only through private tour companies. Half-day and all-day tours start at 50-60 EUR and can cost upward of 100 EUR. The tours are generally very high quality and worth it.

You can hike on every island but it's best in Flores, Sao Jorge and Sao Miguel.

• Whale and dolphin watching. Every town with a marina offers whale watching. They take you out on small boats and often get you within ten yards of the whale. Futurismo is a recommended provider for whale watching tours.
• Off-road mountain bike circuits
• Moto 4 Rides
• Bird Watching
• Donkey Rides
• Fishing
• Sport Fishing
• Ferry
• Yachting
• Rental Bike, riding bike is a great way to get to know the islands.
• Guided Tours, the best way to get to know the islands is to take a guided tour.
• Volcano Climbing at Pico island
• Hiking

Money

The euro (€) is the currency of the Azores. Restaurants and shops usually can't take MasterCard or Visa cards, however ATMs are widely available.

Shopping

Handcraft from all the islands is very good.

The Azores is the only place in Europe that produces tea.

There is a "meat and potatoes" mentality when it comes to the cuisine and vegetables can sometimes be hard to come by.

Fresh fish and local grass-fed beef are very good. One of the main dishes is Bife à Regional, a steak with a delicious local sauce.

Sao Jorge island is famous for its cheese and must be tried. Fresh pineapple from Sao Miguel island is unbelievably good.

As in Portugal generally, wine is the main drink. Local wine from the Azores is widely available, mostly dry white wines from Pico, and smaller quantities from Terceira (DOC: Biscoitos, meaning “biscuits”) and Graciosa. Wine from the Portuguese mainland and other islands are also widely available, including Duoro, vinho verde, and others. Wine from other European countries, especially Spain and France, are also often available.

Beer is mostly the major Portguese brands Super Bock (everywhere) and Sagres. The oldest local brewery is Melo Abreu, whose main beer is a macro lager called Especial. There are a few microbreweries, including Cerveja Brianda (Terceira), Korisca (São Miguel), and Vulcana (São Miguel).

There is the usual Portuguese coffee, best consumed with pastries.

There is also the only tea grown in Europe, Gorreana (São Miguel); you can also visit the farm.

You can also ask for local sodas "Kima" and "Laranjada". More recent is "Bananika", a banana cider (alcoholic)!

Camping

Camp-sites are available on every island. They are typically well equipped and cheap or free. The VisitAzores website provides an up-to-date list of the available camp-sites.

Hostels

There are few hostels outside of Ponta Delgada, and these become fully booked during high season so book ahead of time.

Hotels

Hotels are available on every island.

There is very little crime in the Azores. What little crime exists is mostly drug-related. There are no reports of crimes against tourists.

Flights within other islands, plus Funchal, Madeira (FNC), Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO).