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Somewhere in September 2018, after we returned from a special trip in Scotland, I came across this picture:
After a brief inquiry, I understood that it’s about the Azores Islands that belong to Portugal and are located somewhere a third of the way from Portugal to the USA, in the middle of nowhere!
As I continued to search for more sites and pictures, I felt strongly drawn to this destination, and every other place suddenly seemed less special. Each photo drew me in more and more, eliciting exclamations like ‘Wow’, ‘What is this crazy thing’….
The decision was made and the tickets were purchased in October ’18.
From the moment I told people I was going there, I mostly got the same reaction: ‘What is that?’..’Where is it?’..’Where did you find that?’..’I’ve never heard of it before’… and so on.
The Azores Islands are a group of 9 islands located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the same latitude as Portugal. They sit on three tectonic plates and were formed from volcanic activity more than eight million years ago. They are an autonomous region of Portugal.
Due to their volcanic origin, the islands are filled with dormant volcanoes. When a volcano becomes inactive, it collapses inward, forming a type of bowl called a ‘caldera’. The islands have many calderas with lakes of various colors! Additionally, there are many impressive waterfalls, rainforests, cliffs, grazing fields with ‘wild’ cows, and natural bays for swimming.
After an initial reading about the Azores Islands, I understood that the main attraction is nature. A lot of amazing nature! A European landscape combined with a tropical one! A celebration. The islands are less suitable for a lazy beach holiday. Besides hiking, you can go sailing to watch whales and dolphins, do canyoning in magical places, and each island is full of amazing marked viewpoints where you just need to stop and watch. Due to the volcanic nature of the islands, there are indulgent hot springs in the jungle and natural pools next to the ocean that combine sea water with volcanic water (at just the right temperature)
The most convenient way is to fly directly to Lisbon, Portugal. The airline TAP operates daily flights there. To reach the islands, you can use the local airline called SATA. TAP and Ryanair also fly to some of them. The distance between the islands is significant, and usually, to visit more than one island, you need to take another flight.
The weather in the islands is unpredictable. A sunny day can end up rainy and vice versa! Therefore, it’s necessary to be equipped with raincoats and both short and long clothing. For this reason, you can’t rely too much on the forecast, and sometimes fog can hide wonderful places. Therefore, the most convenient way to decide where to travel at a given moment is through the cameras located across the islands! Each island has cameras placed in strategic locations that broadcast in real time all the time. You can visit the website and decide whether to travel to a specific point on the island based on what you see on the camera. http://www.spotazores.com/ilha/2/
An excellent search engine. It also works with smaller rental companies that sometimes offer lower costs in the market. There is an option to cancel up to 48 hours before picking up the car. Rent a car
We chose to focus on the island of São Miguel for six nights and on the island of Flores for four nights. São Miguel is the central and most easterly island. It encompasses a variety of stunning sights, like a beautifully wrapped candy. It is more touristic but still an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean… The nature there is diverse, and it has several amazing calderas that have become a symbol of the Azores. Flores is the westernmost island. We chose it because it is considered the most beautiful among the islands: high and green cliffs that dramatically fall into the sea, covered with breathtaking waterfalls. It is small and can be fully explored in a day or two. A visit to Flores also allows for a day trip to the nearby island – Corvo.
In the next chapter, about fulfilling the dream of visiting the Azores and the visit to the central island, São Miguel:
A Family Getaway in Sao Miguel: Nature, Relaxation, and Activities
3 thoughts on “Azores Family Guide: Portugal’s Hidden Gem Adventure”
Beautiful! We are going to Faial, as we have property there, that we have never seen. We go in April of 2025
Enjoy! Thank you very much for the response