If you’re looking for somewhere off the beaten path in Europe, but still want to experience the very best the continent has to offer, from excellent food and charming historic villages to rich culture, welcoming people, and stunning landscapes, all without breaking the bank, the Azores might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km from mainland Europe, the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores is made up of nine volcanic islands: São Miguel, Pico, Terceira, São Jorge, Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Santa Maria, and Corvo.
On this trip, we spent one week exploring São Miguel, Pico and Terceira Islands. Below is our general itinerary; and you’ll find detailed posts on each island as well. You can also check out our two-week Portugal itinerary to help plan your trip to mainland Portugal.
First of all, follow me on Instagram @danae_explore – that’s where you can keep up with my trips, find lots of travel tips, and send me a DM anytime. I love chatting about travel!
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Which islands to visit in the Azores?
That’s the million-dollar question! 😂
My answer would be “visit them all!” But if your time and budget are limited (as ours were), you’ll need to make some choices.
We had just one week in the Azores and chose the following islands:
1st. Sao Miguel Island: the largest island, with the best infrastructure, plenty of attractions, and the most convenient flight connections. I recommend including São Miguel in any Azores itinerary.
2nd. Terceira Island: for centuries, it was the main island of the Azores, and its largest town, Angra do Heroísmo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island offers beautiful natural landscapes and also has good air connections with the mainland.
3rd island to visit: this was a tough decision. Pico, São Jorge, and Flores were all high on our list. In the end, we chose Pico Island for its scenic landscapes and convenient inter-island flights, which made it a great fit for optimizing our time in the archipelago.
For us, flight availability played a key role in deciding which islands to visit and in what order (I’ll go into more detail on this later in the post).
Seven days felt just right to visit these three islands. If we had one extra day, we might have spent more time on São Miguel or taken a boat trip to Faial from Pico.
With around ten days in the Azores, and careful planning of inter-island transport, I think it would be possible to visit four or five islands. Many of them are small enough to see the main highlights in a day or two.
If you have unlimited time, a month would allow you to explore all the islands at a slower pace — and I’m sure you’d have no trouble filling your days.
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Where are Azores and how to get there
The Azores are located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km from mainland Europe and 3,300 km from the east coast of Canada. They are part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The main islands of the Azores are São Miguel and Terceira, both served by flights from Europe (mainly Portugal) and the USA.
We arrived in the Azores on a low-cost Ryanair flight from Lisbon and returned to mainland Portugal from Terceira Island, flying with SATA, the Azores airline, to Porto. At the time of our research, these were the only islands with direct flights to mainland Portugal.
Tip: When planning your trip to the Azores, make sure the first and last islands on your itinerary have direct connections to mainland Portugal. This will help you optimize your time and possibly your budget. Typically, these islands are São Miguel and Terceira, but it’s always worth checking, as flight routes can change. There are also flights from these islands to Madeira.
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How to get around between the Azores islands
The nine islands of the Azores are divided into three groups:
- eastern: São Miguel and Santa Maria;
- central: Terceira, São Jorge, Faial, Pico and Graciosa ;
- western: Flores and Corvo.
However, don’t be mistaken: the islands are quite far apart, with only Pico and Faial being relatively close to each other.
There are regular ferry routes between the islands in the central group for much of the year, and some routes also connect to São Miguel. You can find schedules and fares on the Atlântico Line website.
The best way to travel between the islands is by plane.
All the islands have airports, and inter-island flights are operated by SATA using turboprop aircraft.
The flights we took between the islands and mainland Portugal were on Airbus and Boeing jets.
Check the SATA website, flightsfrom.com or Google Flights for available inter-island flights. Try different dates and island combinations until you find an itinerary that works best for you.
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How to get around on each Azores island
Rent a car! The attractions across the Azores islands are spread out, and having your own car is the best way to make the most of your time.
Driving on the islands is very easy. The roads are well maintained, mostly single-lane, and well signposted. Google Maps or Waze will get you wherever you need to go without any issues.
On the island of São Miguel, we rented the car from Sixt, and on Pico Island and Terceira Island we rented with Europcar. All rental companies have counters inside the airports, which are very small, and the cars are parked right outside in the airport parking lot, so everything is simple and quick.
For Pico, since we were only staying for 24 hours, we considered taking guided tours to avoid the hassle of picking up and returning the car. However, due to our flight schedule, renting a car turned out to be the better option. It gave us more flexibility and allowed us to explore the island more thoroughly than we would have on a tour.
To rent a car, I always use RentCars, where I usually find the best options, and with the DANAE promo code you still get an additional 5% off. Shall we go?
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Our one-week itinerary in the Azores
During our one-week trip to the Azores, we visited three islands, following this itinerary:
Day 1️⃣ 10:45 am flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada (São Miguel Island)
Day 2️⃣ São Miguel Island
Day 3️⃣ São Miguel Island
Day 4️⃣ 7:30 am SATA flight from Ponta Delgada to Pico Island
Day 5️⃣ 10:30 am SATA flight from Pico Island to Terceira Island
Day 6️⃣ Terceira Island
Day 7️⃣ Terceira Island
Day 8️⃣ 11:00 am SATA flight from Terceira Island to Porto
In this post, I share our detailed itinerary for São Miguel Island, including what to do, what we enjoyed the most, what we missed, and a few extra tips.
Here you can find our experience on Terceira Island, with everything we did in the two and a half days we spent there.
And finally, there’s a post with everything you need to know about Pico Island. Here’s a spoiler: don’t miss the most unique vineyards you’ll probably ever see.
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If you’re planning a longer trip, you can also check out our two-week Portugal itinerary, which includes some of the best destinations on mainland Portugal.
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Where to stay in the Azores
In the posts about each island, I share other accommodation options we considered, but here are the ones we chose:
Where to stay in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island
For our first stop in the Azores, we stayed in Ponta Delgada, the capital of Sao Miguel Island and the largest town in the archipelago. We chose the Vila Gale Collection Sao Miguel, perfectly located in Campo de São Francisco Square, right across from Forte de São Brás. We even got an upgrade to a room with a view of the fort and the sea. It was the most expensive stay of the trip, but definitely worth it: a spacious and comfortable room, a great breakfast, and an unbeatable location.
Where to stay on Pico Island
We stayed in Madalena , the largest town on Pico Island, at Porto Velho Boutique Hostel. Pico has fewer accommodation options compared to the other islands we visited, so our choice was mainly based on location. The hostel is right in the town center, just a short walk from restaurants and shops. The room was simple but clean and comfortable, with a partial view of the pier. Great value for money.
Where to stay on Terceira Island
On Terceira Island, we stayed in the charming town of Angra do Heroísmo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with all the infrastructure you’d expect from a destination like this. We chose BayView House, a two-bedroom house that comfortably accommodates up to five people. Once again, the location was excellent, just a short walk from the marina and Igreja da Misericórdia.
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Climate and when to visit the Azores
The weather in the Azores is quite unpredictable. As a guide told us during a tour, “if you’re not happy with the weather in the Azores, just wait half an hour.” It’s absolutely true. Be prepared for everything. You might even come across snow while climbing Pico.
Temperatures don’t vary much throughout the year, usually ranging between 15°C and 25°C. It rains often, and the wind can make it feel cooler, so a raincoat and waterproof shoes are essential.
We visited in early April and had at least some rain almost every day. Some days it rained more, others less, but there were always a few sunny spells, cloudy periods, and, almost always, plenty of wind.
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What to pack for the Azores
The Azores are a nature-focused destination, so pack comfortable clothing suitable for all weather conditions.
For a week there, my carry-on suitcase (I only travel with a carry-on) included:
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 pair of jeans
- 5 t-shirts (3 of them dry-fit, my favorite for this type of trip)
- 1 cardigan
- 1 lightweight down jacket
- 1 raincoat
- 1 scarf
- Socks and underwear
- 2 pairs of pajamas
- 1 swimsuit
- 1 pair of slippers
- 1 pair of sneakers
- Toiletries (always in containers of up to 100 ml)
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If it were summer, I would have added a pair of shorts. Everything else would have stayed the same.
On Terceira Island, we stayed in a house with a washing machine, which I used to wash everything, since our trip continued for another week in Porto and the Douro Valley. But honestly, if the trip had been only to the Azores, the washing machine wouldn’t have been necessary. It’s very easy to wash dry-fit t-shirts in the sink, and they dry quickly.
Check out here for more tips on traveling with only a carry-on.
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Map with itinerary of the trip to the Azores
On the map below you can see the details of our one week itinerary in the Azores, Portugal. Just click and save to your Google account. When you plan your next trip to the Azores, you already know where to start 😉
How to use this map: Click the menu tab in the upper left corner of the map to access different layers, including points of interest and routes. You can toggle layers on and off by checking the corresponding boxes. To see details about specific locations, click on the icons on the map.
To save this map to your Google Maps account, just click the star icon next to the map title. To access it later on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, tap the menu button, go to “Your Places”, select “Maps”, and you’ll find this map saved there.
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Here are the websites I always use to plan my trips:
– 🛌 Accommodation: Booking
– ☀️ Tours & activities: Civitatis & Get Your Guide
– 📱 eSIM for mobile data: Airalo e-SIM – use promo code DANAE2375
– 🚗 Car rental: RentCars – use promo code DANAE
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All our posts about Portugal, to inspire you and help you plan your trip:
- Portugal in two weeks: our complete itinerary and tips
- One week in the Azores – Complete itinerary with Sao Miguel, Pico and Terceira Islands
- São Miguel, Azores: your complete guide to the largest island in the Azores
- Terceira Island, Azores – tips and the perfect itinerary to explore the island
- Pico Island – complete guide to visiting the most picturesque island in the Azores
- 5 unmissable small towns in Europe
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And here are our posts about other destinations in Europe, come check them out!
Scandinavia
- What to do in Norway in 12 days – and itinerary suggestions for 7, 10, 15 or 20 days
- Is it expensive to travel in Norway? Simple strategies to reduce the cost of visiting one of the most beautiful countries in the world
- Preikestolen – complete guide to the most beautiful hike in Norway
- Iceland itinerary: complete 5 to 9 day road trip guide
- What to do in Iceland – the best of the south and east of the island
- 5 unmissable small towns in Europe
Greece
- What to do in 2 or 3 days in Athens
- The best itinerary for a 15-day road trip around mainland Greece
Spain
- 10 days in Andalucia – Our itinerary through southern Spain
- What to do in 2 days in Granada, Spain
- Ronda, the most charming town in Southern Spain
Balcans
- Mostar – what to do in the most charming town in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- What to do in Sarajevo: a 1 or 2-day itinerary in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 20-day itinerary through the Balkans, in Eastern Europe – Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
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