Azores Travel Tips and Packing List

This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I am very grateful!

Americans and Canadians are catching on to what Europeans have known for years – the Azores are an affordable and convenient location to visit lush volcanic vistas and hot springs. Visitors come to spend time hiking or biking the volcanic landscapes with breathtaking views, swim in the warm hot springs, and enjoy the fresh and delicious food. Think similar to Hawaii but in Europe! Travel and Leisure and the New York Times both featured this archipelago of islands this summer. The beautiful islands are sure to attract more visitors as others learn about this gem so I booked my trip to enjoy the islands before they got too crowded.

When to Visit the Azores

The Azores islands can be visited year round! Their position in the ocean and small size means that the temperature does not change too much throughout the year. In the winter you can expect temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer you can expect temperatures in the mid-70s. The hottest days will be low 80s in the summer but will feel warmer due to the humidity.

Though the temperature doesn’t vary too much, the weather varies pretty dramatically in terms of rain and sunshine within a single day. You can expect to wake up to cloudy rainy skies in the morning and for the day to turn out beautifully sunny in the afternoon or the reverse! As a result, it is important to be prepared for all kinds of weather (see my post on what to pack for the Azores!). The least rainy and cloudy months are in the summer. This is the high season for visiting the island but we didn’t find them overly crowded in mid-August.

One final note - when booking your flights, if possible, it may be most convenient to arrive on a day that isn’t Sunday or a Catholic holiday. On Sunday, many restaurants and grocery stores are closed as are banks and currency exchange establishments (even at the airport). For a smoother first day, I would recommend arriving on a day when more is open and you can get settled with ease.

Where to stay on Sao Miguel Island

We spent most of our nights in Ponta Delgada and this ended up being a really nice central location on the island from which we could easily drive to the places we were interested in seeing. If you are staying for more than a few days, I would try to get an airbnb with a washing machine since you will be outdoors daily and likely want to wash some items halfway through your trip. We stayed at this airbnb which was near the airport but the flights only flew over us during the day while we were out and didn’t interfere with our sleep! If you stay closer to the center of town you will have to walk less far to restaurants but may have a more challenging time parking. Where we stayed we found parking outside our airbnb each day.

At the end of our trip we stayed in Furnas for a few nights at Octant Furnas and since this was further to one side of the island we didn’t journey too far away from where we were staying. Since it was closer to the end of the trip we wanted to relax more anyways and the hot springs and tasty food in the area were perfect for this! The hotel also has a spa and guests have access to the pools and thermal circuit at the hotel as well.

Getting to the Azores

There are direct flights from New York City to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel island and there are also some direct flights from Boston, Montreal and Toronto. The flights were also very reasonably priced. New flights are also being added! You can also fly in from other cities in Portugal if you happen to already be there. We stayed on São Miguel the whole time and there is more than enough to do on this one island. However, if you choose to go to other islands you can journey by flight or ferry.

Getting around the Azores

I highly recommend renting a car to get around. There are definitely public transport options, but since so many of the activities are dependent on the weather which can change rapidly, it is (in my opinion) really necessary to have a car to fully enjoy the types of activities that are available in the Azores. I recommend renting a small car if you can. The city streets can be narrow and it is a huge help to be able to fit your car in small spaces near hiking trails.

Driving around is easy and the roads are well marked. Activities and towns are all very close by and you won’t find yourself driving for hours to get anywhere! If you feel nervous about directions and cell signal you can always download the google map of the island in advance so that you can access maps offline.

A note on parking - in Ponta Delgada center there is paid parking (for which you need coins) or you can use parking garages. Outside the center and after certain hours you can park for free. You will see many locals park on the curb. Clearly this was widely accepted but we chose to stay in the parking spots since we had a rental car and didn’t want to take any chances.

16 Packing tips and recommendations for a trip to the Azores

This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I am very grateful!

The Azores are a place where you can enjoy many different types of outdoor activities and also where the outdoor weather can change quickly. To help organize yourself or your family as you pack consider using this packing list tracker which is customizable and the colorful drop downs allow you to easily visualize your progression and you can sort your gsheet by what remains to be packed. This format is also great for helping younger travelers get going with their packing experiences!

1. Black or dark color bathing suit (some of the hot springs the islands are rust colored due to the naturally high iron content of the water and could stain a light color bathing suit). I recommend this one: Summersalt Black One-Piece . You will probably also want a pair of athletic shorts to wear over your swimsuit. These shorts are super cute, fast-drying, and very similar to lululemon but less expensive.

2. Fast drying and small towel you want to be able to carry this around comfortably for water activities and for it to be able to dry humid air. Also great for having a little picnic blanket! I recommend this one: Dark Travel Towel

3. Sun hat with SPF! I have entered the era where a wide brim hat is a must! I personally took the approach of using a hiking hat (like this one: SPF 50 Hiking Hat). If you want a less functional and cuter option, this is a nice one: Cute SPF 50 Sun Hat. Both options have neck protection and a hole to pull your pony tail through. I also brought a cute straw hat for less active moments. This foldable one is great and still has SPF: SPF 50 Foldable Straw Hat.

4. Sun protection! This was the first time I had used a sun shirt and I highly recommend it. I find it very hard to remember to reapply sunscreen and kept me protected: SPF 50 shirt . Of course, still bring your sunscreen of choice! Elta MD Sunscreen is a great pick and they also make a tinted version which can double as foundation depending on your skin tone!

5. A small hiking backpack. I have the Osprey Daylite Backpack from years ago and it is still in great shape and will be in great shape for years to come!

6. Breathable waterproof hiking shoes. I have the Salomon Hiking Shoe and I love them because they give some ankle support and are water proof while still giving you room to breathe. Some people we passed on our hikes definitely ruined cute running sneakers with mud so hiking shoes are highly recommended! And if you need to refresh your hiking socks collection, these are a lovely option!

7. Hiking pants or athletic bottoms. I preferred to cover my legs to protect myself from the sun and wearing hiking pants was required for a horseback riding tour, but otherwise, you can get away with your athletic bottoms of choice as there are few brambles on the hiking trails. It doesn't hurt to be well prepared though and these Lightweight UPF 50 Hiking Pants are cute and fast drying.

8. Water shoes. The beaches can be rocky and volcanic rock in particular can be hard to walk on. I resisted buying water shoes but if you plan to spent a lot of time on the beach, you will be happy you have them. These Simple Water Shoes are a low cost entry point if you are hesitant about water shoes. If you know you are going to regularly return to a rocky beaches in the future, you might consider investing in a more expensive verion like this Beach and River Water Shoe.

9. An athletic rain coat. This Columbia Rain Coat is a great reasonably priced option.

10. A slim water bottle. This Hydro flask Water Bottle fits into the Osprey Daylite Backpack linked above. I also recommend buying an additional liter bottle per person when you land which you can leave in the car when you hike. Then you can be sure extra water is waiting for you in the car when your hiking water bottles are likely to be empty! You can refill these throughout the trip.

11. Croakies for your sunglasses and a good pair of sunglasses with UV protection! There is nothing worse than peering over a boat and then watching your favorite sunglasses sink into the ocean. These Croakies are inexpensive and worth it!

12. Cash to exchange or Euros. We encountered several situations in which we had to pay in cash. See my post on general itinerary tips in the Azores about cash exchange tips.

13. Slightly dressier clothing for dinner (cute dress and nice sneakers/sandals or a button down and shorts with nice sneakers are both fine!). Opt for breathable fabrics and styles that you will feel happy in all day! This flowy white option is great, as is this summery option, and this white linen option that comes in many colors! These lightweight linen pants come in multiple colors and these are another option with fun patterns — perfect for photos in the beautiful towns! You absolutely must bring at least one oversized white button up shirt like this one. This adorable top will pair easily with lots of different bottoms, and be sure to bring some basics like these t-shirts or these for a more fitted option. This loose short sleeve blouse comes in many colors and are also a great option. A vacation like this one is a great time to break out some fresh white sneakers. You won't be walking for very long in them since you will be wearing more sporty shoes for most activities. These Stan Smiths or these Vejas are excellent options.

14. In addition to a European power plug adapter, I also recommend a portable charger because many of the rental cars do not have GPS and you will likely be using your phone for directions. This portable charger 2 pack has multiple different plug in options for different phone chargers.

15. Diva cup. Let's talk about it. Your period shouldn't stop you from enjoying the hot springs and ocean! Diva cups are a great option to make water activities worry-free. This Lily cup comes in two different sizes and is easy to learn how to use. If you are nervous, buy one a few months before your trip and practice using it :) If you are are worried about leaks, wear something like this when you wear your diva cup (which FYI are HSA and FSA eligible!!)

16. A plastic bag for wet items and a dirty clothes bag. I just reused plastic grocery bags for this but you can also get a wet bag. This set of wet bags is very affordable and comes with two bags in a variety of fun patterns.

General itinerary recommendations

I recommend taking the approach of aiming to do the activities you are most excited about first and being ready to adjust based on weather (see detailed info about suggested activities here!). For example, it is not worth going on a hike with incredible views if the day is overcast and you won’t be able to see the views. You also don’t want to save something special for the end of the trip and find that you can’t go because of the weather and miss the activity completely. Therefore, I would approach each day with more than one possible activity in mind based on the weather. For me, this was most achievable by planning a set of days in advance and treating each day like a movable block in the itinerary. In addition to checking the weather forecast, you can also check these webcams which are positioned throughout the island at points of interest (sometimes one part of the island is sunny but another is cloudy!).

A week is enough time to see the main sites on São Miguel. You could stay longer and see some of the other islands as well or cut your time shorter on São Miguel and opt to see another island as well. We preferred to minimize our traveling time and only visited São Miguel.

10 Best Things To Do in the Azores

Here I will list out some of our favorite activities and tips for each one. As I mentioned, it is safest to place the activities you are most excited about early in your itinerary and to adopt a flexible “swapping” approach as needed based on the weather:

Lagoa do Fogo

There are two main viewpoints from which you can see the beautiful lake: Miradouro do Pico da Barrosa and Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo. These viewpoints are not accessible via rental car between the hours of 9 am and 7 pm during the high season. This is a new policy! Instead, visitors must park at the entrance to Caldeira Velha and take a shuttle. The reviews for this new system are awful and indicate that the system is not running smoothly yet. We didn’t want to waste time this way so I drove up after 7 pm! Fortunately, there is plenty of sunlight after 7 in the summer.
You can hike down to the lake level in about 45 minutes each way from the Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo. You can also walk around the whole lake instead of just going up and down but that would take most of a day. You can also take a dip in the lake!
You can also hike to the lake which will end on the side of the lake opposite the viewpoints above. This hike will take about 4 hours and you can find the trailhead by heading to these coordinates: 37°43’40.0″N 25°28’17.5″W. You can expect a rather steep and unforgiving hill at the start of the hike but once you get over this hill it is fairly flat! We brought sandwiches to eat by the lakeside at the turn around point and you can also swim in the lake if you want to. I recommend ensuring you bring appropriate footwear as there is a region of the hike that is quite muddy. Completing this hike isn’t the same as seeing the lake from above so I recommend doing both. The viewpoints are not particularly close to the trailhead from this hike so you might do these on different days.
If you aren’t feeling like hiking, you can also book a tour like this one to see both Lagoa do Fogo and Sete Cidades (with lunch and drinks included!)

Caldeira Velha

I highly recommend visiting this natural hot spring. Of the spring we visited, this was my favorite. You can enjoy a 38 degree Celsius warm pool and a 25 degree Celsius cooler pool by a waterfall. You must book tickets in advance with a timed entry and I recommend booking at least two days in advance at this link.
The water at the hot spring is a rust orange because of the natural iron in the water. I heeded advice to wear a dark bathing suit so as to avoid staining a bathing suit with a light color. I am not 100% how badly stained a bathing suit might be from the water. I found that most of the orange residue got onto my skin from contact with rocks, not the water. But if your favorite bathing suit is white, this might not be the place to risk wearing it! There are changing rooms and lockers available at the hot springs.
The parking situation can be rough at peak times but be sure to drive all the way up to the parking lot rather than grabbing a spot further away – you might be surprised! We found parking easily in the lot since people are constantly coming and going due to the timed entry.
This is a great activity to pair with the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoints depending on how you want to deal with the new shuttle situation. If you book a ticket late in the day you might be able to drive up after 7 pm to see the viewpoints.
If you aren’t feeling like hiking, you can also book a tour like this one to see both Lagoa do Fogo and Sete Cidades (with lunch and drinks included!)

Small shorter activities that can be paired with the above!

Visit a Pineapple farm! This is the only place in Europe where pineapples grow. You can stop by Ananases A Arruda which is close to Ponta Delgada. The visit is free and you can see how the pineapples are grown in the greenhouses and get a pineapple themed snack at the cafe.
Mulher de Capote Licores is another quick visit. Mulher de Capote produces delicious liquors with local flavors (pineapple, passionfruit, blackberry, sweet rice). You can also buy their products at the airport in the duty free area. However, it is nice to be able to sample these before buying and you can do this at the Mulher de Capote shop. This is very close to Caldeira Velha.

Sete Cidades

View from the hike around Sete Cidades

Sete Cidades is both the name of a town, a region, and also the name of a beautiful set of two lakes, one green and one blue. I would recommend making a stop at this lake for sure. There are a few ways to do this. One way is to drive up to Miradouro da Vista do Rei and to make a quick stop to see the lovely view of the two lakes. We did this on a drive back from the western end of the island. Another option is to take a longer hike which will allow you to keep the lake in view for an extended period of time (as well as the ocean!). The hike starts at these coordinates: 37.831800, -25.752692 which you can plug into your google maps or GPS. The hike takes about 4 hours end to end and is linear. Therefore you can approach this in a few ways, one way is to go there and back the whole way (this would be a really long hike, about 8 hours). Another option is to complete the hike (4 hours) and take a taxi back from the town of Sete Cidades. We had heard that there was a taxi stand across from the church in the town but also that there might be only 1 taxi and a long wait. We opted to finish most of the hike and turn around at the point where we were facing opposite from the Miradouro da Vista do Rei which happened to be at Miradouro das Cuméeiras. This meant our hike was around 5 hours total. We stopped on the way to eat lunch in front of the amazing view. The hike isn’t too hard, but there are some points that have sustained uphill climbs.

Ponta da Ferraria

This is a rock ocean pool which is conveniently placed so that both the ocean waves and a hot spring feed into it. This is a great option if the sky is overcast and it's not a great day for a hike with views although you wouldn’t want to go here if the weather is really bad or there is lightning. You will need to time your visit with the tides because if the tide is too high, the water will be cold but if the tide is too low, it might be too hot. You can use this tide forecast to time your arrival. We tried to arrive 30 minutes after low tide but ended up arriving about 1 hour after and it was still warm at the start of our visit. By 1 hour and 30 minutes after low tide the water was less warm and the waves were bigger. I would recommend aiming for 30 minutes after low tide if you can for arrival! When you arrive there will be a parking lot at the bottom of a steep hill. You will pass by a spa building that has a swimming pool and continue on to the ocean pool. There are some changing rooms on your way over. Note that the volcanic rocks are not smooth close to the pool. In the pool, l there are some ropes to hang onto as the waves come in.

Mosteiros

This village on the west of the island is a great place to stop by if you are in the area (for example, if you went to the hot ocean pool in Ferraria!). We went to Mosteiros after the ocean spring to enjoy a packed lunch with a view at a small rocky beach at Ponta do castelo. The water was incredibly blue and there are large rock formations off the coast to see while you eat. If you happen to be there in the evening, the sunsets are supposed to be amazing and you can sip a cocktail at the Sunset Poca da Pedra bar (also known as Sunset Steve’s Bar).

Rocky beach to enjoy lunch by at Ponta do castelo in Mosteiros

Furnas lake

This is another lake formed in the crater of a volcano. We took a leisurely walk around the lake. This wasn’t a walk with spectacular views like the Sete Cidades hike, but it was a nice way to get some movement. We got to see the Fumarolas (hot vents) where they cook the cozido which is just on the side of the lake. There were several tour groups there who were having the process explained to them. I felt that just walking by and observing was sufficient. However, the benefit of doing a tour like this one is that you can also enjoy a cozido lunch without worrying about coordinating the special meal and they will also take you to the hot springs as well. The lake can be walked to from the town but there are no sidewalks on the road so I only recommend this if you are comfortable walking on the side of the road. We also saw some bikers and if I were to do this again, I think this would be a great opportunity for a bike ride.

Poça da Dona Beija

These hot springs are right in the center of Furnas town. You can’t book in advance, but the tickets are timed once you enter. There are lockers and changing rooms on the premises and the hot springs are nice and toasty! The water will be rust orange and the rusty substance accumulates the most on the rocks. So if you plan to sit on these, you might want to opt for a darker bathing suit or are just extra cautious about your favorite swimsuit, you might want to opt for a darker suit on this day.

Terra Nostra Park in Furnas

This botanical garden is worth a stroll around the grounds. There is a big hot spring in the center that you can take a dip in. The hottest water is coming out of the fountains on the edge of the pool. If I went here again, I might book a tour to learn more about the plants in the park since without a guide, I didn’t know much about the different species on display. The park also has jacuzzis but they were under construction when we went.

Other activities:

We booked a horse back riding tour at Quinta da Terca. We did the 2 hour tour and had a great time learning about the region and plants from our guide Bruno.
The island is also a great place for water activities like whale-watching or just a day out and about on a boat tour! This is a great option for a whale and dolphin watching half-day tour.
A great way to sample the local food is to take a local food tour. This tour even takes you to A Tasca which is probably the most popular local restaurant in Ponta Delgada and can be quite difficult to get a table at!

Other tips

Currency exchange -

I recommend bringing cash to exchange or bringing Euros. We encountered a few places (including parking machines!) where only cash was accepted. There is a place to exchange currency at the airport and also at Novacambios in Ponta Delgada (Av. Infante Dom Henrique n111). Note both of these will be closed on Sundays.

Water -

Water is not free at most European restaurants! If paying for multiple bottles of water at a table will irritate you, I recommend making sure to rehydrate before going to dinner. We did this and were fine splitting one bottle of water at restaurants between two people each night.

Food in the Azores

You can look forward to fresh seafood all over the island. A great way to sample the local food is to take a local food tour. This tour even takes you to A Tasca which is probably the most popular local restaurant in Ponta Delgada and can be quite difficult to get a table at. I love fresh seafood and I was in heaven! Other than seafood, you can also expect to see a variety of pork dishes on the menu. Outside of these two meat options, it is possible to find chicken and beef dishes but they are much rarer and, depending on the restaurant, may not be on the menu at all. You can expect to see a diverse array of root vegetables on the menu but few leafy greens at most restaurants. Finally, don’t skip dessert! There are a variety of delicious traditional desserts to try and many desserts featuring local pineapple and passionfruit.

For food during the day, we opted to get some local bread, cheese, and meat for sandwiches to eat on the go. We did get a recommendation to go to the farmers market to get these ingredients and maybe even sandwiches but we found that when we went it was mostly fruit and went elsewhere. We also really enjoyed the local pastries at the snack bars. Of course the sweet pastries are amazing but so are the savory ones! Inquire about the fillings and you should be able to easily find ham and cheese, spinach, and (our favorite) chicken pastries.

Pineapple drink stand in the Ponta Delgada Center

Ponta Delgada Restaurants

There are two restaurants in Ponta Delgada that I would recommend planning around.

Õtaka is a Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant which requires reservations in advance. When I booked, I was able to submit a reservation request on the website. However, it looks as though this process has changed at the end of this summer and whatsapp is the way to go for reservations. You can find the updated information at Õtaka’s reservation page. There are two sittings (6:30 pm and 9:30 pm, closed on Sunday and Monday) and you can order either à la carte or one of their tasting menus. I personally really enjoyed the classic tasting menu and found the price very reasonable for the quality. In particular, I really enjoyed trying the stingray which was featured on the classic tasting menu but was not available à la carte. If you do go for the à la carte option I would recommend the Crispy Nigiri and the Cheesecake for dessert.

The other restaurant worth planning around is A Tasca. While Õtaka is all about small bits that pack a punch, A Tasca is about generous portions of local cuisine. The restaurant does not take reservations and. If you arrive after 6:15 pm you can expect a 40 minute wait. If you arrive later than that, the wait only increases. By 9 pm the wait may be so long that it is possible you may be turned away. Another way to sample a bit of the food at A Tasca without stressing about getting a table is to take this food tour. If you can, I would plan on an early dinner to avoid waiting around too long. If you can’t eat on the earlier side, you can always grab a drink at the bar they have just outside or get some appetizers just a one small block away at Ta Gente. I recommend the stewed octopus, the grilled tuna steak with sesame seed crust or the catch of the day which will be very fresh! We also loved both bean pudding and bean pastry for dessert which we didn’t think were exactly correctly described because there was no pudding in sight! Both looked like cakes and were individually delicious and really nice as a pair

Other than these two, you can also get a good meal at these places in Ponta Delgada:

Ta Gente (I recommend the chicken sausage and fish tempura)
Tasquinha Vieira (I would stick with the more local dishes here)
Rotas Ilha Verde (a vegetarian option)

At all of these, note that you will need to wait if you plan to eat later than 6:30/7 since most of the tourists on the island head out to dinner around 8:30. Importantly, Ta Gente was open on Sunday for dinner when most of the other restaurants were closed!

For food during the day, we opted to get some local bread, cheese, and meat for sandwiches to eat on the go. We did get a recommendation to go to the farmers market to get these ingredients and maybe even sandwiches but we found that when we went it was mostly fruit and went elsewhere. We also really enjoyed the local pastries at the snack bars. Of course the sweet pastries are amazing but so are the savory ones! Inquire about the fillings and you should be able to easily find ham and cheese, spinach, and (our favorite) chicken pastries.

Restaurants outside of Ponta Delgada

Bar Caloura is an ocean-side restaurant serving simple but delicious seafood about a 20 minute drive from Ponta Delgada. As you drive down to the restaurant, you will pass a convent and several parking spots which may be where you ultimately find parking. Below the restaurant there is a beach with a natural pool as well! I really enjoyed the view and if possible I would try to go to Bar Caloura on an “off” hour to ensure you snag a spot right by the water. Though I would still recommend the restaurant even if you don’t have a seat right by the water, I recommend trying to get an oceanside perch!

Caldeiras e Vulcões is a restaurant in Furnas which serves amazing local food and also the local specialty - cozido. This dish is cooked in the heat of the local thermal vents for hours! Because of this, it needs to be ordered 24 hours in advance and so a reservation is required if you want to try this local specialty. If you don’t want to worry about coordinating this 24 hours in advance, you can also book a tour like this one which includes a cozido lunch. A single portion is really large! We also ordered the octopus and it was amazing. Between two people we were not able to finish the two dishes but I highly recommend both! Also note there is a bar of the same name on the left of the restaurant so if you end up there just go one door over!

The Complete Azores Travel Guide