Anyone Been to the Azores?
Discussion
We're considering going to the Azores next year as the kids (will be 10 and 6) love wildlife and we take them dolphin watching every year in this country and thought we might try whale watching as well but I don't know anything about the Azores (other than I can get direct flights or combine it with a stopover in Lisbon and / or Porto which appeals!) and that Sao Miguel appears to be the main island.
Anyone been and got any recommendations on places to stay, things to do with kids, if there are good beaches etc.
Anyone been and got any recommendations on places to stay, things to do with kids, if there are good beaches etc.
Stopped off on a cruise from UK to US. Similarities to towns in the UK in the 1980’s, in terms of prices, facilities, and general feel.
To be fair only visited Ponta Delgada and did like it. If you have plenty of activities sorted then I can see it working, personally I’d ensure I stayed somewhere else with a little more going on as you mentioned back on the mainland.
To be fair only visited Ponta Delgada and did like it. If you have plenty of activities sorted then I can see it working, personally I’d ensure I stayed somewhere else with a little more going on as you mentioned back on the mainland.
We went to Sao Miguel in March, and I can't wait to go back. It wasn't the best time for whale watching, but I still saw a couple while I was at sea fishing. We also had better weather than I had expected at that time of year i.e. 15 degrees, and in 12 days one day of rain and another day a brief shower.
There are some beaches near the capital, and also a swimming spot where hot springs warm the sea in Termas da Ferraria, near Mosteiros. Other places too, I believe. Not sure about stuff for the kids though. Unless they like fishing...
Top tip: if you stay in Lagoa, don't rent a house next to the harbour unless you like drunks, junkies and beggars! The capital Ponta Delgado was very nice, as was Mosteiros at the western end the island.
There are some beaches near the capital, and also a swimming spot where hot springs warm the sea in Termas da Ferraria, near Mosteiros. Other places too, I believe. Not sure about stuff for the kids though. Unless they like fishing...
Top tip: if you stay in Lagoa, don't rent a house next to the harbour unless you like drunks, junkies and beggars! The capital Ponta Delgado was very nice, as was Mosteiros at the western end the island.
Edited by flyingvisit on Thursday 22 September 10:40
There are also flights to the Azores from Madeira I think, so that would give you an option for spending some time there for a change of scenery en route/return.
I suspect I would quite like the Azores, but from what I understand of the climate it wouldn't be hot, dry and sunny enough for my OH sadly!
I suspect I would quite like the Azores, but from what I understand of the climate it wouldn't be hot, dry and sunny enough for my OH sadly!
Each island is different, and there are different ages of land on a single island because they are still forming; the last land was only created in the 1960's.
Most people are there for one of 2 reasons - either to dive and see the underwater wildlife, or to hike. A lot of other people are either marine biologists or sailors going between Europe and the Americas, depending on the time of year.
If you don't dive and have kids with you I would suggest planning to visit at least 3 or more islands. There isn't a huge amount to do for holiday makers in any given place, once you've got past the stunning scenery, the odd local museum and a hike up the hill, into the forest or round the coast, however moving around every 3 days or so should be a decent balance of relaxing and exploring and not getting bored. Flights and ferries between the islands are frequent and easy to get, so moving around is not a problem, but just be aware that they are grouped together in 3 groups with a bit of distance between each cluster. There are beaches, although depending on the island they could be white sand, black volcanic sand, or rocky. They have quite a lot of rock pools cut into the shoreline which are basically sheltered open air, open water swimming pools.
Food is good and cheap, and there are some surprisingly upmarket restaurants for such a remote place which are good value. Expect to pay about the same in the supermarket as you would in the UK, maybe a little less. Local dishes tend to revolve around fish, pork and sweet potatoes.
If doing the trip from the UK via Lisbon try and get a direct flight to whichever island you're starting on, or do a day or 2 in Lisbon. Doing UK - Lisbon - Ponta Delgarda - Pico is a long day of travelling.
Most people are there for one of 2 reasons - either to dive and see the underwater wildlife, or to hike. A lot of other people are either marine biologists or sailors going between Europe and the Americas, depending on the time of year.
If you don't dive and have kids with you I would suggest planning to visit at least 3 or more islands. There isn't a huge amount to do for holiday makers in any given place, once you've got past the stunning scenery, the odd local museum and a hike up the hill, into the forest or round the coast, however moving around every 3 days or so should be a decent balance of relaxing and exploring and not getting bored. Flights and ferries between the islands are frequent and easy to get, so moving around is not a problem, but just be aware that they are grouped together in 3 groups with a bit of distance between each cluster. There are beaches, although depending on the island they could be white sand, black volcanic sand, or rocky. They have quite a lot of rock pools cut into the shoreline which are basically sheltered open air, open water swimming pools.
Food is good and cheap, and there are some surprisingly upmarket restaurants for such a remote place which are good value. Expect to pay about the same in the supermarket as you would in the UK, maybe a little less. Local dishes tend to revolve around fish, pork and sweet potatoes.
If doing the trip from the UK via Lisbon try and get a direct flight to whichever island you're starting on, or do a day or 2 in Lisbon. Doing UK - Lisbon - Ponta Delgarda - Pico is a long day of travelling.
Edited by Condi on Saturday 24th September 06:29
We visited the Azores in June for two weeks. We like very active holidays and spending our time taking in nature - hiking, ATV'ing, diving, driving around and stopping when we see something interesting, etc. We also enjoy eating local food and trying to hang out at local establishments. The Azores 100% delivered on the former. The culinary experience, on the other hand, was crap and a real let down.
We flew into Terceira Lajes direct from Stansted and had a car hire for three days. That was a good amount of time to see the entire island, including landing first thing in the morning and departing early evening. We spent the first two days driving the East and West side, and the last day hanging out in the capital, Angra do Heroismo, before heading to the airport.
We then flew to Pico for 7 days. 5 of these days were spent scuba diving until 3pm, the other two days were spent driving around the bits of the island we hadn't seen in the previous afternoons. We hired a scooter each for the entire week which was a perfect way to get around, but I presume you'll want a car if you have kids. We were planning on hiking up Pico (Portugal's tallest mountain) on our last day, but the weather wasn't in our favour and we chose to see another part of island instead. We were gutted not to make it up Pico mountain and will probably return just for this. A 2,351m high mountain in the mid-Atlantic is quite special. If you're not diving, 5 days on Pico would be plenty and will also give you time to see the neighbouring two islands (a 20min ferry ride), Sao Jorge & Faial.
Finally, we then flew to Sao Miguel for the remaining 5 days. We booked a full day private ATV tour which was outstanding, visited a derelict hotel (!), and spent each day driving around different parts of the island whilst finishing our day bathing in hot springs. We flew directly back to Stansted from Ponta Delgada (the capital of Sao Miguel).
15 days to see those three islands (and dive) was a perfect amount of time. Whilst planning the trip, I kept reading how each island is completely different and took this with a huge grain of salt. How different can islands be in such a small archipelago? The internet was correct. Those three islands were completely different to one another and we'd be hard pushed to tell you which one we preferred - Terceira for it's old-town UNESCO feel; Pico for the stunning nature and the mountain towering over you in the middle; and Sao Miguel for the hustle and bustle as well as incorporating parts of the other two islands.
We would definitively return one day and take in a couple of the other islands. The food is the only real let down unless you love being sold limpets for every starter as if they are the greatest delicacy known to man, and super basic 'home cooked food' presentation with little seasoning in sight. The tuna and beef steaks were very good though.
We flew into Terceira Lajes direct from Stansted and had a car hire for three days. That was a good amount of time to see the entire island, including landing first thing in the morning and departing early evening. We spent the first two days driving the East and West side, and the last day hanging out in the capital, Angra do Heroismo, before heading to the airport.
We then flew to Pico for 7 days. 5 of these days were spent scuba diving until 3pm, the other two days were spent driving around the bits of the island we hadn't seen in the previous afternoons. We hired a scooter each for the entire week which was a perfect way to get around, but I presume you'll want a car if you have kids. We were planning on hiking up Pico (Portugal's tallest mountain) on our last day, but the weather wasn't in our favour and we chose to see another part of island instead. We were gutted not to make it up Pico mountain and will probably return just for this. A 2,351m high mountain in the mid-Atlantic is quite special. If you're not diving, 5 days on Pico would be plenty and will also give you time to see the neighbouring two islands (a 20min ferry ride), Sao Jorge & Faial.
Finally, we then flew to Sao Miguel for the remaining 5 days. We booked a full day private ATV tour which was outstanding, visited a derelict hotel (!), and spent each day driving around different parts of the island whilst finishing our day bathing in hot springs. We flew directly back to Stansted from Ponta Delgada (the capital of Sao Miguel).
15 days to see those three islands (and dive) was a perfect amount of time. Whilst planning the trip, I kept reading how each island is completely different and took this with a huge grain of salt. How different can islands be in such a small archipelago? The internet was correct. Those three islands were completely different to one another and we'd be hard pushed to tell you which one we preferred - Terceira for it's old-town UNESCO feel; Pico for the stunning nature and the mountain towering over you in the middle; and Sao Miguel for the hustle and bustle as well as incorporating parts of the other two islands.
We would definitively return one day and take in a couple of the other islands. The food is the only real let down unless you love being sold limpets for every starter as if they are the greatest delicacy known to man, and super basic 'home cooked food' presentation with little seasoning in sight. The tuna and beef steaks were very good though.
Edited by EViS on Saturday 1st October 18:58
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff