.png)
The Azores – A Tropical Oasis in the Heart of the Atlantic. The Ultimate Travel Guide
- jorismachholz
- Sep 14
- 6 min read
his article contains advertising
Spending Christmas in the Azores? Great idea! But wait a second...
“Azores... isn’t that where the good weather always comes from?”
You might know the term Azores High from the weather forecast... but where exactly are the Azores? And is that really where the weather comes from? In this travel guide I show you everything you need to know to get on the main island Sao Miguel.
The Azores are an autonomous archipelago belonging to Portugal. And believe it or not, they’re just a stone’s throw from mainland Europe — well, about 1,400 km to be precise.
The islands are volcanic in origin and incredibly lush. Depending on the altitude, you’ll discover different vegetation zones. The landscape couldn’t be more beautiful — especially if, like me, you’re into every possible shade of green.
Table of Contents
Getting There
We flew with the Portuguese airline TAP, starting in Frankfurt, with a stopover in Lisbon, and then continued on to Ponta Delgada. At other times of the year, there are also direct flights available. The flight takes about 3 hours to Lisbon and then another 2.5 hours to São Miguel.
Accommodation
We stayed in a small, cozy Airbnb — kitchenette, bathroom, and bed, everything you really need. In summer, the garden would have been perfect for a picnic.
We deliberately chose a central location in the middle of the island, which gave us a lot of flexibility for day trips. It took us about an hour to drive from our place to either end of the island.
Getting Around
We picked up our rental car directly at the airport. The company was called Ilha Verde, alongside the usual suspects like Sixt, Avis, and others.
Important tip: make sure you get underbody insurance! On our very first day, we scraped the car badly while pulling out of our accommodation’s driveway (hopefully our landlord isn’t reading this…). Apart from that, the smallest car class worked perfectly fine for us.
Be careful when refueling: some gas stations only accept local payment cards when closed. Better play it safe and fill up in time — though there are plenty of stations around.
Public transportation does exist, but it wasn’t an option for us. We only needed a taxi once, on the day of our departure, to get back to the airport. Prices are relatively cheap — we paid around €10 for a 15–20 minute ride.
Island-hopping wasn’t for us either: ferries don’t run in winter, and we didn’t want to fly.
Climate
The weather in the Azores is very unpredictable, and forecasts aren’t necessarily reliable. One thing is certain, though: be prepared for strong winds and rain. And especially fog. Just a few moments after taking my first picture, thick fog rolled in and completely blocked the amazing view.
That being said, you’ll definitely also get some T-shirt weather — especially if you’re out and about being active.
Sights
If jungle hikes aren’t already breathtaking enough, you can also discover countless waterfalls, admire the crater lakes from various viewpoints, or simply relax in the hot thermal springs.
The steep mountain roads lined with hydrangeas must look absolutely stunning during blooming season — unfortunately, we were a little too late for that.
It honestly feels like every few meters you stumble upon another beautiful rest area, often with barbecue spots and, of course, amazing views of the ocean, waterfalls, or lush parks.
Here are a few impressions:
Activities
All year round, you can go whale watching between the islands — plenty of tour operators will take you out on the water. The underwater world is also worth exploring: diving courses and snorkeling gear are widely available. And if you’re into surfing, you’ll also find some great spots here.
Around the large volcanic craters, you’ll find beautifully maintained hiking trails that constantly lead you to jaw-dropping viewpoints — unless the fog decides to roll in again ;)
And if it all gets a bit too much, you can simply unwind in the hot thermal springs.
We weren’t too lucky with the ocean activities, but we made up for it with some incredible hikes.
Find great guided tours and activities at GetYourGuide.
Grená
One of our favorite spots was Grená Park. Even though the park is man-made, it’s a lot of fun to wander through and discover its hidden corners. The park also has a fascinating history. If you’d like to dive deeper into it, you can read more about it [here].
Expect to find several waterfalls, beautiful views of Lake Furnas (on clear days), and a truly magical atmosphere. Along the way, you’ll also pass an impressive abandoned building — Casa Grená — a real lost place with plenty of character.
To keep things interesting on the climb, the owners have marked every hundredth step — and with around 600 steps in total, you’ll want at least a little fitness to get to the top.
Entrance to the park isn’t free, by the way. Even parking by the lake costs €3, but that amount will be credited toward your ticket. Admission to the park itself is €10.
Here’s a little preview:
Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo
It was on my list to see this island.
From the small harbor town of Vila Franca do Campo, several ferries usually run to the island located just about 500 meters off the coast. But when the weather finally played along, I decided to send up my drone instead.
My little DJI Mini 2 had to fight against strong winds but eventually managed to make it across to the island.
Spending a whole summer’s day here, snorkeling from morning till evening, must be an absolute dream.
Book kayak tours or boat rides here
Flying a Drone
Flying a drone in Portugal requires a bit of caution. In general, the Portuguese aren’t opposed to drones, but flights must be registered in advance with the aviation authority — and, as in this case, for flights over the sea, also with the responsible maritime authority.
It might sound complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite straightforward. With the AAN (National Civil Aviation Authority), you can create a free account and enter all the required information. Once that’s done, you’ll receive a form by email that you need to sign and send back.
Important note: a scanned signature isn’t enough. You either need to use an official digital signature procedure (which usually comes with a hefty fee) or print out the document, sign it, and send it by post to their address. That’s really the trickiest part.
Once your account is activated, you can — or rather, you should, if you want to avoid fines — submit the areas where you plan to fly. It’s a bit of a hassle, but you don’t need to provide exact GPS coordinates; entire regions are sufficient. Just keep in mind: applications are only processed a few weeks before the requested date, so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back right away.
If you need help with this process, feel free to reach out — I’ll be happy to assist.
Costs
What Costs Should You Expect?
Well, that really depends on your preferences. Do you want to spoil yourself in a hotel and eat out two or three times a day, or do you still feel like cooking dinner after a long day of exploring?
In general, though, we found that the costs for both car rental and accommodation were lower than expected.
We paid just under €50 per night for our Airbnb, and the rental car was around €20 per day including insurance.
Grocery shopping in the supermarket is comparable to German prices — same goes for gas.
Since we decided not to cook on one of the Christmas days, we treated ourselves to lunch at a restaurant. The rest of the time, we cooked at home, which made it easier to splurge when we wanted to.
Unfortunately, whale watching fell through due to the weather.
Our costs for two people (8 days):
Flights: €900
Accommodation: €48 / night
Rental car: €20 / day
Gas: €60
Groceries: €240
Restaurant: €80
Entrance fees: €40
(Whale Watching: €110)
So overall, you can expect around €1,000 per person for 8 days, at least if you travel somewhat budget-friendly and outside the main season. If you book your flight early, not only might you score a direct flight, but you’ll also save quite a bit — airlines love to add a Christmas surcharge ;)
Also, if you’re not taking the train to the airport, don’t forget to factor in parking fees. Depending on what activities you choose, costs can vary.
Conclusion
Honestly... the Azores — or more precisely, São Miguel — blew me away. I can easily imagine coming back soon, especially since there are still eight more islands to discover.
For this time of year and with the limited activities available, 8 days were just perfect. But if you’re someone who enjoys slowing down and relaxing a bit more, 10–14 days could be ideal.
Keep in mind that visitor numbers were much lower than usual during the pandemic, which definitely influenced our experience.
If you’d like to support my work, feel free to drop a like or comment.
Thanks for stopping by — see you next time,
Joris
Comments