A few years ago if you have asked us about the Azores we would have looked at you with a surprise and asked: “Where is that?”And believe us, as a well-traveled couple, we thought we had at least heard of most places on this earth. It turned out that we had never heard of the Portuguese Islands in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. What?
Nowadays people travel more than ever and thanks to travel bloggers and social media they are looking for new less known destinations that aren’t overrun by tourists yet. The Azores is one of them and we recommend you to hurry up and go now before that changes.
The Azores Islands are an autonomous region of Portugal and are the Atlantic’s ocean best-kept secret. Some referred to it as the Hawaii of Europe. They are a group of nine islands who truly define the meaning of an untouched paradise. Dramatic volcanic landscapes, small charming villages, unspoiled nature, vivid green meadows and turquoise lakes are some of the many reasons why this place is the ultimate utopia.
São Miguel, with the capital Ponta Delgada, is the biggest and the most visited island of all. It is only a two-hour flight from Lisbon and here you can indulge in the beauty that Mother Nature has created. You will be in an awe-inspiring state of mine from the moment you arrive.
Why you should visit the Azores?
The straightforward answer will be this; it is unquestionably beautiful and mind-blowing! We were absolutely amazed that you could drive 20-30 minutes in any direction and find crater lakes, hot springs, dramatic coastal lines and endless shades of blue water contrasting with the green flora. Not only this but the roads are covered with the most beautiful hydrangeas and did we mention that there are very few tourists?
If that was not enough to convince you yet, here’s our summary.
Location. Getting there is not as difficult as you may think. The best way is to fly directly to Ponta Delgada. There are many direct flights from North America, including from Boston, Oakland, Toronto, and Montreal. Flights from Europe are more frequent and with more options. Some of the airlines that fly to the Azores are Air Berlin, Tap Portugal, Ryanair, EasyJet, Azores Airlines and Primera Air.
Best time to visit. The weather there reminds us of Iceland, not that cold but unpredictable and ever-changing. As the locals say, you may experience four seasons in one day. All thought it could be rainy, windy and sunny all in one day the best time to visit is definitely the summer.
Getting around. São Miguel is best explored by car. It’s relatively a small island and you can drive around in less than a day. Renting a car is easy and affordable and driving around feels very safe and it’s absolutely beautiful. Another thing we love is that there’s no traffic at all. We rented the best Airbnb in Lagoa and we must say the location couldn’t have been more convenient.
It’s very Affordable. Considering that it’s Europe, we found it affordable visiting the Azores. Staying at an Airbnb and buying groceries was the way to cut cost. What’s expensive is traveling between the Islands, so we just stayed and explored São Miguel.
Spectacular views. This was probably our favorite part. Every day we were astonished by the volcanic landscapes, waterfalls and peaceful vibes that envelop the island.
Here’s the list of our top favorite place to not miss in São Miguel, Azores.
Lagoa do Fogo.
Praia de Santa Barbara.
Chapel of Nossa Senhora das vitórias and Lagoa das Furnas.
Ribeira dos Caldeirões waterfall.
Ponta do Cintrão.
Ponta Formosa.
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Its funny how you look like dolls always photos of your backs. I am into that kind of photo to!?
Azores does looks like a place to be! Honestly very beautiful and as soon as I read that easyjet flies to the Island I was “when can we book?”. We are leaving for a long term travel next spring and starting by road trippin in Europe…I wonder if there are any ferries?
Thanks for giving a breakdown on everything. This looks like such a beautiful place to visit.
wow!All these pictures are breathtaking.I love all the sky views and seem like a wonderful place to visit.Hope you had amazing time there..
This place looks absolutely gorgeous! I have heard of the Azores Islands, but I had no idea where they were located.
What a beautiful trip this must have been. The landscape is gorgeous. I would like to skip experiencing all seasons in one day though, lol.
Portugal looks amazing. I would love to visit one day and vacation there. You took such beautiful photos.
These photographs are incredible! What a beautiful island, I have never heard of this before!
I’ve always been curious about the Azores. It’s odd that this group of islands in the mid Atlantic is so under the radar. My brother, who crewed on a yacht in his younger years, had been there for refueling on trans Atlantic trips. What he told me about the Azores piqued my interest, though until now I never had a visual. Your photos are amazing, I have to get there! First time visiting your blog and I love it!
Oh my what Sao Miguel, Azores looks so very beautiful, I just love the views over those lakes. I could easily admire that view for days. I am also a huge waterfalls person, so i will be adding Ribeira dos Caldeirões waterfall to my list too.
Wow! beautiful photographs and article. its so well written. I definitely feel convinced enough to visit!
Wow, I can’t believe that this place exist. I instantly fell in love with the place. You had an awesome pictures. I am looking forward to visit this too. Hopefully before the year ends.
I’ve to admit that I’ve heard about the Azores before! It looks like a paradise. Your pictures speak for itself how surreal it is!
Omg this place is just beautiful. You guys had the best time over there.
Spectacular views, indeed, such an amazing gallery. I love the fact it’s very affordable, considering that it’s Europe.