A-to-Z in the Azores
What to see and do in this volcanic dreamscape in the middle of the Atlantic
This article appeared in the June 2017 premiere issue of Hyperlink. Purchase a copy.
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By Ray Sylvester
Getting Acquainted
The Azores are one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, an archipelago of volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean about 850 miles west of continental Portugal. The Azores consist of nine major islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups: Flores and Corvo to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the center; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas Reef to the east. The largest and most populous island is São Miguel, with 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of whom live in the capital, Ponta Delgada.
Weather in the Azores is mild but unpredictable. The Azores’ distance from continents, along with the presence of the Gulf Stream, has a moderating effect on temperatures, which average a high of 73ºF in the summer and 55ºF in the winter. As such, the Azores are a far cry from your stereotypically balmy tropical wonderland, with no resorts to be found, weather that’s often wet and cloudy, and rugged beaches that lack the soft sand you’d find throughout much of the Caribbean.
Due to the islands’ remote location and their sporadic settlement over the past 200 years, culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions vary considerably from island to island. That said, thanks to their size, isolation, and small populations, the Azores are very safe, and many of the locals speak English.
Getting There & Getting Around
East Coasters can revel in the accessibility of the Azores, thanks to nonstop flights on Azores Airlines (previously SATA Internacional) from Boston to Ponta Delgada (on São Miguel) and Terceira Island. Both flights take about four hours. Azores Airlines also provides nonstop service from Oakland to Terceira, and from Toronto to Ponta Delgada.
Each island has its own airport. SATA Air Azores offer inter-island flights that operate like a bus service, hopping from one island to the next. There is also ferry service between Flores and Corvo, between São Miguel and Santa Maria, and around the central group of islands, particularly between Faial, Pico, and São Jorge.
Car rentals are available on most islands, and US drivers won’t even need to adjust, thanks to standard right-hand-lane driving. Mopeds and bicycles can also be rented if you’re interested in a more scenic pace. Buses provide local service, but they are probably too slow for most tourists.
Getting a Bite
Perhaps the signature dish of the Azores is cozido das Furnas, a medley of meats, sausages, and vegetables that’s cooked for hours underground by the natural heat of the volcanic hot springs in São Miguel’s Furnas Valley.
Across the water, São Jorge cheese is a strong, cheddar-style cheese that’s made from unpasteurized milk on its namesake island but available across the Azores.
Other Azorean delicacies include fried mackerel, black sausage (blood sausage), pimenta da terra (a meaty, spicy red pepper), and the small, intensely flavored Azorean pineapple, which is fertilized with smoke and eaten by locals with just about everything. Don’t forget to take home some açafroa, or “bastard saffron,” a colorful spice that tastes remarkably close to its prized Spanish cousin, at a fraction of the price.
And if you’re looking to sample the finest libations the Azores have to offer, São Miguel and Pico feature vineyards with a product of increasingly high quality. The Azores are also home to the only industrial tea plantations in Europe, renowned for their premium black and green teas.
Getting a Bed
Accommodations are generally limited, especially on the smaller islands, but charming cottages can be found throughout. Airbnb is a solid bet for the budget traveler, and larger islands such as São Miguel and Pico feature a number of hotels and hostels. If you’re looking for the plushest option in the Azores, try São Miguel’s Terra Nostra Garden Hotel in São Miguel, the top-ranked luxury hotel in the Azores according to TripAdvisor readers.
Getting Your Fill
Natural beauty and rich history abound in the Azores. Here’s a sampling of what to explore on each of the nine islands that make up this remote, magical getaway.
- Corvo, the smallest island, features Caldeirao, the crater formed by the volcano that gave birth to the island, as well as a lone settlement, Vila Nova do Corvo, that features buildings with black stone façades and narrow streets paved with rolled pebbles.
- Flores is one of three islands of the Azores (including Corvo and Graciosa) that have been designated Unesco Biosphere Reserves. Among its many idyllic natural attractions is Poço do Bacalhau, a 300-foot-high waterfall that pours into a popular swimming lake occasionally populated with eels.
- The windmills of Graciosa feature red cupolas that testify to the island’s Flemish influence, and the mile-wide caldeira in the southeast is a striking sight.
- Terceira’s Angra do Heroísmo is the Azores’ oldest city, with its sixteenth-century fortress. Terceira is also the birthplace of the Azorean bullfight ritual, similar to its Spanish counterpart, the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
- Fajãs, coastal plains that lie at the foot of steep volcanic cliffs, are a highlight of São Jorge.
- Faial is the place to go for whale watching, and to see Capelinhos, the last volcano to erupt in the Azores, in 1957–58.
- On the island of Pico, its namesake volcano, Montanha do Pico, dominates the horizon, begging to be hiked, photographed, and simply gazed upon.
- Lagoa de Sete Cidades in São Miguel is a twin lake in the crater of a dormant volcano; each side of the lake reflects light in different colors — one in blue and the other in green — leading them to be named Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul. And the north coast of the island features Europe’s only commercial tea plantations.
- The coast of Santa Maria features some of the Azores’ only sandy beaches. The most famous is Praia Formosa, the “beautiful beach,” recipient of the prestigious Blue Flag award, an international designation given to the highest-quality, most eco-friendly beaches.
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