10 Reasons to Visit the Azores

Where are the Azores? The Azores archipelago is Portuguese, but is situated very far away from the mainland in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. But this spring, cheap flights to the Azores finally opened up from Lisbon, so we were able to visit. We loved it and ended up spending a whole month on the largest of the islands - Sao Miguel. Sao Miguel pretty much has something for everyone so here are:

10 Reasons You Must Visit the Azores

The Azores are ripe with delicious foods, geographical wonders and landscapes straight out of Jurassic Park. However, due to their isolated location and how expensive it was to reach them, they're sadly often missed out by visitors to Portugal, and even the Portuguese themselves. Please don't do this, the Azores is definitely worth the visit!

#1. Sete Cidades Lake

Named one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal and one look will show you why. Portugal is so beautiful that it had a lot of competition, but when you visit it you can see why Sete Cidades won:

The lake is situated in an ancient, dormant volcano. You can walk all around the lake and all around the top of the volcano. If you do walk around the top you really notice where the lava has affected the earth (i.e. how the forest looks like four tongues).

Even though it really looks like there are two lakes, there is actually only one. (It's divided by a bridge). The sunlight reflects differently on the opposite sides of the lake making one part look blue and the other green.

This prompted a legend about a King refusing to let his daughter marry a shepherd. They cried so much that they filled up the lakes. A guy we met told us the blue lake is the daughter's because girls cry more, but he was wrong (and sexist). The blue lake is the SHEPHERD'S because his eyes were blue (and he probably cried more).

Sexism aside, this kind of beauty was one of the main reasons we wanted to come to the Azores and it did not disappoint.

Tips for Sete Cidades:

• DO spend all day there, you can take a tour, you can hike round the bottom, walk round the top, even hike from the top to the bottom (that takes ages don't do that). You can also walk right underneath the volcano, but actually...
• DON'T walk in the tunnel underneath the volcano, it takes about 20 minutes, is pitch black and is a nightmare for anyone whose seen 'Creep' or 'the Descent' or any horror film really.
• DON'T now go and watch the trailer for 'the Descent' I'm now super scared. Okay, deep breaths...
• DO make sure you go on a sunny day, the weather in the Azores is volatile, the first time we went up there it was misty and we saw nothing! Luckily, we were there for a month and had plenty of opportunities to go back.
• DO see the second reason to go to the Azores for the best view of Sete Cidades.

You can book a Sete Cidades Tour here. Already convinced that you should visit the Azores? You can find cheap hotels in the Azores here.

#2. Monte Palace Haunted Hotel

A fascinating urban exploration spot with killer views.

Monte Palace was a French, yuppie, bad investment in the 80s. Thirty years ahead of it's time it over-estimated the amount of tourists heading to Sao Miguel. Within a year it was closed down.

For ten years or so, guards (and guard dogs) were employed to make sure no one broke in to steal the furniture/carpets/windows. But when the money finally ran out, nature was allowed to take over.

Photo credit: Petar Dimitrov, polygot

Well nature, the graffiti artists, and the annoying tourists:

Apparently a few years ago a French horror film was shot here, but we can't for the life of us find it's name :( or what it's about. We'd love to see it, so if anyone does know it please let us know! It was creepy, but if you can, you MUST go on the roof. The views are the best.

Tips for Monte Palace:

• DO go in the rooms and imagine how luxurious the hotel would be with a view like this;
• DON'T worry about being told off about going in there, there are no signs that say you can't, the doors are wide open and there are a few other tourists there.
• DON'T go at night, unless you are super brave!
• DO be careful, there are lots of old lifts you can fall down;
• DO read this post: Exploring A Haunted Abandoned Hotel in the Azores to find out more!

Be sure to get the best deals on hotels near Sete Cidades (don't worry, none of these are haunted).

#3. Caldeira Velha

Located very close to Lagoa do Fogo (another volcanic lake) is Caldeira Velha - and it's the best! It's basically three hot lakes heated by the volcano. This is the top one, it's about 25°C and has a waterfall.

We went in this one first, thinking that it would be warmer than it was.

Then we got in the next one (38°C) it was much warmer (duh).

Having complained that the first one was too cold, we soon discovered that the second one was too hot (eat your heart out Goldilocks).

It really was very relaxing, but because of the sunny weather we couldn't stay in for too long. The third pool was a whopping 61°C! Drastically dangerous to go in, but perfect to dry off next to.

Tips for Caldeirha Velha:

• DO go in the 38°C one first and then the 25°C!
• DO make sure you go in the water, it's very relaxing;
• DO try and go on a colder day, it would be perfect if it was snowing!
• DON'T step in the 61°C one (duh)

You can Book Caldeira Velha day trip here.

#4. The Azorean Wildlife

With a great environment and very few humans, there is a lot of wildlife here. Lots of unique birds, cute frogs:

and absolutely abundant with one of our favourite animals: lizards!

Note on cats and dogs: In the Azores lots of the dogs are used as guard dogs and are SCARY. They're also chained up outside which is good news if you don't want your arm bitten off, but bad news if you care about animal rights :(

Photo credit: Petar Dimitrov

We gave a couple of the cats some fish heads. It wasn't long before they came back with an army:

but at least it included their cute babies!

But maybe cats, scary dogs and lizards aren't your thing.. Don't worry the Azores save their best wildlife FOR THE SEA:

We saw dolphins and whales in the Azores with the wonderful Picos de Aventura if you'd like to hear more about that perfect day, if you're interested go ahead and book your whale and dolphin Azores experience right here.

#5. Lagoa Das Furnas

The third volcanic lake of Sao Miguel is called Lagoa das Furnas and the volcano is actually still active (though it's last eruption was in 1630).

Because of the activeness of the volcano, there are plenty of geysers (hot springs where water sporadically boils) hence all the steam:

They boil eggs in these waters! But we didn't eat eggs, instead we opted for a traditional cozido which had been cooked in the ground:

Yum

Even though it looks like a mud pie, it's a bit more sophisticated than that. Meats, veg and rice are placed together in a pot and then buried in the earth for five hours, they also do a vegetarian version. The volcano heats them up and gives you a yummy mess of foods cooked in each others' juices.

Photo credit: Petar Dimitrov 

These cozidos are cooked right next to the lake, which is beautiful

We mountain biked round the edge of the lake and then kayaked on it. It was a great way to see everything in an interesting way and from all angles.

Tips for Furnas:

• DO go kayaking and mountain biking with Picos de Aventura;
• DO have the cozido cooked from the ground. I can't say it was our favourite food on the island, but the novelty makes up for it.
• DO opt for the vegetable cozido, animals are sentient and don't like being eaten

#6. The Azores Food

So what was our favourite food on the island? All our favourites were found in teeny tiny  place called Capelas on the north side. Firstly they have a bakery there which is to die for, not many tourists come to Capelas (there's nothing to do there) so the prices are kept low and the tastes are kept yummy for the natives:

This 'Pastel de Nata' was the best we've ever had. Pastel de Nata is apparently custard tarts, but I've never had custard tarts like this in the UK. I'm no tart expert but I think the difference between the UK ones and the Portuguese ones is the pastry. Anyway, Pastel de Natas in Lisbon will set you back about 70 cents. The Pastel de Natas in Capelas are just 39 cents!

But our absolute favourite food came from our neighbours. They kindly invited us round to have food with them and their friends. It was one of the best meals we've ever had! They cooked most of the things in their wood oven:

We had bread, fish, potatoes, beef, chorizo, all cooked perfectly in the super hot oven (this was before we became vegan lol). They also had home made cheese which wasn't pasteurised and may be the best cheese we've ever had, plus plenty of wine and homemade tangerine liquor... all the food was either from their garden or from the island, or from the ocean. It was all delicious!

#7. The People in the Azores

Our neighbours weren't the only nice people we met in Sao Miguel. We also managed to hitchhike 20 times on the island - hitchhiking was literally the other reason we wanted to come to the Azores. Before the Azores we were pretty much hitchhiking virgins. In the Azores you have to hitchhike. Unless you hire a car or like walking for 3 hours. There are basically no buses and the taxis are expensive.

It turned out hitchhiking was really easy and really fun on Sao Miguel. As long as you stick to the main roads (so you know lots of people will pass). We were picked up by a mixture of natives and tourists (mainly German and American). A lot of the natives didn't speak English, but with my abysmal Portuguese and a lot of trusty sign language, we found them to be very friendly and kind. We actually wrote a whole post here called Everything you need to know about hitchhiking in the Azores - the perfect place for first time hitchhikers.

#8. The Azorean Coast

Whilst Sao Miguel doesn't really have any 'proper*' beaches, you can't fault the coast for it's crystal clear waters.

The sea is pretty rough and should only be ventured into by experienced swimmers, but there are still sections you can swim in, because they've cleverly built up the rocks to create a kind of 'sea swimming pool'. You get all the benefits of sea swimming, without having to worry about being swept out to sea!

*by proper I mean white-sand, enjoyable to lay on type beaches, this is not the Algarve, but that shouldn't put you off visiting

#9. The Azorean landscape

If you're bored of the coast, be sure to check out the inland, which is super green. There are lots of mountains/hills dotted across the island and most of them are in weird pointy shapes.

We actually walked one day from Ponta Delgada to Capellas (i.e. from the south coast to the north coast). It took three hours but it was absolutely beautiful!

#10. The outdoor adventures

Our final reason that we think you'll love the Azores is because of all the chances there are to do cool sports surrounded by beautiful nature. Alongside mountain biking and canoeing/kayaking (which we loved), you can also go bird watching, canyoning, hiking, hang gliding, scuba diving and surfing.

All in all, we absolutely loved the Azores, it's one of the best islands we've ever been to and one of our favourite places in Europe. No matter what you're looking for, be it relaxation, excitement, wildlife, volcanoes, good food, nice people - you're guaranteed to find it in the Azores. So what's stopping you? Maybe the practicalities? Let's look at those now:

 

Here is the quickest guide to the Azores with everything you need:

Everything You Need to Visit the Azores:

• Best Luxury Hotels in the Azores - Our guide to finding the perfect hotel in the Azores for your honeymoon, anniversary, birthday or any other special event;
• Medium to Cheap Hotels in the Azores - hotels in the Azores for all types of budgets, from budget travellers to middle.
• FREE accommodation in the Azores - with house sitting. We travelled the world for five years straight by house sitting. Find the perfect Azorean house sit for you: take a 10% trustedhousesitters discount code - the website where we find all out house sits and you can read more about house sitting in Portugal;
• Best Tours of The Azores - comprehensive list of the best tours to do in the Azores!

Things to Know Before You Arrive:

How to get around the Azores

Like I said, we got around solely by walking and hitchhiking. We really recommend hitchhiking, it was loads of fun. You could of course hire a car here. Please do believe us though when we say buses aren't an option. They go about twice a day, if that,  and don't go to the places you want to go.

What's the weather like in the Azores

The Azores have some crazy ever changing weather. Sao Miguel is a pretty small island, but you can have bright sunshine on one side and torrential rain on the other. Hence we recommend going to the Azores for at least two weeks if you can. There is so much to see and do there, and if you only come for 3 or 4 days, there is a possibility that all you will see is fog!

Food prices in the Azores

We were surprised by how cheap food was on Sao Miguel - especially outside Ponta Delgada. We'd (dumbly) assumed that everything would be imported and thus expensive, but because of Sao Miguel's fertile lands and intermittent weather they can grow pretty much anything! The pineapples in particular were to die for.

Where to Stay in the Azores

Airbnbs in the Azores

As we stayed for a whole month in the Azores we decided to stay with AirBnB. This is because most AirBnBs offer a SUPER CHEAP DISCOUNT if you stay for a whole week and even more if you stay for a whole month. Staying with AirBnB also meant that we had our own kitchen and washing machine - the ultimate luxuries for those who have been travelling for a long time... if we hadn't stayed for a whole month though we would have just stuck to hotels, we would have chosen one of these:

Hotels in the Azores

• Furnas Boutique Hotel: Furnas Boutique Hotel is in the perfect location - Furnas! (Right next to one of the three massive volcanic lakes.) This is the place to go if you're looking for true luxury and relaxing spas. For the best rates, book your room on Hotel.com
• Hotel Acores Atlantico: If you're looking for a cheaper option, we suggest Hotel Acores Atlantico. It's also in a great location (Ponta Delgada) - this is the central hub of the island, you can get to all the top spots from here easily. Plus there are plenty of supermarkets and restaurants in Ponta Delgada. Ponta Delgada is also where the whale/dolphin tours start from. For the best rates, book with Agoda.
Finally, here is a list of the Best Luxury Hotels in Azores Portugal list - perfect for people on their honeymoon, or anniversary, or just those that like a bit of luxury.

House Sitting in the Azores

Fancy staying in some fancy accommodation in return for looking after a pet or too? It's definitely worth checking out Trusted House Sitters - Portugal for House Sits in the Azores. House sitting can be an awesome way to travel the world and meet locals. House sitting is especially popular in Europe. We've house sat all over the world, including in Portugal - if you'd like to try it yourself, we can offer a 10% Trustedhousesitter discount code - the website where we find all our house sits.

Timeshare Rentals in the Azores

A timeshare rental would also be something to consider. If rented on the timeshare resale market from an existing owner, the savings can be incredible. Browse timeshare resales online for the best prices.

Wrap Up: 10 Reasons You Have to Visit the Azores

Sao Miguel has been one of the highlights of our last two years of travelling and we are busy recommending it to everyone. Our only regret is not being able to visit the other islands, but we will be back for that!! But what do you think? Would you like to go to the Azores? Let us know! For further information, you can check out this YouTube video on the Azores :)

P.S.: If you're interested in a way of travelling and getting accommodation cheaply, you might wanna check out house sitting. Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount, feel free to click on the link to use it :)

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ABOUTME

We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.