When people asked me where I was headed this summer, I said, “The Azores Islands”. Every single time I got a confused expression along with a similar comment….”Now where is that again?” The answer to that question is quite simple. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There are actually 9 islands that make up the Azores and they belong to Portugal. Some reasons to plan an adventure to the Azores? They are a short 5 hour flight from NYC (closer than anywhere else in Europe), A glass of wine can be as cheap as 60 cents…but around $2.00 on average (I never wanted to leave) and the islands are amazingly beautiful with fewer tourists than almost all other summer destinations. There are volcanos to climb, natural hot springs to sink into, wineries to visit and hiking galore! So join me on a journey to the middle of the Atlantic where we can hike the rim of a volcano, snack on fresh octopus and get drunk on wine, all for under $10. euro a day!

GetGThere

As I mentioned, the flights from NYC are about 5 hrs non-stop to Sao Miguel. There are also non-stop flights from Boston and Toronto. We flew on Azores Airlines, but several carriers fly daily. We rented a car from the airport and made our way to our first stop; Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel’s capital) which was about 10 minutes from the airport. If you rent a car, (which I would recommend) there are meters on the streets in the city where you can actually overfeed the meter so that the extra goes into effect in the a.m.! In the time it took to write that, my car would have been towed in NYC.

Visit the Twin Lakes ( Sete Cidaides) – This is one of the main sites that everyone wants to see on Sao Miguel, which means it gets crowded and parking is challenging. The view is also elusive due to the frequent fog that settles on the lake, obstructing the views. But fear not, because the Azore Islands have cameras at many of their popular sites that show conditions in real-time. Just download the SpotAzores app on your phone to stalk possible destinations. We thought that the Sete Cidaides camera was broken or that the place didn’t really exist at all because for days and days it was just a white screen…apparently that was the notorious fog… Finally we looked at the camera one day and there it was! We headed there right away and were lucky to have an amazing day of hiking the trails around the upper valley while enjoying the most amazing views of the lakes. You can also drive down to the lakes and if you don’t vomit from the winding roads, you can rent bikes, kayaks, hike or horseback ride around both lakes. Admission is free to the entire area.

Hit the Beach– Once again, you can stalk the weather at several beaches via the SpotAzores webcam before sneaking hotel towels past the front desk and grabbing your flip flops. My favorite beach on Sao Miguel? Santa Barbara Beach! It’s a black sand beach with a little cafe, restaurant, fantastic views and big waves. There are many other beaches to explore and some even have man made pools on the ocean.

Visit the Pineapple Plantation– This was a fun little half hour/hour visit. Pineapples are not native to the Azores, but this plantation grows them in greenhouses and you can walk the grounds, taste their pineapple liquor and have a delicious pineapple juice while visiting.

Hike with Rescue Donkeys- Yes. It’s as cool as it sounds. You meet your guide (and the owner) across from a small cafe in a little village not too far from Ponta Delgada. She literally gives a 4 minute introduction before giving everyone a donkey to walk. I was given “Wacky Zacky”. I wonder if she matches the donkeys up with similar human personalities?! The “hike” (more like a stroll) goes through the streets of a small village and ends at her farm, The Blue Footed Donkey where you get to meet more donkey friends. Bethany is so informative, personable and truly loves her donkeys! The hike lasts around 2 hours. $45 per person and the money goes to care for her rescue donkeys.

Swim in a Collapsed Volcano in the Atlantic Ocean- There is a boat that will take you to Heau de Vila Franca (a collapsed volcano off the coast of Sao Miguel) within ten minutes. It leaves from the dock every hour or so. I have a love/hate relationship with boats and I wasn’t falling for this one. It didn’t even try to impress me. It was small and narrow. Everyone just piled in as it rocked in all different directions and continuously slammed into the dock. After the 10 minute ride, the boat drops you off at the volcano crater and leaves you there. You can stay as long as you want and catch any one of the return boats back to civilization. During low tide you can actually walk the length of the crater in knee deep ocean water, which is really cool. You can also walk the rim and find a spot to put a towel down and just sit and enjoy the views. The only facilities are a bathroom and changing rooms, but surprisingly, there is a lifeguard! Travel Tip- They only sell 20% of their tickets online each day… If you go early enough, (we went at noon) you will probably score tickets at the small ticket booth right at the dock, even if they show none available online. They only allow a certain amount of people to visit each day, so plan ahead.

Have Breakfast with Goats– If you think hiking with donkeys sounds fun, this was incredible! The morning includes a tour of a local farm, quality time with the goats, milking one of them and eating breakfast goodies made with goat milk and other farm products. We got to hold a baby goat while we were there and I was so tempted to kidnap him….. until he tried to eat my hair. And then my shirt. The owner explained everything about running the farm and sat to chat with us about life in the Azores during breakfast. This was such a fantastic experience. $45.pp – I booked on AirBnB

Soak in Natural Hot Springs– There are several places to experience the hot springs on Sao Miguel. The Parque Terra Nostra has a large natural hot spring to sink into, as well as two smaller hotter pools. I was not impressed with the other hot springs we visited (Caldiera Velha) because they were one of the only touristy things I visited in the Azores. I felt like I was on the E train during rush hour, if the train were filled with hot volcanic water. But Terra Nostra has a hotel and if you splurge and stay there, you have access to their pools 24/7.

Hike to a Waterfall- Salto do Prego is a magical waterfall you can hike to on the East end of the island. The hike takes about 3 hrs. round trip and the elevation gain is about 1,000 feet. towards the end of the hike you pass through a deserted village (basically a ghost town) and then stumble upon a tiny hut/cafe in the middle of nowhere. It was raining so we stopped in for some tea. I asked what kind of tea they had and was invited out into the weeds behind the hut to pick lemon verbena leaves. Images of George Costanza turning purple as he was being rushed to the hospital after drinking some natural tea concoction were filling my head. (Seinfeld fans?) The tea was amazing. Although it’s my favorite color, I didn’t turn purple. Now I want to build a greenhouse so that I can grow my own lemon verbena…but that’s for another day!

Climb through Lava Tunnels– There are two ways to explore the caves. You can take a guided 45 minute tour of these tunnels or take the longer and more challenging tour involving flashlights, claustrophobic spaces and darkness. The latter sounded like a place where vampires sleep during the day…and spiders run a muck…We opted for the less challenging tour and lived to fight another day. Wear sneakers!

Visit the Museu Carlos Machado Museum– This museum is so extensive and eclectic. They had entire sections dedicated to natural history, art, maritime and the actual history of the building itself (a repurposed convent). The museum is free on Sundays.

Climb the bell tower- 106 uneven stone steps with a sketchy flight at the top narrow enough to stop you if you had seconds at breakfast….the tower provides amazing views of the city….well worth the climb. The tower is free to climb! Skip the 2nd ham and cheese toastie and you’ll fit.

Where to Stay

The Neat Hotel- This was a great base hotel for exploring the island. Very good prices, safe and clean. I paid about $130 a night in summer.

The Terra Nostra– This was a lush, luxurious, exotic resort in the town of Furnace. We only stayed because we found an incredible discount and it was soooooo worth it! Besides access to the hot springs after all of the tourists leave for the day, there is a lavish breakfast included, the most amazing gardens to explore (with frogs!!!!) and a beautiful outdoor bar with live music!

Where to Eat

Colmeia– The best chicken sandwich (with pineapple) ever! I am trying to recreate it as we speak. Around the corner from the Neat Hotel.

Yarsagumba Açores- Some of the best curry I have ever had…..not to mention outdoor seating on the water!

Ja Se Sabe- If you stay in Furnace, this is a great early dinner place. They close at 6 pm.

3 Bicas Pub- Another great pick for dinner in Furnace. Low key pizza place. Dinner was around 20. euro for a large pizza with sausage and wine..

Snack Bar O Garoto- In small town Povoacao, this was a fantastic place for wraps. This is also where I found wine for 60 cents a glass!!!!!!!

A Grega Cafe- Only open for breakfast and lunch…the best Greek salad I have ever had outside of Greece.

Taberna na Boavista- You walk thorough a restaurant, down a hall and up stairs before entering a very zen garden with picnic tables….the food was very good, but prices were more New York than Azores.

A Tasca- An extensive menu with a lot of fresh fish and other options.

Azores Forever Diner- We ate breakfast here twice and loved the view of the church from the alley you sit in and the yummy egg on a croissant.

Fun Facts: The Azore Islands are made up of 9 unique islands each with their own landscape and personality.

The islands became important as a stopover for ships on transatlantic voyages hundreds of years ago.

Mosquitoes are almost non-existent on the islands

Travel Tips:

The Azores use the Euro as their currency

Taxis are regulated

I never encountered one hidden fee on any of the islands. What you see is what you get, but people were so honest to begin with!!!

Beaches and parks are free and many museums are free on Sundays, that being said, many things are also closed on Sundays!

The weather is extremely unpredictable in the Azores. One minute it’s raining and chilly and the next it is hot and sunny. Because of this, You need to be very flexible with daily plans and just go with it. It helps to stalk your destination on the Spotazores app before heading out.

Summer seems to be the best time to visit if you want more sunny warm days. I would still pack a sweater or two.

If you are into nature and like to explore the outdoors, A trip to the Azores is a great adventure to take! We visited 2 of the other islands while we were there. Read my next post on Pico and Faial to learn about them!!! The Azores have not been ruined by over tourism yet and still have a natural rugged beauty that many places have lost. The people are among the friendliest I have ever met and the simple unassuming islands are truly memorable. I hope they always stay as untouched and respected as they are, but most of all, I hope that their wine remains $2 a glass.