By air
Ponta Delgada (PDL), ~3 km
Europe · Portugal
Azores, Portugal
Crater lakes and whales in the Atlantic
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September — mild and green
Don't miss
Sete Cidades
Lagoa do Fogo
Furnas
Mount Pico
Things to do
Whale watching
The crater lakes
The hot springs of Furnas
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Lacobrigo · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers, rain gear
A quieter corner
The Poça da Dona Beija hot springs
Questions travellers ask
When are the Azores at their greenest?
May to September, when the islands are mild and green. Pack layers and rain gear all the same.
Where do I fly into for the Azores?
Ponta Delgada (PDL), where the airport is only about 3 km out.
What are the highlights of the Azores?
Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas and Mount Pico. Come for the crater lakes, the hot springs of Furnas and whale watching.
What dish are the Azores known for?
Cozido das Furnas, a stew cooked in the volcanic ground. For a quieter soak afterwards, try the Poça da Dona Beija hot springs.
About Azores
- Island
Where it is
The Azores are an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, an autonomous region of Portugal about 1,400 km west of the Portuguese mainland; the volcano Mount Pico, at about 2,350 m, is the highest point in Portugal.
History
The islands were uninhabited when Portuguese navigators sailing for Henry the Navigator reached them in the 15th century, and settlers, including many from Flanders, followed from the 1430s. The archipelago became a key stopover for ships crossing the Atlantic, whaling was a way of life for generations, and in 1976 the Azores became an autonomous region.
People
Azoreans speak Portuguese, and each island has its own accent and customs. The festivals of the Holy Spirit, with processions, shared soup and small chapels called impérios, are a central tradition, dairy farms produce cheeses such as São Jorge, and São Miguel grows tea and greenhouse pineapples.
Known for
- Whale and dolphin watching
- The crater lakes of Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo
- Hot springs and fumaroles at Furnas
- Pico's vineyards in lava-stone walls
- The old town of Angra do Heroísmo
Did you know?
At Furnas on São Miguel, cozido, a stew of meats and vegetables, is cooked for hours in pots buried in the hot volcanic ground beside the lake.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.