Traveling The Azores Islands

I’ll admit that the Azores were not top of my list, little did I know they absolutely should have been! I found a killer deal on groupon (you know how much I love a great deal on luxury vacations) and the rest is history.

It was almost too good to be true! I set out with one of my BFF’s to explore the Azores! We decided that we would not prescribe the trip too much with a full planned itinerary, which is my favorite way to travel!

I was surprised to learn that New Years Eve was quite the event on the Azores, with each island celebrating in unique ways around their local city center. With little information available online about the celebration, my friend and I were not sure what would be in store for us, but were were pleasantly surprised with the incredible celebration!

There are 9 Azorean islands, but we only made it to two in our time there. The two islands that we visited were and Sao Miguel and Terceira.

Below is a list of my favorite experiences on these two islands!

Sao Miguel:

1.) Rent a car: I realize this is not the exciting experience you were looking for, but I think it’s a good point. I’m usually all about public transportation, but having a car on the islands will really increase your experience. You can certainly pay for an island tour with a local company, but having your own car allows you stop and explore all day long! With all of the beautiful buildings and picturesque hikes, you’ll want to be on your time frame.

2.) Parque Terra Nostra (Furnas) – At the bottom of a dormant volcano lies an incredibly relaxing and surreal hot springs, Parque Terra Nostra. Surrounding this natural hot springs, you will find a well kept and absolutely stunning botanical garden, that can be enjoyed year round. Look for incredibly reasonable Airbnb options in Furnas, we found an amazing deal at a beautiful home. As far as the surrounding areas of Furnas, you might not find any particularly appealing nightlife, you might not even find local food that is all that exciting, but you will find some of the friendliest folks around and jaw dropping beauty. Take advantage of the local grouchier, late night dinners can be scarce in off season.

Need an Airbnb recommendation? Try Casa da Tia Benta! The host is amazing and the house was beautiful. It’s about a 4 minute walk to the hot springs!! Jose is a great host!

3.) Bar Do Pi (Ponta Delgada) – I can promise great music, lots of dancing and heavy pours! This is about all the information I can offer on this particular bar, because, well, that is about all that is memorable (because the cocktails were strong). The music is great, the crowd is fun and the dancing is tipsy entertainment! What more could you want from a local island bar? We met some amazing locals and we danced the night away!

4.) Main Square (Ponta Delgada) – New Years Eve at the main square in downtown Ponta Delgada was truly magical. These little islands pack a lot of party into one night! Fireworks can be seen far and wide as the entire island joins in, champagne bottles pop in the streets and shower down atop anticipating raincoats and umbrellas wielded by the prepared locals. A local band played popular US and Portuguese music. Make no mistake, the entire production is highly professional and executed as such. They take their New Years celebration very seriously! I found searching for information on the event challenging, but trust me when I say head for the main square and you can’t miss it!

Need a great place to stay near main square in Ponta Delgada? I cannot recommend Casa da Frente enough! It’s walking distance to all local food, shops and pubs. Pedro is one of the kindest most thoughtful Airbnb hosts that I have encountered!

Terceira Island

1.) FOOD! – Enough said? Well if not, I highly suggest if you’re a steak lover that you eat steak every single night for dinner like we did! Terceira not only had some of the most amazing steak around, it was reasonably priced! If steak isn’t your thing, maybe you’d enjoy the enormous amount of insanely delicious pastry shops! If that isn’t your thing, maybe you will enjoy the photo of a local man preparing the meat. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy that view? (Ahem, gorgeous!)

2.) Algar do Carvão Lava Caves – WOW, the caves were absolutely beautiful and very easy to navigate for anyone who may not be keen on a difficult hike. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk right inside an actual volcano and experience the site from below. Truly breathtaking. Our tour guide treated us to his amazing vocal cords on the walk in, the acoustics are incredible!

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3.) Hiking – There are hiking tours everywhere you turn on this island. Unless you’re planning to delve deep into the dark forest (as some locals call it) you’re probably fine exploring on your own. Here is a list of 10 top hiking destinations on the island!

4.) Forte de São Bras – If you’re a history buff or if you just love a fantastic view, this is a great stop for beautiful photos along with a a lot of history. The forte is said to date back to the 17th century. It has been reimagined and reconstructed over the years, but much of the original structure remains. You can read more about the history here, but if you’re also interested in great views and photo ops, this is a great one to add to your list!

5.) The People – I know I say this everywhere I go and I DO encourage you to meet as many people as possible when traveling, because it creates the most epic experiences you will ever have. That being said, the people on the islands are some of the most thoughtful, helpful and genuine folks I’ve had the pleasure of meeting! We were welcomed into homes from drinks and pastries, guided to local pubs by new found friends, welcomed into closed resturants and even serenaded a few times! Make friends, they are all amazing!

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