The Azores Islands FAQ: Burning Questions, Baby

Ah, the Azores. Very beautiful, very green, very far from just about everything. Which is why most people don’t know all that much about them. Even we really just knew the basics until we finally took the surprisingly cheap flight over from Lisbon and explored some of these amazing islands ourselves.

That’s right, just “some”. We set foot on 4 different Azores islands which you may be interested to know (ooh, could this be our very first frequently asked question?) that that figure only makes up 44% of the total number of Azores islands. So, to be clear, the answer is 9. There are 9 islands in the Azores. Then why did I have to make it so convoluted, why not just say that, you ask? Because brevity and simplicity have never been my strong suits, much like taking selfies or eating vegetables without frowning.

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Anyway, the whole point of this post is to answer all your burning questions about the Azores islands, so I may as well stop just telling you stuff and get right down to the questions…

General Questions

Are the Azores a country?

Nope, they are part of Portugal. An “autonomous region”, though. Which is a little vague and confusing but this isn’t a political studies class so we’re not getting into all that just now. They’re Portuguese, just stick with that.

Do they speak Portuguese there?

Yes, of course. Probably with a noticeable accent, considering their distance from the mainland and overall isolation. But my weak understanding of the Portuguese language is nowhere near the level required to start picking out new accents. Just choosing the right version of obrigado/da is challenge enough for me, thanks.

How do you pronounce “Azores”?

As usual, it depends. The English version is basically “UH-zores” or “AY-zores”. However, the Portuguese pronunciation is more like “ah-SOR-esh”. Incidentally, Spanish is “ah-SOR-ayz”, which isn’t really relevant except the way that I so often substitute Spanish for Portuguese, for no good reason than that I’m better at it.

Where are the Azores?

Way out in the middle of Nowhere / The Atlantic Ocean. In fact, the furthest west of the islands (Flores and Corvo) are nearly as close to Canada as they are to mainland Portugal. And way closer than they are to Nepal, but isn’t everything?

What do the Azores look like?

Very green. Lots of rocks and cliffs along the ocean. One of the only tea plantations in Europe. Loads of cows. Loads of cowshit. Tiny roads, but nicely paved. Quite a few waterfalls. Every now and then a volcano. Whales seem to like it there.

Do lots of people live there?

Depends what you consider lots. Way fewer than in Lisbon. Way more than my last birthday party. More specifically, around 240,000 or something like that. But over half of them live on the main island of São Miguel, and if you combine those with the people on Terceira, the next most populous island, you’ve got about 80% of the total Azores population covered.

Meanwhile, we spent most of our time among the 3,500 or so people on Flores and also spent a day on Corvo, home to just 384 sort-of-Portuguese folks. Probably 385 by now, that one lady we saw certainly looked pregnant.

What time zone are the Azores in?

GMT-something, like everywhere, I guess. But, in practical terms, they were 6 hours ahead of Saskatchewan and, crucially, 1 hour behind mainland Portugal and 2 behind Italy. Which was yet another great reason for us to stop there, to ease the impact of jet lag on our way home. Which, along with some generous use of sleeping pills, worked just fine, thank you.

What is the best way to get around the islands?

Azores Air. Flights are cheap, the planes are small, checked bags are always included and almost all the flights leave right around noon. Which makes the tiny airports seem busier than they really are but also means I rarely had to set my alarm in the morning. Which, let’s face it, is my number one travel goal most of the time.

What is the best way to get around ON the islands?

Rental car, definitely. There are buses, sure, but they are infrequent and, sorry to say, not that pretty. And the Azores islands don’t really have those 2 or 3 big tourist spots that everyone visits so the attractions are more diverse and spread out (and often consisting entirely of a small highway pullout). So having your own wheels is vital.

Interestingly, considering that the vast majority of visitors rent cars, the prices were low (almost comically so in one case). Plus, the driving was relatively easy and there’s a non-zero chance you’ll be presented with a snazzy baby blue Volkswagen Up! Of course, there is also a chance you’ll be saddled with an “or similar”, perhaps a lowly Fiat Panda with a stiff clutch, awkward shifter and completely superfluous 6th gear (good luck finding THAT straightaway). In all cases, expect to spend a lot more time stuck behind tractors than you were expecting.

Free Azores travel tip:

If there are at least two of you, leave one person to wait for your bags while the other scampers off to join the rental car queue as soon as possible. Bonus points if you remember to pee right BEFORE the plane lands.

Now for some island-specific questions. We flew into Terceira (“Third”), spent 2 nights, flew to Flores (“Flowers”) for 5 nights, including a day trip to Corvo (“Crow”) and finished up on São Miguel (“Holy Mike!”).

São Miguel

We’ll start with São Miguel because it’s the biggest. Irrelevant? Maybe. Nothing you can do about it? Unfortunately, yes.

How big is “big”?

Specifically, just 15 km north-south but a whopping (for the Azores) 65 km east-west. More practically, in traffic terms, it takes just 15 minutes to cross north-south but easily a couple hours east-west. Them tractors don’t exactly speed.

What are the “Sete Cidades”?

It is a popular and scenic area – the name translates to “seven cities” but, from what I could tell, there were actually “zero cities” there. A few tiny villages, though. And, allegedly, an exceptionally beautiful viewpoint featuring panoramic views of a gorgeous crater valley filled with lakes and lush green hills. Or, in some cases, just thick cloud.

A tea plantation? Really?

Yeah, I shit you not. At least not in this case. Gorreana Tea Factory is quite picturesque and is also, apparently, the oldest tea plantation in Europe. Which presumably doesn’t make the tea taste any different but it does give you a better answer if people ask why the hell you’re drinking tea.

Is Lagoa das Furnas worth a visit?

Well, that depends. Do you like small lakes surrounded by hills? Do you like very flat paths? Old, weathered churches? How about underwhelming “bubbling caldeiras”? You know, mud, steam, some info boards? Does that sound like something you’d be into? No, I’m serious, does it? I’m not sure why I’m using that tone, it is really quite pleasant.

Do you think that weird cat is still sleeping on the table outside your apartment?

Yeah, I assume so. It did NOT seem like she had much going on.

Any under the radar spots you’d recommend?

Absolutely. Fenais da Luz is a quite impressive stretch of rocky coastline near Ribeira Grande. There is also Buraco de San Pedro (a tiny peninsula with a nice viewpoint and “well, well, look at that” sinkhole) and Ermida San Pedro (a weird little church). Then, of course, there is La Bota, a large boot-shaped rock that’s name translates to “the boot”. You can’t make this shit up.

WTF, is that a mall?

It sure is, fella. Full-on, too, with a food court and a Sephora and even those little booths selling overpriced sunglasses or cell phones. It is definitely the main shopping centre for all of the Azores. Every flight we took had two things in common. A stop in São Miguel and lots of women stuffing mall shopping bags into the overhead bins.

Terceira

Does “Terceira” really just mean “Third”?

Sadly, yes. I would understand this kind of laziness on, say, island 9. Or maybe even island 8 if it had been a particularly exhausting day. But island 3? I expected more from you, 15th century pirates.

How would you summarize the highlights of Terceira?

Lots of excellent viewpoints, plenty of cute villages, a fair number of pastoral roads. By which I mean narrow roads between stone fences with the occasional cow peeking over the top. Every now and then, a hint ‘o forest.

Can you really see all the way to Brazil from the top of Monte Brasil?

What? Of course not, Brazil is really, really far away. Seriously, who told you that? They are definitely messing with you. You can, however, get a really good look at Angra do Heroismo, so that’s something.

What the hell is an Angra do Heroismo?

Excellent question. It’s actually a town. Quite a neat, pretty, little town in fact, full of colourful buildings that really lean into it. The colour thing, I mean. “Pink Church”, for example. “Blue Church”, for another.

What is a “cow jam”?

A common phenomenon on Terceira when a car – often a tiny rental car driven by tourists weirdly impatient despite the complete lack of urgent plans – becomes caught up in a large herd of lumbering, muddy cattle. This generally results in considerable delays, very unpleasant odour and, if the driver unwisely attempts to influence the urgency of said cattle, sometimes a collapsible mirror taking the brunt of it all.

Do Terceiran cattle have a distinctive (i.e. weird) walk?

According to Laynni, yes. In fact, she was quite adamant about it. In fairness, though, she felt the same about Terceiran farmers.

Where can you find the cheapest hiking poles in the Azores?

Sportzone, Praia da Vitoria, Terceira. €14.99 for a pair. A little heavy but not as noisy as some. A solid 3/5.

Should I go swimming at Biscoitos?

Yeah, maybe. If you like wild, rocky pools that are mostly sheltered by the biggest of the rocks from the big, nasty waves, then almost definitely. And even if you’re not swimming, you can go just to look at the waves, which can be nice under the right circumstances. And next to the parking lot there’s a place that sells weird hats.

Did you see one of the famous rope bullfights of Terceira?

No.

Is the beef alcatra worth the hype?

It is, assuming you really like beef. Because, although it is a traditional Terceiran “beef stew”,  realistically it is more of a “beef roast” because there are no potatoes, no carrots, no peas, no vegetables at all, just a lot of au jus. It does come with a big plate of local bread, though. Not for free, mind.

Is there anywhere in the Terceira airport that has a cleverly whimsical name and sells outstanding donuts?

There is, actually. It’s called “Make Me Donuts”. And make us donuts, they did.

Flores

Flores is quite small, very pretty and highly recommended.

How to find the airport?

1. Follow main street to the middle of town

2. Park when you see the planes

How beautiful is Flores?

On a scale of 1 to 14, probably an 11. Just filled with incredible scenery, with a lot of sheer, dramatic cliffs in the north, slowly transitioning to rolling green hills and valleys with lots of lakes and waterfalls in the south.

How are the roads?

Mostly excellent – smooth and scenic, although winding and narrow, and featuring a handy pullout every place you can enjoy a particularly impressive view. Plus, in our experience, the roads were also very quiet. On our main day of viewpoint-hopping we got started quite early (8:30) and, while we were passed by a few locals here and there who seemed strangely less interested in the views than we were, we didn’t run into a single other tourist until about 11 am at the most popular caldera viewpoint.

Around noon we took on a 20-min hike to see some amazing waterfalls and there we joined our first “crowd” which, on Flores, basically means 20 people loosely scattered around a small lake taking turns sneaking off to the bushes, pretending to explore but actually peeing.

Then what’s up with that tour bus?

I know, right? We did see one tour bus, a couple different times around the island, always driving, never stopped, and we never saw the passengers out and about, only ever peering out the windows longingly, but we have to assume they were occasionally let out to play.

Ever wanted to live in a secluded beach cabin in the middle of the Atlantic?

If so, you can make that dream come true on Faja de Lopo Vaz, a remote beach on the southern coast of Flores. To get there, you park at the top of the cliff and embark on a 20-minute hike with fantastic views that leads down to a black sand beach where, based on our experience, you will find just 5 other people, 2 of which are topless women, although I can’t speak to their future schedule.

Anyway, there are a few surprising – but adorable – little cabins just behind the beach, at least one of which was for sale. Robinson Crusoe without the jungle wildlife, but presumably the occasional boob.

Were we asking too much of that dehumidifier?

Possibly. Despite what you may have heard, I am NOT, in fact, a dehumidifier expert. However, the water tank held 4 litres and typically filled up in just half a day, leading us to 2 conclusions:

1) The Azores are VERY humid.

2) Just by breathing we could tell that and probably didn’t need the dehumidifier to figure it out.

Are there rabbits everywhere?

Yup. Hundreds of them, especially in the middle of the island. I bet nobody would even mind if you took some home with you.

Is an “anti-malecón” a real thing?

Probably not, but it is the weird way I decided to describe the shoreline in Santa Cruz das Flores.The main town on the island, where almost all the tourists stay, featuring a gorgeous, rocky coastline with tremendous views and a decent chance of spotting whales.

Apparently, to capitalize on this enjoyable feature, Flores decided that every street near the water should lead to a dead-end, blocked by either a chain-link fence or crumbling stone wall covered in graffiti.  However, if you are persistent, energetic and willing to repeatedly backtrack, you will eventually be rewarded with a decent set of swimming “pools” and some mildly scenic rocks.

Do islands get much more beautiful than Flores?

They do not.

For more details, and plenty more photos, check out:

The 10 Best Flores Viewpoints

Corvo

What is Corvo famous for?

About half the island is taken up by a single caldera. Of course, this being Portugal, they call it a “caldeirão”, regardless of how much I argued. Whatever you want to call it, it’s 2.3 km wide, which is, objectively, very big. Even for a volcano. I think. Actually, I’m not sure. But I do know it looks pretty cool.

How do you get to Corvo?

Most people get there by boat from Flores. Either on a day trip or to stay a night or two. But, technically, you can also fly directly there. We visited on a day trip boat tour from Flores, along with probably every other tourist on Flores, which still wasn’t many.

Does it matter which company you book with?

There are two Corvo boat companies that run tours out of Flores. One stopped replying to me so I booked with the other instead, then when the first eventually sent me a WhatsApp I had to tell them I had already booked “elsewhere”, then a bit later I got another WhatsApp from someone else from the same company finally answering my questions, clearly unaware of the parallel conversation.

Then we showed up in the morning to meet the second company and they immediately told us we’d be on the first company’s boat and all the groups were combined and not to worry about that, that the important parts are payment is cash only and here’s your lifejacket, make sure you return it at the end of the day. So, no, I don’t think it matters all that much which company you use.

Extreme Occidente

Flores by Sea

The trip itself is terrific – 8 to 15 people in something like a hard-sided zodiac with padded seats set up lengthwise with bars to hold onto. You’ll spend the first 45 min or so cruising along the dramatic cliffs of Flores, admiring the caves and waterfalls and rock stacks and stuff, all while occasionally getting splashed with freezing water and giggling like mischievous schoolchildren. Or just laughing normally, I guess, I saw a few others try it that way but it didn’t seem worth it, personally.

Is it cold on the boat?

Oh boy, yes. For us, the Azores were the tail end of a pretty warm trip overall (Guatemala, Tunisia, Italy) so we weren’t exactly flush with cold weather clothing options and ended up wearing everything we had. Merino long-sleeve, fleece, windbreaker, plus toque, gloves and buff. And that was NOT too much. The boat drives fast, the wind is strong and the water is cold. Plus, despite being Canadian, some have, upon occasion, described our cold weather constitutions as, perhaps, “delicate”.

Is the trip rough?

It sure is, thanks for asking. I assume this varies with the weather but, one way or another, you’re crossing open ocean in a tiny boat so it will definitely be more “cork in a white water river” than “cork bobbing around in the tub while you guzzle wine”. But there’s a really good chance you’ll see dolphins, so that’s something.

Will there be vomiting?

Can’t say for sure, but one woman on our boat sure gave it a right good go. Something to consider if you have seasickness issues. Or hangover issues.

Dolphins think they’re pretty cool, don’t they?

They sure do. I mean, I kind of get it – sleek, hairless, great swimmers and all that. Real Olympic hero vibes. But still, it wouldn’t have killed them to give us at least some hint where they’d pop up next so we could have gotten at least one decent photo…

What happens when you get to Corvo?

Not much, to be honest. They help you off the boat, then say something along the lines of “see you back here at 5”, then you’re on your own. Kind of like pre-school.

Not to worry, though, there should be a few different taxi vans waiting to take you to the caldera. Phase 2, engaged.

Was it awkward having two taxi drivers fight over us?

Yes.

Was it a bit flattering?

Also yes. Taxi vans charge €10 pp return to take people to the caldera and don’t seem to get along at all, which is a bit surprising and likely problematic on an island of 400 people. The driver dropped us at the top and told us to meet back there at 3 for the return trip, until a few other guys in the van with us negotiated it backed up to 4.

But when we said we’d walk back down instead he seemed shocked like it’s never happened, and then couldn’t come up with a plausible idea for what we should do with our return trip lanyards. When we saw him again at the end of the day, we waved him over and handed them back. Somehow, that seemed to work.

How much time do you have at the top?

2-3 hours. Depending on your negotiating skills, apparently.

How many trails are there to choose from?

Basically two. The views are incredible right from the parking area, then you can either head down into the crater or out along the crater ridge. We opted for the ridge – hoping for less mud and fewer cows and less shit and more continuous views from on high. All of which seemed to be the case.

Is walking back down worth it?

I’d say so. There is only so much wandering you can do in the crater itself. The way down is on the road but the views across to Flores are nice. It took us just over an hour to walk the 6 km back down to the port.

How is Corvo doing on the tourism front?

Probably not as well as they should be, considering that despite the 35 or so people milling around killing time waiting for their return boat – exactly like every single day, presumably – there were only two bars open and not a single place serving food. Plenty of beer to be drank before the rough boat trip back to Flores, though, assuming you’re up for the challenge.

Random Questions

Just thought of a couple more. Not “burning” questions per se, but maybe “smoldering”, or perhaps “mysteriously warm”.

How’s the wifi?

Surprisingly good. Weirdly fast on Flores, and apparently free thanks to the Wifi4EU plan, which provides any EU community of less than 15,000 people with free wifi.

How do the Azores compare to mainland Portugal?

Less land, first and foremost. Fewer bidets, strangely. And, boy oh boy, finding a good banana on the islands was a challenge. However, clothes dryers were much more prevalent. Weather related, presumably. That doesn’t explain the weirdly excessive stocks of paper towel in every apartment, though.

Are the Azores worth visiting?

Definitely. Although I guess it depends what your other options are. As a choice between the Azores islands and some really ugly islands somewhere else? Azores all the way. Between the Azores and some really nice islands? Tougher call. But, to visit at some point, yeah, I’d recommend them.

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Other Routinely Nomadic posts you might like:

The Best Flores Viewpoints

The Madeira Collection

The Best of the Costa Vicentina

The Best Armacao Beaches and Viewpoints

Rota Vicentina and the Fishermen’s Trail

The Camino Portuguese Coastal Route