Visiting the Azores has been one of the best experiences in my life. It was a true and unexpected surprise to me. This place is nature at its maximum expression, something I’ve never seen before. Every view is green and perfect as if it was taken care of by a thousand gardeners daily. It seems that these islands have kept their unique essence, in other words, they don’t feel like a tourist trap. Plus, everywhere you look there is a perfect cinematographic scene.
The Azores islands are nine, and they are part of a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.
So my husband and I packed our bags, bought our tickets, and decided to visit Sao Miguel, Faial, and Pico. The three islands have their similarities but they are also different in some ways, so it is difficult to pick a favorite one. Today's post is about Sao Miguel. So let’s get started sharing all the OneLife-OneBag tips based on our experience for your next trip to the Azores to be seamless and effortless.
How to get there
Our flight was directly from Lisbon to Sao Miguel. But being an island in the middle of the Atlantic I found it remarkable that there are direct flights not only from Portugal but also from the United States, Canada, and Cape Verde. Remember there is a time zone difference of minus one hour vs Lisbon (Greenwich Mean Time -1 (GMT-1)).
Are there Covid restrictions at the Azores? (Updated March 2021)
Upload your negative Covid test results 72 hrs within your flight
OR apply for a FREE Covid test at the selected labs indicated on the website
Once you arrive at the airport, you will be asked for your reservation and personal information.
You will need to perform a Covid test on day 6 and day 12 after you arrive in the Azores. Someone will contact you to schedule the second and third tests.
If you plan to stay longer and visit other islands, you will also need to follow the procedure mentioned in Step 1
Where to stay
During our visit to Sao Miguel, we decided to stay one week at Ponta Delgada since it is the main capital of the Azores. Based on our budget and priorities (Oceanview, Wifi, Kitchen, Washing machine) we decided to stay at “Varandas do Mar”. The pictures on Airbnb do not do justice to the beauty of this place. It is a 3 bedroom just renovated charming property with two floors, an upper terrace, and a huge backyard facing the ocean. There were only two downsides to this place. One, that one of the rooms can get noisy at night due to the street movement, which was not an issue for us since we stayed in the room facing the ocean. Second, the kitchen utensils were a little old. I mean, nothing to worry about, we could adjust. But it would be so great for the Airbnb hosts to know the much higher experience you can create when you provide good cooking utensils to your guests. There is a small supermarket (Super Poupadinha) just a few steps away from the house, but I didn’t find fresh fruits nor vegetables. So I went a block farther and found another supermarket with a lot more variety and fresh food. Just the same as if I would have gone to the Mercado da Graça (A very famous Mercado in Ponta Delgada).
After one week in Ponta Delgada, we decided to move to another part of the island. I made some research in Airbnb applying my favorite filters and found a very good rated house in Ajuda da Bretanha, called “A Toca do Lince I”. I felt that this place marked the start of my favorite interior design style, and I suppose it is because it matched with our minimalist lifestyle and my bohemian taste. The house was all about wood, stone, and white/beige fabrics. You could see the ocean from the kitchen, the living room, and the main room. It’s definitely a place to be calm and enjoy the silence. Internet was 100mbps so working was very smooth. There is a walking distance supermarket in the small town of Bretanha, where you will be able to find basic things. But I didn’t go there, since I wanted fresh food. So what I did is I drove 15 minutes to Continente (big supermarket) just one time (since I previously planned all the meals) and never had to go again during the entire week.
Those were two weeks at Sao Miguel. But if we come back we would stay at Furnas, a beautiful cozy village with thermal waters.
7 amazing things to do at Sao Miguel island
1. Go to Lagoa and have a coffee and a snack at a local cafe such as Café e Snack-Bar A Furna or dive into the Complexo Municipal de Piscinas.
2. For some beach time, go to Sao Roque and eat or drink at the Sunset Beach - Restaurante & Bar
3. Stop at Furnas, and take your bathing suit with you so you can visit the thermal pools of Poça da Dona Beija. For 5 Euro you can access a locker and the hot springs which are at 39ºC. You might spend here about 1 or 2 hours, they don’t sell drinks nor food and you can’t take your own either. So go well hydrated.
4. Go to Agua de Pau for a cozy romantic dinner at Casa do Abel (remember to make a reservation).
Or if you want to experience some local street food, get a Bifana or a Cachorro (hot-dog) at the mobile car in front of Casa do Abel.
5. Sete Cidades is a must on this island, for the best views go to Miradouro do Rei although you might need to go a couple of times because it gets foggy and you might not be able to see the lakes. After you get to the top, go down to the town and visit O Poejo for brunch (18 Euro for two people) or visit Green Love, for some coffee or beer (I did not eat here so I can’t recommend it).
6. At Ponta Delgada, you must stop at Intz48 for coffee, bread, or pizza. But also for the experience of meeting the owner who has a very unique personality.
If you are a hamburger fan like my husband go to Suplexio- Ponta Delgada.
Go to Mercado da graça to find all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
7. At Ribeira Grande go to Tuka Tula and please order the bread with cheese and banana jam, you won’t regret it…
Weather
The weather is very unpredictable. Basically, Azores can have the four seasons in one day. We visited in March and there was sun, clouds, rain, fog, all in one day. The temperature remained between 15ºC-18ºC. Apparently, the best month to visit the Azores is in June, because during that month cloudy days are fewer and temperatures increase to 16ºC-21ºC.
Fun facts
The pineapple is a local star and Sao Miguel is the only place in the world where they are grown in greenhouses
Some streets in Ponta Delgada have very narrow sidewalks so be careful
It’s so typical to see local old men get together at café-cervejarias or just taking the sun on the street
There are cows everywhere, they seem so happy to be free in the unending green fields of the Azores
Do you have any other ideas or experiences about Sao Miguel island?
Happy to read them!
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