In the Middle of the Atlantic
The Azores are 1,500km west of Lisbon, 3,900km east of New York, and sit directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. They are, in the literal geological sense, the most mid-Atlantic place you can stand. The nine islands were uninhabited when Portuguese sailors arrived in the 1430s; the volcanic activity that created them is still ongoing. The newest land in the archipelago is less than a century old.
The Azores have become modestly fashionable in the last five years — a discovery largely driven by travel photography of Sete Cidades, the twin lakes in a volcanic caldera on São Miguel. But the archipelago rewards more than a day trip from the island's capital; the outer islands remain genuinely quiet, and the combination of geological drama, whale watching, and walking trails through a landscape that looks nothing like mainland Portugal makes a week here some of the most rewarding island travel in Europe.
São Miguel: The Green Island
São Miguel is the largest island and the most visited, and the most photographed element — Sete Cidades, the caldera containing a green lake and a blue lake separated by a narrow bridge — genuinely rewards the photos. The caldera rim is an 11km walk that takes 3–4 hours and delivers the view from every angle; the lake level at 600 metres is always cooler than the coast, often in cloud, and produces the low-hanging mist that makes the landscape look like a Tolkien illustration.
The Furnas valley, on the island's eastern end, is São Miguel's other great geological spectacle: a hydrothermal field of fumaroles and boiling mud pools in the middle of a lush valley, with a lake whose floor bubbles with volcanic vents. The local dish — cozido das Furnas, a stew of pork, blood sausage, and vegetables slow-cooked for 6–7 hours in holes dug in the volcanic soil — is served at restaurants in the village and is as good as the concept suggests.
The Caldeira Velha hot springs — a waterfall-fed natural pool at 36°C in the middle of a fern-filled forest — are the island's best-kept secret: smaller, less commercial, and more atmospheric than the Ferraria coastal hot pools that get more attention.
Faial and Pico: The Twin Islands
Pico Island is dominated by the eponymous volcano — 2,351 metres, the highest point in Portugal, rising so steeply from sea level that its summit is above the clouds on most days. The ascent takes 3–5 hours from the trailhead at 1,200 metres and requires no technical skills — just fitness and appropriate clothing for the summit cold. The view from the crater rim, when the cloud clears, takes in the entire archipelago and the Atlantic to every horizon. The ascent must be registered in advance and requires a local guide (provided by the mountain rescue organisation) above the first refuge.
The island's volcanic lajido — the black basalt landscape at sea level, divided into small vineyard plots by stone walls — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a landscape of extreme beauty where Verdelho grapes have been grown in the shelter of low lava walls since the 15th century. The wine produced here is small-quantity and genuinely distinctive.
Faial, the island across a narrow channel from Pico, was reshaped by a volcanic eruption in 1957–58 that added 2.4 km² of new land to the island's western tip and buried the village of Capelinhos. The Capelinhos volcano, now a moonscape of ash cones and lava fields that ends abruptly at the sea, is one of the most dramatic geological landscapes in Europe.
Whale Watching: The Best in Europe
The Azores sit on a marine migration corridor where deep water is immediately adjacent to the islands — there is no continental shelf, and the ocean drops to 1,000 metres within a few kilometres of shore. The result is an extraordinary concentration of cetaceans: 28 species have been recorded in Azorean waters, including blue whales (present March–June), sperm whales (year-round, particularly reliable around Pico and Faial), fin whales, humpbacks, sei whales, and the resident common and bottlenose dolphin populations.
The sperm whale sightings around Faial and Pico are among the most reliable in the Atlantic. The local operators use the traditional vigia system — lookout posts on the hilltops, first used to spot whales for the 19th-century whaling industry, now staffed by observers who radio to the boats when a whale surfaces. The success rate for sperm whale sightings on a clear day is extremely high. Most tours are Zodiac-based; the RIB approach allows close access without disturbing the animals.
Practical Planning for the Azores
- Getting there: TAP Air Portugal and Azores Airlines fly from Lisbon to all nine islands. From the UK, direct services from London Gatwick and Manchester operate seasonally. From the US, direct Boston–Ponta Delgada flights operate April–October (United, SATA).
- Between islands: SATA Air Açores connects all nine islands by light aircraft (30–45 minute flights, $50–100). Some island pairs are connected by ferry — the Faial–Pico–São Jorge triangle is the most connected by sea. Book island-hop flights in advance in summer.
- Best time: May–September for whale watching and hiking. June–August is warmest (22–25°C) and busiest. May and September offer lower prices and fewer crowds. The islands are green year-round.
- Car hire: Essential for São Miguel and most outer islands — the volcanic terrain and distributed sights make a car the only practical option. Roads are good; driving is on the right.
- Budget: The Azores are moderately priced by European standards. Guesthouse: €50–80/night. Restaurant meal: €10–20. Whale watching tours: €50–75/person. Budget €100–150/day mid-range.