Getting to the Azores and Getting around

Getting to the Azores

There are direct flights from New York City, Boston, Toronto and Montreal to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel island and there are also some direct flights from Boston. The flights are also very reasonably priced. New flights are also being added! You can also fly in from other cities in Portugal if you happen to already be there. We stayed on São Miguel the whole time and there is more than enough to do on this one island. However, if you choose to go to other islands you can journey by flight or ferry.

Getting around the Azores

I highly recommend renting a car to get around. There are definitely public transport options, but since so many of the activities are dependent on the weather which can change rapidly, it is (in my opinion) really necessary to have a car to fully enjoy the types of activities that are available in the Azores. I recommend renting a small car if you can. The city streets can be narrow and it is a huge help to be able to fit your car in small spaces near hiking trails. 

Driving around is easy and the roads are well marked. Activities and towns are all very close by and you won’t find yourself driving for hours to get anywhere! If you feel nervous about directions and cell signal you can always download the google map of the island in advance so that you can access maps offline. 

A note on parking - in Ponta Delgada center there is paid parking (for which you need coins) or you can use parking garages. Outside the center and after certain hours you can park for free. You will see many locals park on the curb. Clearly this was widely accepted but we chose to stay in the parking spots since we had a rental car and didn’t want to take any chances.

Driving around the Azores