Mais Fique — More Stays
A Travel Blog
The Incredible Açores Islands
A chain of islands located off the European coast, the Açores Islands of Portugal are azure, volcanic, evergreen.
This archipelago includes nine beautiful islands: Corvo, Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge, São Miguel, Santa Maria and Terceira. Traveling to this incredible archipelago in April 2025, three islands were on the itinerary: the bustling São Miguel, agricultural Terceira and Flores, the western-most corner of Europe, covered in waterfalls.
Growing up with Azorean Portuguese roots, I couldn’t wait to explore the islands. Our adventure started in Angra do Heroísmo, the biggest city on Terceira. This city, like many throughout Portugal, features detailed stonework throughout the town squares and within architecture. The characteristically Luso designs include intricate sidewalk patterns of alternating white and dark green tiles, as well as blue and white painted tiles adorning many buildings. The second-most populous island, Terceira features a unique blend of industries, from winemaking to specialty cheese—a dash of tourism.
Driving through the Açores, away from the port cities, you will find greenfield nature intertwined with beautiful farmland, all with azure ocean views. Be careful and drive slowly, as you may have to yield to a farmer shepherding several cows along the same route. The rolling Azorean hills are partitioned by short fences built from volcanic rocks that naturally dot this landscape.
The third destination of our itinerary ended up being elusive. It turns out, it was much too windy for a plane to safely land on tiny Flores. Instead, we spent more time on São Miguel and Terceira than originally planned. Overall, the Açores provided an amazing adventure and first visit to the beautiful country of Portugal.
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From Terceira, we ventured onto São Miguel and the city of Ponta Delgada, a wonderful little city with amazing shopping, restaurants and architecture, all set among the verdant and volcanic scenery. In Ponta Delgada, we drove from our hotel in Ribeira Grande across the island to Poca da Dona Beija natural hot springs, a memorable stop on our week-long trip. Another destination we enjoyed was Lagoa das Sete Cidades, featuring two large adjacent lakes—one blue and one green—nestled in the verdant forest.