Sete Cidades, Azores

experience • outdoors

Sete Cidades

One of the most famous viewpoints on the island! Highly recommend this place but avoid going to early and not having a view due to the clouds, but also avoid going to late to beat the crowds. You have to watch the weather and feel it out. You can get here by taking a taxi, the yellow bus (public drop off bus at all the main hikes), renting a car or hiring a guide. I would recommend doing the half ring hike that ends in the village. If you rented a car and left it at the top then a taxi is usually waiting at the bottom to take you back to your car

Azores, Portugal

experience • outdoors

Lagoa do Fogo

So many different viewpoints of the beautiful lake!! I definitely recommend hiking to the bottom as well, but remember to respect the island and DO NOT SWIM IN THE LAKE. You can camp down here as well and enjoy the beaches along the lake

Furnas, Azores

destination

Furnas

Amazing town full of natural hot springs and where their famous local stew is cooked

Açores, Portugal

experience • outdoors

Lagoas Empadadas

Beautiful lakes that are side by side surrounded by amazing green trees all around you. Great relaxing hike and photo spot!

Ponta Delgada, Açores

lodging • restaurants

Pedras do Mar Resort & SPA

5-star resort on the island that I highly recommend if you aren’t a budget traveler! They have a gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a really nice restaurant with lots of local wines (red wine lovers: order the Cerrado do Mar). They also have natural pools in the ocean that you can walk to from the hotel and enjoy for a swim. Note that there isn’t anything around this hotel so if you are renting a car you’ll be fine if you want to buy anything from the markets, but if you are taking a taxi, then I would stock up on things before you get there

Ponta Delgada, Açores

restaurants

Taberna Açor

Wide selection of food items with a lot of local options! Great for sharing because a lot can be tapas size

Ponta Delgada, Açores

restaurants

Mucca Gelados

Some of the best soft serve ice cream I’ve ever had! This place is located in the main ponta Delgada mall next to the super market area. They also have a food truck in the main port area. You get get rolled ice cream (looked amazing), but in opted for the soft serve vanilla/chocolate mix

Ponta Delgada, Açores

lodging

Out of the Blue Azores

I don’t stay in hostels often and when I do I don’t typically enjoy the experience, but this hostel is seriously INCREDIBLE! I’ve never stayed in a such a well run, clean hostel in my life. They give you an amazing breakfast every morning. Build your own yogurt parfait bar, fresh fruit options, different fresh juice every day, and pancakes (coffee, bread and water as well). The staff is so amazing, the beds are so comfortable and their rotating nightly dinners are 🤤🤤🤤. Plus they have a pool and a nice outdoor garden area

Ribeira Grande, Açores

lodging • restaurants

Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort

Beautiful luxury hotel on the island with its own private section of the beach, an amazing infinity pool that overlooks the ocean and lots of eco friendly amenities! Highly recommend if you have the money to spend

Portugal, PT

experience • outdoors

Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo

Really cool island right off the coast of Vila Franca! You can take a boat here (buy online in advance because boats fill up fast) or rent a kayak (reservations also fill up fast). Great area to swim and snorkel but don’t expect to lay out at a beach! They only let 400 people go in a day and 200 at a time

Ponta Delgada, Açores

restaurants

Armazéns Cogumbreiro

Really simplistic cafe where you can just grab coffee, breakfast or lunch. I ordered the salmon quinoa salad and it was amazing!

Ponta Delgada, Açores

restaurants

treze

Reasonably prices cafe with really great fresh juices (I got the Detox) and other food items as well! Juices are €3.50. Also a great place to work if you work remotely

Ponta Delgada, Açores

experience

Pineapples A Arruda

One of the best pineapple plantations on the island! It’s free to walk around and there is a gift shop selling pineapple products and a cafe selling a pineapple food items! Really cool to see the hard work and lengthy process that goes into creating the worlds best pineapples (also some of the most expensive pineapples in the world)

Ribeira Grande, Açores

outdoors

Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha

Caldeira Velha is located in the center of the island on the slope of the Fogo volcano. It was the first hot springs we visited in the Azores. Entrance into the park is €8 and includes access to all three thermal pools. This video is of the top hot spring which is the prettiest, but also the coldest of the three!

Ginetes, Açores

experience • outdoors

Spa of Ferraria

Natural hot springs in the ocean!! Make sure you go during LOW tide otherwise it won’t be a good experience. This is free but there are also hot springs you can pay for inside the spa