Before visiting Portugal, I had never even heard of the Azores. I mean, what American would know about a tiny island located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean that rests between the East Coast of the US and the Western side of Europe. But wow, was I surprised when I saw pictures and learned more about what this magnificent island had to offer.....and what girl wouldn't want to spend a romantic birthday weekend here?! My favorite part about the Azores is that they are essentially in the middle of nowhere, and still largely untouched by mass tourism. This means pristine landscapes and natural experiences at almost every turn, and most of all - no crowds of people! Interestingly, the islands are extremely self-sufficient in terms of production, making their own alcohol, tobacco, and dairy, as well as growing their own produce to sell an turn into jams and curries, and not to mention keeping livestock for high quality meat production. Sao Miguel is basically heaven for nature lovers. Nicknamed 'The Green Island' due to the intense emerald green vegetation covering almost every inch of the landscape, makes the Azores a one of a kind place to visit. FACTS ABOUT THE AZORES GETTING TO THE AZORES As of now, there is only one way to get to the Azores - and that is by plane! Because I was already visiting Portugal at the time, Porto to be exact, the easiest option was to fly out of Porto airport. It's a relatively small airport, easy to navigate through, but the early morning flights do have rather long lines for security. But, since our flight was in the late afternoon, there weren't really any wait times for anything. We flew with Ryanair, which unfortunately isn't the best airline to fly with, but fortunately, has relatively cheap flights. So if you are on somewhat of a budget, then this is the way to go. In total, the flight was about €77 per person. The flight itself took about 3 hours until touchdown. Once you arrive at the Ponta Delgada airport, you will be prompted to get in line for a taxi. It's really just the only way to get to where you want to go. The taxi ride takes about 20-25 minutes to get into the city area, and will cost you around €15-20, one way. ACCOMODATION There weren't so many options when booking a hotel in the Azores, but fortunately we were able to find what I like to call a hidden gem among all the other places within the surrounding areas. The Azorean Urban Lodge was definitely an amazing place to call home for 3 nights. Located at the edge of Ponta Delgada, this lodge is a mix between a hostel and a hotel with a kitchen area for guests to prepare food if they wish. The owner Miguel couldn't have been more helpful from the moment we entered to the moment we left. AZOREAN URBAN LODGE Location: Rua José Bensaúde 72, 9500-209 Ponta Delgada, Portugal Cost: € (less expensive) About €60 per night) Hours: Host is available 24/7 by phone Website: http://www.azoreanurbanlodge.com/en/ TOP 5 PLACES TO EAT IN THE AZORES Surprisingly, there are many options to choose from in Ponta Delgada even though the island itself is fairly small. You can actually drive across the entire island from coast to coast in about two hours, and that's only because the roads aren't straight. Although I did not eat at every restaurant listed below, they were highly recommended to us by the lovely host at Azorean Urban Lodge. TOP 5 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN THE AZORES 1. FURNAS CRATER LAKE 2. POCA DA DONA BEIJA 3. LOGOA DO FOGO 4. HORSEBACK RIDING IN SETE CIDADES 5. VISIT THE TOWN OF PONTA DELGADA
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AuthorWest Coast blogger with a love for traveling and adventure seeking. Archives
July 2018
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