Azores travel guide: Where to go

Highlights

There's a new energy in winemaking in the Azores, says Sarah Ahmed, who picks out the best places to stay and eat while visiting...

Azores travel guide

Getting there: SATA airlines serves all nine islands, with regular flights from Lisbon (two hours); easyJet also flies from Lisbon.

Direct flights from London (including Ryanair) and east coast USA take four hours.

Azores: Where to stay

International flights arrive at Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, the largest island. This bustling town has a wide choice of hotels and restaurants and a fantastic food market (cheese shop O Rei dos Queijos is unmissable; look out for São Jorge, a favourite Portuguese cheese).

With its stylish rooftop bar and pool overlooking the harbour, and A Terra’s open kitchen focused on ‘locovore’ dining, cosmopolitan new five-star hotel Azor is an excellent base.

The five star hotel Azor.

But do visit the island’s lush, green landscape with its hot springs and volcanic lagoons (Lagoa das Sete Cidades is especially stunning).

In Furnas Valley, sumptuous four-star Art Deco Terra Nostra Garden Hotel – the archipelago’s first – offers tranquility and the region’s best wine list, including a strong range of Azorean wines.

Terra Nostra

Adegas do Pico’s portfolio of restored rustic stone cottages and Casa dos Botes, a very contemporary whale boathouse conversion, also give an authentic slice of Pico’s cultural heritage.

Casa dos Botes

Azores: Where to eat

In mid-June, Anfiteatro on Ponta Delgada harbour is home to 10 Fest – 10 days showcasing 10 leading international chefs; it also offers sophisticated tasting menus all year round.

For a taste of the sea, Cais 20in Ponta Delgada and Ancoradouro (+351 292 623 490) in Pico’s lively fishing port Madalena are outstanding.

Cais 20

Bag a table on the terrace overlooking the harbour at Ancoradouro and try Cancela do Porco, the owner’s excellent Verdelho (made by Curral Atlântis). During peak-season, Madalena’s architectural award-winning Cella Bar is the cool (surfers’) place to hang out.

Cella Bar

Azores: When to go

The Azores enjoys a year-round mild temperate climate, but April to October – the whale watching season – has the best weather, averaging 15°C-22.5°C.

Edited for Decanter.com by Ellie Douglas.