Rainy day · Azores · Portugal
6 things to do in Azores when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lacobrigo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Terra Nostra Garden, Poça da Dona Beija and Gorreana Tea Plantation. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 8–8 hours across 5 areas; 2 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 14 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 8–8 hours
- Areas
- Furnas, Maia and Ponta Delgada
Azores on a rainy day
Garden · Furnas
1.Terra Nostra Garden
Wear a dark swimsuit you don't mind staining; the iron-rich water leaves orange marks on light fabric.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Couples
- Nature
- Rainy day
- Outdoors
Experience · Furnas
2.Poça da Dona Beija
Go in the evening after the day-trippers leave; the pools are lit and stay open into the night.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Maia
3.Gorreana Tea Plantation
Walk the short trail through the tea rows after your tasting for views over the north coast.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Experience · Ponta Delgada
4.Pineapple greenhouses
Try the pineapple liqueur and jam in the plantation shop.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Kids
- Rainy day
Nature · Terceira
5.Algar do Carvão
Bring a jacket and non-slip shoes; the steps are wet and it is cool inside even in summer.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Faial
6.Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre
Climb the lighthouse for the best view over the ash cone and the new land created by the eruption.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Furnas | Terra Nostra Garden and Poça da Dona Beija | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| Maia | Gorreana Tea Plantation | 1 hour |
| Ponta Delgada | Pineapple greenhouses | 45 minutes |
| Terceira | Algar do Carvão | 1 hour |
| Faial | Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 2 free, 2 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Terra Nostra Garden; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Furnas and Maia): Terra Nostra Garden → Poça da Dona Beija → Gorreana Tea Plantation, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Ponta Delgada, Terceira and Faial): Pineapple greenhouses → Algar do Carvão → Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 14 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild but wet and windy, with frequent showers and occasional storms that can delay ferries and flights.
- December: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild, wet and festive with nativity scenes and Christmas lights in Ponta Delgada and Angra.
- February: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 12 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cool and changeable with lush green hills; Carnival is celebrated with theatre and dances on Terceira.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Ponta Delgada — São Miguel's harbour capital of black-and-white cobbles and whale-watching boats
- Furnas — Steaming valley village of hot springs, fumaroles and botanical gardens
- Angra do Heroísmo — Terceira's UNESCO-listed Renaissance port town of painted façades
More of Azores
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Azores?
Terra Nostra Garden. This 18th-century botanical garden in Furnas has a large ochre-coloured thermal pool of warm, iron-rich water at around 35–40 °C, surrounded by tree ferns, camellias, cycads and old trees.
+Which of these are free in Azores?
Gorreana Tea Plantation and Pineapple greenhouses.