Things to do · Azores · Portugal
18 best things to do in Azores
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa, Public domain
Quick answer
The essential sights in Azores are Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint, Furnas fumaroles and lake and Whale and dolphin watching. Of the 18 picks below, 9 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 8 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Terra Nostra Garden
- Time to see the highlights
- 8 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint | Sete Cidades | Half a day | Free |
| Furnas fumaroles and lake | Furnas | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Whale and dolphin watching | Ponta Delgada | 3 hours | Expensive |
| Mount Pico | Pico Island | 7–8 hours return | Low cost |
| Lagoa do Fogo | Central São Miguel | 1–3 hours | Free |
| Terra Nostra Garden | Furnas | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Poça da Dona Beija | Furnas | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Gorreana Tea Plantation | Maia | 1 hour | Free |
| Caldeira Velha | Ribeira Grande | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Ponta da Ferraria | Sete Cidades | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Ilhéu de Vila Franca | Vila Franca do Campo | Half a day | Low cost |
| Ponta Delgada old centre | Ponta Delgada | 2 hours | Free |
| Pineapple greenhouses | Ponta Delgada | 45 minutes | Free |
| Pico Island vineyards | Pico Island | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Angra do Heroísmo historic centre | Angra do Heroísmo | Half a day | Free |
| Algar do Carvão | Terceira | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre | Faial | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Flores waterfalls and Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro | Flores | 1 hour | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Nature · Sete Cidades
1.Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint
In a vast caldera at the western end of São Miguel, the twin lakes of Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde look blue and green side by side. The Vista do Rei viewpoint on the crater rim gives the classic view, and the village of Sete Cidades sits on the crater floor beside the water.
Check the webcams or weather before you drive up; low cloud often fills the crater, so go early or wait for it to lift.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
Nature · Furnas
2.Furnas fumaroles and lake
In Furnas village, boiling springs and fumaroles steam from the ground around the Caldeiras, and at the north shore of Lagoa das Furnas, pots of cozido are buried in the hot earth to cook for about six hours. A trail circles the lake past the neo-Gothic Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias.
Arrive at the lake fumaroles around midday to see restaurant cooks lifting the cozido pots out of the ground.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Nature
- Kids
- Food
- Photo spot
Experience · Ponta Delgada
3.Whale and dolphin watching
More than 20 species of whales and dolphins have been recorded in Azorean waters. Sperm whales live here year-round, blue, fin and sei whales migrate past in spring, and common and bottlenose dolphins are seen on most trips. Land-based lookouts called vigias, once used by whalers, now guide the boats.
April and May give the best chance of blue whales; choose an operator with a marine biologist on board and dress warmly.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book a day or two ahead in summer, and keep a spare day in case trips are cancelled for rough seas.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Nature · Pico Island
4.Mount Pico
Portugal's highest mountain is a near-perfect volcanic cone rising 2,351 metres from the sea. The marked trail from the Casa da Montanha at about 1,200 metres climbs steep lava slopes to the crater and the small summit cone, Piquinho, in about 3–4 hours up.
Start very early, bring warm and waterproof layers and plenty of water; conditions at the summit can be freezing even in summer.
- Time needed
- 7–8 hours return
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Climbers must register at the Casa da Montanha, and numbers are limited; book a slot or a certified guide ahead in summer.
- Iconic
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
- Nature
Nature · Central São Miguel
5.Lagoa do Fogo
The 'Lake of Fire' fills a crater high in the centre of São Miguel inside a nature reserve, with steep green walls and a pale sandy shore. Viewpoints on the road between Ribeira Grande and Lagoa look down into the crater, and a trail descends to the shore.
In peak summer, access to the viewpoints may be managed with parking limits or shuttles; check the latest arrangements locally.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Active
- Photo spot
Garden · Furnas
6.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. It is one of the most popular places on the island to soak.
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
7.Poça da Dona Beija
A set of small, landscaped hot-spring pools along a stream in Furnas, lit at night and surrounded by ferns. They are smaller and more intimate than Terra Nostra's single big pool.
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
8.Gorreana Tea Plantation
Founded in 1883 on the north coast of São Miguel, Gorreana is one of Europe's oldest tea plantations still in operation. Visitors can see the 19th-century machinery processing green and black tea, taste for free and walk among the terraced tea rows above the sea.
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
Nature · Ribeira Grande
1.Caldeira Velha
On the slopes below Lagoa do Fogo, a warm waterfall pours into a forest pool surrounded by giant ferns, with further thermal pools and a small interpretation centre in the nature reserve.
Visit early in the morning; visitor numbers are limited at busy times.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Entry is by time slot with a capacity limit in high season; buy tickets online if you can.
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Nature · Sete Cidades
2.Ponta da Ferraria
At the foot of a lava headland on São Miguel's west coast, a thermal spring flows into a rocky ocean inlet where hot water mixes with the sea. Ropes help bathers hold steady against the waves.
Go around low tide, when the inlet is warmest; at high tide the sea water makes it much cooler.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Island · Vila Franca do Campo
3.Ilhéu de Vila Franca
A sunken volcanic crater just off the south coast forms a nearly circular natural pool of clear water, open to the sea by a narrow channel. It is a protected reserve, and boats from Vila Franca marina take visitors across in summer.
Bring snorkelling gear, water and sun protection; there is little shade or shelter on the islet.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Daily visitor numbers are capped in summer; book the boat crossing in advance.
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Ponta Delgada
4.Ponta Delgada old centre
The town's historic core is paved with black basalt and white limestone cobbles. Highlights include the three-arched Portas da Cidade gate, the Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião with its Manueline doorway, the Fort of São Brás and the seafront avenue.
Visit the covered Mercado da Graça in the morning for local cheese, pineapples and fruit.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Food
Experience · Ponta Delgada
5.Pineapple greenhouses
Azorean pineapples are grown in whitewashed glasshouses where smoke is used to encourage flowering, and each plant takes about two years to fruit. Family plantations on the edge of Ponta Delgada, such as the Arruda greenhouses in Fajã de Baixo, can be visited for free.
Try the pineapple liqueur and jam in the plantation shop.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Pico Island
6.Pico Island vineyards
On Pico's western coast, a grid of thousands of small plots called currais, walled with black basalt to shelter the vines from wind and salt, forms a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Wine cooperatives and small producers offer tastings of Verdelho and other local wines.
Walk the coastal trails around Criação Velha near Madalena, then taste wines at the cooperative.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Angra do Heroísmo
7.Angra do Heroísmo historic centre
Terceira's capital is a UNESCO World Heritage town of colourful 16th–19th-century houses, churches and squares, rebuilt carefully after a 1980 earthquake. Walk up to the Alto da Memória obelisk and the Duque da Terceira garden for views over the bay and Monte Brasil.
Hike the paths around Monte Brasil, the volcanic peninsula beside town, for views back over Angra.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Views
Nature · Terceira
8.Algar do Carvão
In the centre of Terceira, a staircase descends about 90 metres into an ancient volcanic chimney, past walls of silica stalactites to a clear lake at the bottom. It is one of the few places where visitors can enter a volcano's vent.
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
9.Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre
The 1957–58 eruption at Capelinhos, on Faial's western tip, added land to the island and buried an old lighthouse in ash. An underground interpretation centre explains Azorean volcanism, and visitors can climb the lighthouse tower over a moon-like landscape.
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
Nature · Flores
10.Flores waterfalls and Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro
On Flores, dozens of waterfalls tumble down fern-covered cliffs. The best known, Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, is a short walk from the road near Fajã Grande to a pool beneath a curtain of cascades.
Visit after rain, when the waterfalls are fullest, and watch for slippery stones on the path.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Capelinhos Volcano and Interpretation Centre |
| History | Gorreana Tea Plantation, Ponta Delgada old centre, Pico Island vineyards and Angra do Heroísmo historic centre |
| Views | Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint, Lagoa do Fogo, Mount Pico and Angra do Heroísmo historic centre |
| Outdoors and nature | Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint, Furnas fumaroles and lake, Whale and dolphin watching and Mount Pico |
| Food and markets | Furnas fumaroles and lake, Gorreana Tea Plantation, Ponta Delgada old centre and Pineapple greenhouses |
| After dark | Poça da Dona Beija |
| With children | Furnas fumaroles and lake, Whale and dolphin watching, Ilhéu de Vila Franca and Pineapple greenhouses |
| On a rainy day | Terra Nostra Garden, Poça da Dona Beija, Gorreana Tea Plantation and Pineapple greenhouses |
What to book ahead
- Whale and dolphin watching: Book a day or two ahead in summer, and keep a spare day in case trips are cancelled for rough seas.
- Mount Pico: Climbers must register at the Casa da Montanha, and numbers are limited; book a slot or a certified guide ahead in summer.
- Caldeira Velha: Entry is by time slot with a capacity limit in high season; buy tickets online if you can.
- Ilhéu de Vila Franca: Daily visitor numbers are capped in summer; book the boat crossing in advance.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Azores?
Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint. In a vast caldera at the western end of São Miguel, the twin lakes of Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde look blue and green side by side.
+What can you do for free in Azores?
Sete Cidades and the Vista do Rei viewpoint, Lagoa do Fogo, Gorreana Tea Plantation, Ponta da Ferraria and Ponta Delgada old centre. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Azores when it rains?
Head indoors to Terra Nostra Garden, Poça da Dona Beija, Gorreana Tea Plantation and Pineapple greenhouses.
+What is there to do in Azores at night?
Poça da Dona Beija are best after dark.