City: Azores
Top Things to do in Azores
Things to do in Azores, Portugal: The Best Sights & Landmarks
The nine islands that make up the Azores are in fact the peaks of some of the world's tallest mountains, reaching from deep beneath the Atlantic. The once-uninhabited, volcanic archipelago now hosts thousands of tourists every year who flock to the islands for sun, sand and verdant mountain scenery. From the beaches of Praia da Vitoria to the bustling marina of Horta, to the bubbling volcanic ground "ovens" of Furnas, these islands offer unparalleled--and unusual--adventures to discover.
Restaurants in Azores
1. Boca do Inferno Viewpoint
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 335 reviews
Reviewed By vg-t-2012 - Toronto, Canada
Go in the morning for best photographs and to get ahead of most visitors (sun at back). If you can't walk very far or are short of time, don't park in the parking lot by the main road. If the gate is open, drive in and follow the dirt road that everyone is hiking along to the very base of the ridge where the trail goes uphill to the actual "miradouro"/viewpoint. There is room for several cars there. The view is amazing. If you have bad knees, bring trekking poles. It's about 5 minutes uphill to the viewpoint, depending on your uphill capability.
2. Pico Mountain (Montanha do Pico)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 474 reviews
Classified as a nature reserve since 1972, this is the highest mountain (7,800 feet) in Portugal, which is capped by a crater, the Pico Grande, from which a small cone emerges.
Reviewed By laurenk127
My boyfriend and I climbed Mt. Pico in June and it was awesome! We lucked out with a clear, sunny day. We're not super intense, but do a decent amount of hiking and felt completely fine tackling this on our own. I do see how it could be challenging if it was super cloudy, especially since you need to follow markers to get up. We were also a little worried about the mountain filling up after reading some reviews, but definitely had nothing to worry about, we climbed in the beginning of June. We called the mountain House super early in the morning to see how full it was and were told there were four people on the mountain haha. I will say its still nice to get there early to see the sunrise and be in the shade. Also, if you're climbing, might as well go all the way to the top, it was worth it to really get those 360 views!
3. Nossa Senhora da Paz
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 487 reviews
Reviewed By seanm66 - Alfred, United States
Beautiful old church on the top of the hill. Has amazing tile work and stone work with breath taking views.
4. Islet of Vila Franca do Campo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 595 reviews
Reviewed By 683denad
Realaxing and chilling out in the crater of an ancient submerged volcano with a natural lake of crystal clear water fed by the Atlantic Ocean is an experience not to be missed. The queue for tickets sold for 8 Euro's in a white ticket office at the harbour is long so do get there as early as possible. Although we were towards the end of the line and the wait seemed forever we did get to chat with people in the queue which did pass the time - thanks Irish chap n girlfriend and family from Fuerteventura - good to meet you! Emmanuel from the ticket booth kept us informed of availability in the most charming manner and seemed genuinely disappointed when it looked unlikely that we would get onto the island. His lovely manner was much appreciated. We were lucky to get the last ticket! Stay strong in the queue. The ferry men looked after everyone and made sure we had a safe and fun trip to the landing stage. Clear return times are display. From the jetty you walk round a single track pathway which leads along the rocks and as you round a little bend you get a beautiful view of this amazing ancient island .Best take beach shoes to wear on rocks and in water(getting out of water the rocks are slippy), a sun hat for shade, sunscreen, drinks n picnic, camera for fabulous phots, goggles n snorkel as there are many fish and I wish I'd taken a float so I could just bob about a bit. When we went water was deep with some places you could touch the bottom where the beach usually is - must've been high tide. There are steps to use at various locations to get in and out of the refreshing water which once you get in is a pleasant temperature. There were life guards there who were extremely vigilant and this added to feeling of keeping visitors and the island safe. They are a credit to the island...in fact everyone involved with it was superb.
5. Igreja Matriz de Sao Sebastiao
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 298 reviews
Reviewed By Nanette132 - Brisbane, Australia
An easy walk to this lovely old church from the port. We were to go on a free walking tour from near here but they didn't show up so we visited the church. The outside was plain but lovely inside, in the distinctive Portuguese style. You can walk up to the Botanic Gardens E1 for seniors and the Sant Ana Palace in the Park from here and also the very interesting Fort Sao Bras and Military Museum. Pick up a map as you leave the ship, ask them to mark the highlights and walk the narrow streets of lovely Ponta Delgada. The Sol Mar supermarket is across the street from the port, cheap water, beer and wine in Litre cartons, easy to carry back on the ship.
6. Monte Brasil
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,356 reviews
Reviewed By jazrichards1952 - Georgetown, Canada
Great hike around the mountain and fortress to the top with incredible views. About 8 kilometers! We met a bunch of friendly cats near the top!
7. Igreja de Sao Jose
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 99 reviews
Reviewed By AkoSiAys - Bonn, Germany
It is a big church in front of a square. I love its facade although it the architecture is just typical to the islands. The main altar is golden and majestic! The side altars with all its design are also very pretty. The ceilings with its paintings are worth a look. Some side chapel also got azulejos on the walls. I went there in the morning and I was alone in the church. It is very peaceful!
8. Igreja do Santo Cristo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 324 reviews
Reviewed By AkoSiAys - Bonn, Germany
At first I thought it was not a church as the facade is simply white with some volcanic rocks. The church is not big but it has a big golden main altar and pulpit. The walls also got azulejos. The interior design is really amazing. This church is home to a miraculous image of Jesus Christ and is very much venerated in the island. Because of this, many locals visit the place to pray.
9. Ponta da Ferraria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 451 reviews
Reviewed By ToughMudderHero - Holbaek, Denmark
Firstly the drive down the hill is steep and fairly narrow so take your time in case there's traffic coming the other way! Definitely worth the drive however as at the bottom there is a small inlet that's fed by a hot spring, and cooled by the sea. It was fairly chilly when I went due to the large swell but it made the experience a lot of fun. There are a couple of changing rooms and toilets. Other than that, the headland is worth walking around but make sure you wear sturdy shoes as it's sharp and uneven. When the swell is big there are some spectacular sights of the waves crashing onto the rocks. We didn't try the official thermal bath but it looked nice enough, and much better if you've got a family. The sunset would be awesome from here too.
10. Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 207 reviews
Reviewed By Mommyof2NewJersey - Princeton, United States
We were here early in the morning and it was just beautiful. You hear the birds and you can enjoy the beautiful view, you can have a picnic, you can walk a bit around. The flowers and gardens are lovely. Highly recommend for a different perspective on the island. it's a long drive, but you can add it on to the Salto De Prego hike or something else on that side of the island.
