Sao Miguel is the largest and the main island in Azores archipelago. The capital and the largest city of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, lays here. This is the island people usually have in mind when they say „Azores“. It is very much worth visiting, so we’re answering to some frequently asked questions about Sao Miguel island. Adding some useful tips and solutions here as well.
Where is Sao Miguel island?
Sao Miguel is located in the Azores archipelago, and is part of its eastern group, together with the Santa Maria island.
In terms of dimensions, Sao Miguel is approximately 65 killometres long and 15 killometres wide, with an area of 744 km2. Its highest point is 1105 meters above sea level, in Vara Peak. The island is of entirely volcanic origin.
When to visit Sao Miguel?
We’d say that any island in the Azores is best in the summer months or late spring (May, June, July, August or September). The visibility will be best, water temperature warmest and generally more favorable conditions for the main activities. Hydrangeas also bloom this season – and Sao Miguel has a very broad spectre of hydrangea colours.
- Air temperature fluctuates between 14° in winter and 26° in summer, on average.
- Water temperature varies between 16° in winter and 25° in summer, on average.
If you did not know just yet, weather in the Azores can bring a little bit of everything. Sun, clouds, wind, rain, you name it and the Azores have it. It is no fun going on a trip and not being able to take part of what you set out to do. Of course you can still visit outside of these months and have a great trip! Weather comes and goes so just be prepared for all types of conditions.
How to get to Sao Miguel Island?
There are several ways to get to Sao Miguel, depending on where you come from. I leave you all that information below.
By Air: Sao Miguel has an airport, very close to the city of Ponta Delgada. Between islands, flights to Sao Miguel are generally made on SATA propeller planes. The airport code is PDG. Most planes fly here from mainland Portugal’s capital Lisbon, many also from Porto, but you can also find some international flights landing here.
By Ferry: The connection between islands is good depending on the groups – the eastern group (Sao Miguel and Santa maria) are quite far from the other islands. Ferries are therefore not so popular, as the drive is long. The ferry schedules can be found on the Atlanticoline website – the only ferry service of the Azores. Ferries from and to Santa Maria should be running pretty consistently throughout the day. To Santa Maria it’s a 3-hour ride across the sea. From Sao Miguel to Sao Jorge it’s a 11-hour ride and only drives 3 times a week. When scheduling your trip it’s best to look out at the transfers first.
Useful apps on your mobile device
I recommend some mobile applications that you can install on your phone – they will be useful for your trip to Sao Miguel:
- SpotAzores: here you can see all the existing webcams in different points of the islands to see how the weather is. Because the weather is very changeable and it can be raining in one area of the island and sunny in another, this app is the fastest way to make sure and avoid unnecessary trips.
- Windy: essential app in our trips, even more so in the Azores and Madeira. It allows you to see forecasts for rain, clouds, wind, etc. to help you plan your days based on the weather. The usual forecasts are not 100% reliable. It also shows the available webcams in certain area.
- GoogleMaps: is the one we use to save / classify all the places we want to go / have gone and as GPS in rental cars. You can see other people’s opinions of the places, photos, restaurant menus, phone number of the places to contact them, etc.
- Maps.me: application similar to Google Maps but works offline (although Google Maps can also work offline) and in many cases has information that Google Maps does not have, especially trails. Useful whenever you are going to do a trail, to orient yourself, download the route from the official website of the Azores trails (click on Downloads -> GPS), etc. NOTE! When using maps.me you must downloads the maps in advance, so beforehand actually arriving to a destination, otherwise it might take you some time to download (and research) the new maps. Those maps are saved on your mobile device.
Getting Around in Sao Miguel
Sao Miguel has a semi-good public transpostation system for travelers. Buses are, however, irregular and don’t always stop at interesting spots – they’re mainly meant for locals.
But there’s a solution! You can rent a car, a scooter, or hire a taxi/guide/tour for the day.
The best way to get around the Azores is to rent a car. The process is easy – if you have a valid licence you simply walk into one of the stores and rent-a-car for the day (or two or more). Parking all around island is free of charge and parking lots are spacious and well marked. Driving around is very simple as well since the island itself doesn’t have a lot of traffic and the roads are nice.
I can recommend renting from RentalCars.com. They have multiple options and are easy to rent at. On their webpage you can search to rent via Ilha Verde, the islands’ main car rental company.
NOTE! During the summer months (June, July, August) car prices skyrocket with limited availability. There are also scooter rentals, but oftentimes the higher mountains of Sao Miguel (Vista do Rei, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas) are covered in fog and have limited visibility.
If you’re staying on the island for several days then the car rental is your best choice. That way you can see the island at your pace and pick and choose which places you would like to visit during your time on Sao Miguel.
Renting a scooter
I have a good experience with stopping by at „Nunho Carvalho“ and renting a scooter on arrival. Expect to pay between 30€ and 40€/day. Another option in Ponta Delgada is „Azores Easy Rent“.
Taxi services
There are also numerous verified taxi drivers found throughout the island. Some of the hiking trails of Sao Miguel are linear (point to point, A –> B), so a taxi driver should be arranged for pick up and drop off. Taxi rentals will cost you anywhere from 80€ to 150€ per day. Note that a taxi can accomodate up to 4 people, larger vans up to 8 people, so sharing the expense makes it very affordable. Sometimes you’ll stand at the taxi point with other people you won’t know and you can share a ride with them.
Sao Miguel Tours for Those Not Renting a Car
There is very limited public transportation on the island of Sao Miguel. It is nearly impossible to rely on buses that run infrequently and stop at limited locations.
If you’re short on time it’s best to book a full-day tour of Sao Miguel. Here are some highly recommended tours:
- Full Day Outdoor Furnas Valley with Traditional Lunch
- Sao Miguel 2-Day Tour Pack: East & West including lunches
- Full Day Tour Sete Cidades & Lagoa do Fogo with Lunch
- Other Tours & Experiences
SIM card in Azores
Before you read this part, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in the Azores. Well, if you don’t mind not having internet at all times, you’ll likely find free WiFi in restaurants, shopping malls, hotels, etc. If you plan on only using maps.me app, which can be used without internet, then that should sufice.
But if you will need data to get around, to either call a taxi or translate some words into Portuguese or simply search for more information, you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in the Azores.
For traveling in the Azores I recommend using a SIM card from Meo, Vodafone, NOS, or Airalo (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Europe, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other European countries.
How to Buy a SIM Card in the Azores
You can buy an Azores prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online beforehand.
Airport providers will usually have higher costs and lower data offers, so that’s not your best option. NOTE! Not every airport will have SIM card shops (especially smaller airports), so keep it in mind! Ponta Delgada, however, does have that option.
I’d still recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. You might need your passport to buy one.
Also, this means you won’t have data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM.
Let’s see about some data plans offered by Meo, Vodafone, and NOS.
Meo SIM Cards
Meo (https://www.meo.pt/en/mobile/pay-as-you-go) is a Portuguese phone network, offers a tourist plan that covers the Azores and Madeira:
- 5 GB data, calls and texts to Portugal, valid for 7 days = from 3€
Vodafone Portugal SIM Cards
Vodafone Portugal (https://www.vodafone.pt/internet-movel.html) covers the Azores and Madeira and has 2 different prepaid plans available. It also has the best coverage:
- Unlimited data, valid for 15 days = 20€
- Unlimited data, valid for 30 days = 35€
NOS SIM Cards
NOS (https://www.nos.pt/movel/tarifarios-movel/tarifarios-movel-pre-pagos) offers lots of Portuguese plans that also cover the Azores and Madeira:
- Unlimited data, valid for 8 days = 15€
- Unlimited data, valid for 1 month = 35€
Relatively new concept – eSIM: virtual SIM card inside your phone
If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards then that’s definitely one of the best options to get data in the Azores. If you’re new to this and would like to know more, read about it on eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable and widely spread eSIM provider.
Airalo on Azores has many different options available, some of them listed below:
- Pico: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- Pico: 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $9
- Pico: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $11.50
- Pico: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $17
- Pico: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $29
- Pico: 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $48
You simply download their app and follow the instructions to instal the eSIM to your mobile device.
Where to eat on Sao Miguel?
Ponta Delgada and the rest of Sao Miguel have many options to grab a snack. As for what to eat on Azores, seafood and fish are naturally good options. Be sure to try cracas and lapas, for example, or octopus. You will find also good meat from the cows grazing on the island. It’s always wise to make a reservation in advance.
- Stage restaurant (Ponta Delgada)
- A Tasca (Ponta Delgada)
- O Giro (Ponta Delgada)
- Bar do Pi (super affordable, Ponta Delgada)
- Sau Nicolau (Sete Cidades)
- Green Love (Sete Cidades)
- Sunset Poco da Pedra (Mosteiros)
- Caffe Os Moinhos (Praia Moinhos, Porto Formoso)
- Faialense (Faial da Terra)
- Terra Nostra Garden Hotel (for cozido or other food, delicious, Furnas)
Other useful information
- booking your flight: It was never cheap getting to Azores, but still, your best saving advice is flexibility. The more flexible you are, the cheaper you can get your flight. I use Skyscanner for purchasing tickets and Google Flights for the best date-comparisons.
- booking your accomodation: Sao Miguel is definitely worth staying a few nights. There are plenty of accommodation and restaurant options in the main town of Ponta Delgada, but you’ll find accomodations elsewhere around the island as well (cheaper for sure). Depending on what you’re looking for there are various websites that provide accomodation of all types. The comfort of home can be found on Vrbo, the luxury of a hotel on Booking.com, best affordable option for solo travelers is Hostelworld. If you’re really on a budget, but have spare time, check out Worldpackers – they offer accomodation for FREE in exchange for work.
Some great accomodations:
- Azores Youth Hostels
- Casa Conforto
- Sao Vicente Lodge – Atlantic Retreat
- Per Teive Bay Apartments Hotel (great price, luxurious stay!)
- Casa da Matriz (super affordable)
- do you need visa?: check all the latest information on iVisa – the website is super easy to use (and apply for a visa too, if you’re required to have one!). It goes for all countries around the world, so mark that one down for your next travel!
- pack the essentials: powerbank, waterproof jacket, adapter, passport, backpack… check out the ultimate packing list for Azores.
To summarize everything…
I believe that’s it! If you think there’s another topic that I didn’t cover, please let me know in the comments.
If you need assistance with planning your trip (either that be information, reservations and booking, flights, other tips) don’t hesitate to contact us and get yourself personalised travel advice.
