Azores Getaway: Our Azores Itinerary For Couples

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Dan and I have had a trip to the Azores high on our bucket list for ages, so I was surprised and delighted when Dan gifted me a trip for the two of us (thanks to some lovely friends babysitting, credit card points, and some breaks in bad weather finally allowing us to land).

The Azores are famous for their stunning natural beauty, including waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, hot springs, and more. We traveled in winter, which is off season and cooler with a higher likelihood of rain, but still absolutely stunning with the added benefit of being much quieter and cheaper.

We spent 3 days in the Azores, visiting Sao Miguel and Flores. However, there is tons to explore across nine islands. I would recommend at least 5 days in the Azores or, even better, a week in the Azores or more!

Tips for Visiting The Azores

What to Pack for Azores: Minimal Packing Essentials

Since it was just a short couples trip, Dan and I were able to pack even lighter than usual. Here are some of our favorite minimal packing essentials for the Azores climate!

Merino Wool Base Layers, Socks, & Sweaters: Here are my favorite base layers to use as pajamas or to layer under clothing in cold weather. All our favorite merino wool base layers and wool socks for the whole family are linked HERE!
Packing Cubes: I love packing cubes for keeping things organized, contained, and compact. These are my favorite expandable packing cubes, and I also love these.
Lightweight Women’s Pants: I absolutely adore these pants for travel because they’re SO comfortable, fold super small, and dry in a flash. More about why I love them HERE.
3-in-1 travel charging station for phone, AirPods, watch (love this thing) and a Universal travel adapter.
Rain Gear: The Azores are wet year-round and it’s best to always be prepared for rain showers. I wore this women’s rain jacket more often than not! And here’s Dan’s rain jacket. I also love this women’s rain jacket. I took the first as my only layer of outerwear, but looking back, going in winter, I think I would’ve preferred to take my favorite lightweight insulated jacket with the second lightweight and packable rain jacket layered on top.
Shoes: I often only take one pair of shoes – either my favorite white sneakers or my beloved black Chelsea boots. More about both shoes HERE. For the Azores I’d also recommend sturdy waterproof hiking boots or hiking sandals (depending on the season) since it’s all but guaranteed your feet will get wet.
40L Backpack: I love this kids backpacking backpack because it’s roomy, easily fits in most carry on requirements on airplanes, and fits really comfortably.
Favorite duffel that packs down small – this weighs almost nothing, takes almost no room, and allowed us to fly back with souvenirs.

For more packing ideas here’s what I packed for:

Where to Stay in The Azores

We visited and stayed on two of archipelago’s islands – Sao Miguel and Flores.

Where to Stay in Sao Miguel Azores

São Miguel is the largest and most populated island in the Azores and will almost certainly be on your itinerary – especially for a first visit! You’ll likely fly into Ponta Delgada, as we did. We stayed at Octant Hotels Ponta Delgada. We had the whale watching room, which had absolutely lovely views. At the spa there was a sauna, a Turkish bath, and an aromatic shower, along with a warm relaxing pool. So lovely!

Here are some other options for Ponta Delgada accommodations.

Where to Stay in Flores Azores

In Flores, we spent a night at a gorgeous farm stay. It’s an absolutely beautiful property with an on-site family-friendly restaurant. Here are some other options for Flores accommodations.

How To Get Around The Azores

The best way to get around the Azores depends on which islands you’re visiting and how much flexibility you want. Since the archipelago is spread out across the North Atlantic, travel between and within islands requires some planning.

For São Miguel specifically, renting a car is the best way to fully experience the island. If you’re visiting multiple islands, flying (or ferrying) between them and then renting a car at each destination is the most efficient approach, although in Flores, we did a day tour with a driver, which was super easy and lovely.

Here’s my favorite place for discount car rentals

Azores Itinerary For Couples: Three Days In The Azores

Day 1 Azores Itinerary: Sao Miguel

Canyoning adventure
Drive to Furnas for lunch at Ja Se Sabe
Hot springs at Caldeira Velha
Check in Octant Hotels Ponta Delgada + spa + dinner

Our first day actually started the day before this when we left London on a flight around 4pm. While direct flights from London to Ponta Delgada exist in high season, since we were traveling in February, we needed to fly through Lisbon. We were planned to land just before midnight, but unfortunately, we made two attempts at landing and both were unsuccessful due to high winds. Since there is nowhere else to land closer, we had to fly the 2.5 hours all the way back to Lisbon! It was of course disappointing, but there was really nothing the airline could do and we were grateful to be safe.

We landed back in Lisbon around 2:30am and disembarked. We were immediately sent an email option to take the first flight at 7am the next morning, which we accepted. Since it was such a short time (it was around 3:30am by the time we collected food vouchers and a blanket/pillow pack from the airline), we stayed in the airport and slept (or attempted to sleep) on some lounge chairs. Fortunately, our flight the next morning was right on time and we landed around 8:30am local time.

Canyoning + Hot Springs

After landing, we picked up our rental car and drove straight to canyoning. It was absolutely incredible! We had a mix of rappels, natural waterslides and jumps. SO much fun! Azorean Active Blueberry provided us with thick 5mm wetsuits, along with undershirts, neoprene socks/shoes and helmets. This was our very favorite activity we did in the Azores and would highly recommend prioritizing it if you do go.

We loved climbing through the gorgeous waterfalls and seeing the brilliant green. Since it was off season, it was chillier, but even I was fine (and I get cold very easily). I mentioned that I get cold easily to the company and they gave me an extra undershirt for warmth, and I tried not to stay in the water for too long. But I was just fine and had an absolute blast. I loved that they had options for people who didn’t want to jump, and everything felt extremely safe and well run. Our leaders were also so interesting and fun to talk to! They noted that during the summer, there are way more tours and it gets quite a bit more crowded, and it’s harder to have conversations with everyone. So even though it was cooler, we (and they) really preferred off-season! (It was also just a tiny bit drizzly, but that didn’t impact things.)

From there, we drove to Furnas. Ate lunch there at Ja Se Sabe and had the famous Furnas stew.

Then went to Caldeira Velha to the hot springs. Caldeira Velha is a natural hot spring and thermal area on the slopes of the Fogo Volcano in São Miguel. It’s a lush, jungle-like setting with geothermal pools, a warm waterfall, and dense tropical vegetation, giving it a secluded, almost prehistoric feel. We loved it! The pools weren’t scalding hot, but super pleasant to sit in and relax, especially after canyoning and sleeping in an airport chair the night before.

Then went to check into our hotel, Octant Hotels Ponta Delgada. It had finally stopped misting/drizzling, so we were left with a gorgeous sunset. We immediately put our suits back on and headed to the spa. It was absolutely stunning and the perfect thing to do before dinner.

Day 2 Azores Itinerary

Fly to Flores
Flores tour
Farm stay + massage

The next morning, we got up early and flew to the tiny island of Flores. Dan planned this whole trip as a surprise for me for Christmas and when he told me we were doing multiple islands, I was skeptical. But in the end, even though it was short, I’m so glad we could experience Flores because it was absolutely magical. Such a different feel than Sao Miguel!

Flores (pronounced “Flo-rish”) is one of the smallest Azorean islands, and is even more remote and off-the-beaten-path than Sao Miguel. And it is absolutely STUNNING. It’s known for its many, many gorgeous waterfalls and greenery, and it definitely delivered.

We decided to do a day tour with Ocidental Adventures, who picked us up directly from the airport. Unfortunately, because of all the rain, the water levels were too high for us to do our planned canyoning (this was supposed to be higher and more intense than the canyoning we did in Sao Miguel). So instead, our wonderful local guide took us to a few viewpoints – it was quite windy, but the clouds cleared right as we arrived to one stunning one and we could see the entire coastline and the bay. It was stunning and so nice to not need to plan the day – our guide took care of everything and knew all the secret spots that would be fun to visit even in less-than-ideal weather.

We also went to several waterfalls, including the beautiful Poço do Bacalhau waterfall and my favorite, Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, or the Azorean Wall of Tears. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk that isn’t too strenuous (though can be a bit slippery and uneven, so I recommend good footwear – I had on my favorite waterproof hiking boots and was glad!). It was the MOST stunning spot and made the entire visit worth it. The beauty was just surreal and we had it almost entirely to ourselves (perks of off season). The rain also stopped just before we reached the stop so we could enjoy a gorgeous time there viewing the falls and the shifting fog.

After our tour, we headed over to our hotel, a gorgeous farm stay. The property was stunning with views of the land beyond and the sea, and the sun was finally peeking out. I got a wonderful massage, and then we ate in the delightful restaurant before heading to bed.

Day 3 Azores Itinerary

Breakfast at farm stay
Drive through the island with Ocidental Adventures
Fly back to Ponta Delgada
Buggy Tour with Vita Azores
Check in Octant Hotels Ponta Delgada + dinner (room service)

After a fantastic breakfast at our farm stay, we headed out on a driving tour with Ocidental Adventures. We drove through the island and enjoyed the finally sunny weather. There are so many incredible viewpoints, lagoons and waterfalls to take in!

We then took a short flight back to Ponta Delgada and headed out on a buggy tour with Vita Azores. The clouds had returned for the afternoon, but we still had a ton of fun exploring. One thing to note – it gets cold at top! Even in peak season. And, with clouds being pretty regular in the area, it can be rare to see the full caldera but we got a few views of it.

We checked back in to Octant Hotels Ponta Delgada for our final evening in The Azores and enjoyed a room service dinner.

Day 4 Azores Itinerary

For our final meal in the Azores, we had an AMAZING breakfast at Octant Hotels – one of the best we’ve ever had. There are a million options and it’s all super high quality. Then we flew back to Lisbon and on to our kids in London! An amazing couples getaway to the Azores!

Other Things To Do In The Azores

We would love to return to the Azores with kids and explore more of the islands. Here are a few things on our list that you might want to consider for your trip to the Azores:

Whale Watching: The Azores are one of the best places in the world for whale and dolphin watching, with resident sperm whales and seasonal visitors like blue whales. São Miguel, Pico, and Faial are top spots.
Hiking: A few on our list for future visits!
- Mount Pico (Pico Island) – The highest peak in Portugal, a challenging but rewarding hike.
- Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo (São Jorge) – A scenic coastal hike to a remote lagoon.
- Lagoa do Fogo Trail (São Miguel) – A beautiful hike down to a crater lake.
Natural Swimming Pools: Volcanic rock pools filled with Atlantic seawater, with some of the best in Terceira, Pico, and São Miguel.
São Miguel Activities:
- Sete Cidades – The famous twin lakes in a volcanic caldera, with stunning viewpoints like Miradouro da Boca do Inferno.
- Furnas Geothermal Area – Bubbling hot springs, steaming vents, and the famous cozido stew cooked underground.
- Tea Plantations – Visit Gorreana, Europe’s only tea plantation, for a free tour and tasting.
Capelinhos Volcano (Faial): A surreal, moon-like volcanic landscape created by a 1957 eruption. There’s also an excellent interpretive center.
Explore Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira): A UNESCO-listed historic town with beautiful colonial architecture.

If you’re short on time, combining São Miguel, Pico, and Faial gives a great mix of landscapes, culture, and adventure. If you want fewer crowds and more rugged beauty, Flores and São Jorge are ideal.