This is just a collection of things that my family and I noted when we were visiting San Miguel last month. We're from the US, but most of this applies to anyone.

• Cars/Car Rental/Driving
  • The streets are VERY narrow and the curbs are right-angled and sharp. It seemed like every car had curb rash on the wheels/rims, if not more damage. This means:
  • Get a small car. Get the smallest car you can reasonably fit your group in. Consider multiple trips to/from the airport if you can't fit people + luggage.
  • Get the rental car insurance. Even if you're a great driver, the chances of getting a ding or scratch is very high.
  • Familiarize yourself with Portugal road rules. The roundabouts work a little different than you might expect. Most signs are self-explanatory but some (like no parking or one-way) are not.
  • You will probably want Google Maps or some equivalent to get around. There's tons of one-way streets and it can be very confusing.
  • Try to make sure your car has a backup camera. The car we got had 2 screens, one for the cluster and one for infotainment, but no backup camera (!?). Due to the aforementioned narrow roads and parking spaces, this made things...challenging. We had to have someone get out and guide the driver occasionally.
  • Gasoline is very expensive. 17+ euros for 1/4 tank of a "medium" vehicle (small or compact in the US)
• Cell Phones
  • If you happen to be on USMobile, their international data plan it isn't a good value - and we couldn't get it to work at anything faster than Edge.
  • Verizon just worked and connected to any of the 3 providers in the area (Vodaphone, NOS, MEO) just fine. Check your plan for the cost though.
  • If needed, get a data eSIM at someplace like www.portugalinternet.com (Vodaphone reseller). Cell coverage on San Miguel is pretty good nearly everywhere (LTE or better).
  • Google Translate doesn't work in offline mode, even if you download the language packs first.
  • Google Voice can't text to Portugal numbers, but it can make voice calls.
• Money/Currency
  • Don't bring US cash. There's ATMs that don't charge fees, check with your bank before going if they charge a fee. Some places don't take (non-local) cards, so you'll probably need some cash.
  • Bring a credit card that doesn't charge a currency conversion fee and instruct the machines to charge you in Euros. This usually means hitting a couple buttons - charge in Euros and DECLINE the conversion. The conversion rates built into the machines are never in your favor - you'll save 10% or so every transaction this way.
• Misc
  • Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful.
  • Try a grocery store. There's lots of Continente stores scattered around. The wine and cheese is particularly inexpensive (compared to the US). We got sandwiches from the deli a couple of times and took them to one of the many lookout points for a little picnic.
  • Have good shoes. You'll probably do a lot of walking while site-seeing.
  • Most people in the service industry (restaurants, hotels, etc) speak remarkably good English. However, you may find some people who speak only Portuguese (e.g. the deli worker trying to take our sandwich order).
  • San Miguel's number one export is tourism, but it doesn't feel like it. We were not bombarded with advertisements, or felt like people were trying to get our money at every turn.
  • Bring a library card or an expired credit card to put into the hotel room's slot. These slots turn the hotel room's electricity on, but sometimes control the room's A/C too. You can leave any card in these slots to keep the A/C on when you leave the room...
  • There's very few bugs/insects, at least that we encountered (early October). This was a nice change from the US, where every wooded area and field is covered in mosquitoes.
  • A cheap pack of AC adapters like this works fine (type e/f) . Just make sure everything you plug in is dual voltage (120/240). The vast majority of US phone chargers and laptop power supplies are, but read the fine print in the input rating first. Plug the adapter into your cord/wall wart first then plug the whole thing into the wall or you may see a (surprising but not really dangerous) spark.

Can someone please advise on the best hypermarkets on the island? Are they all in Ponte Delgada?

Edit: I should specify that I don't have a driver's license, just a learner's permit--would've preferred to rent a car but not possible for me.

The Azores have been so high on my travel list for many years now; since I have no one who wants to go with me, I want to just use my holiday time this year to finally go.

I'm doing my research to put together my itinerary, and would appreciate input as I'm not sure if the advice here (public transport, ferries, flights, etc.) applies the same to the December/holiday period and off-season. My big "wants" are: 1. Climb Pico Mountain; and 2. Visit Corvo. And then everything else is just soaking up as much culture, hiking and food as possible. I'll be coming from Canada, so not too fussed by "bad" weather.

I'm more concerned about complications to transport and bookings for accommodation and tours. For that reason I'm thinking it might be better to avoid too much island-hopping? I don't want to rush myself either, since I don't have a car.

I was initially thinking to do 1 week in Sao Miguel, then a couple days in Pico and a couple days Flores/Corvo. If I do something like that, am I only looking at flights to get me around? I was looking at the atlanticoline ferry schedules but there's no info on January, and dates for end of Dec look iffy.

Or if I forget about Corvo (I just have a burning curiousity about it), would the better itinerary be 1 week in Pico + that "triangle", and 1 week Sao Miguel?

And how fucked am I without a car in December holidays?

TIA!!

On the last day of our trip on the way to the airport we finally got a clear image of this beauty

Hi! Looking to organize a small welcome party (cocktail hour, ideally sunset or ocean view) for about 40 person more or less in Sao Miguel. This is in anticipation of a wedding next summer. Parents immigrated from Azores, but need the local recommendations.

Our 7-day itinerary to the lovely Azores was absolutely incredible! Read all about it here.

Hi everyone,

Currently spending some days in Sao Miguel and really want to try fresh milk, does anyone know where to buy or try it?

Thanks

These liquors were recommended to me where I bought them. My friends want to know the right way of drinking them. The alcohol % in the liquors are quite high (36, 20, 27 left to right). They are asking for recipes to drink them. Would love to get suggestions from you guys! :) I don't drink so I'm pretty clueless here. Thanks in advance! :)

Hi everyone, I was wondering if we could create a list of reputable animal rescue organizations in the Azores with links. I see countless posts about stray and abandoned animals here, so I think it would be good to create a comprehensive list of rescues and reviews of their services. Thanks!

Hi! This would be my 5th time visiting the Azores. I’ve only been there in the summer. I’m considering renting a home somewhere in Sao Miguel for 3-4 weeks and coming alone, and having my 2 young adult children (19 and 21) and husband visit me on their spring breaks (different weeks unfortunately.) First time going for the kids. Is this not the best idea considering the time of year? Would there be anything for us to do?

Hello everyone. I’m looking to plan a trip in about a year to the Azores with 6 adults. Ages ranging from 27 to 52. We are all fairly active. Hiking, kayaking, scuba anything really. don’t necessarily look for the touristy stuff. Just looking to see the culture, nature and all that Azores have to offer.

Any must do’s? Things we could go without doing? Things we should stay away from? Any recommendations? And what to do to prepare?

Appreciate you all!

I am wondering how late supermarkets will be open on 24 December in Nordeste. We arrive on São Miguel early that morning but need to go directly to the Airbnb. Are there any larger markets where we can provision on Christmas Eve in the Nordeste area? Thank you.

Praia das Milícias

I am going on a trip and want to fish from shore on the island, but I'm getting a lot of conflicting information online. Any locals that know about a license for just shore fishing? Any information about crabs and shellfish is also appreciated. Thanks

https://preview.redd.it/d6ccbj7cl9wd1.jpg?width=3407&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2583bc7b176d8c3d9251124c4b8dc8859ef0a2fc

I’ve now flown them twice and I’ve had issues both times. Why does this airline suck so bad

Hey guys, I just recently moved to Sao Miguel and whilst I've done some portuguese on stuff like Duolingo I'd really like to get more comfortable with the language. I was wondering if people had recomendations for anywhere that offers portuguese lessons for foreigners? I'm Spanish so there's a fair bit of crossover but not enough to have meaningful conversations with people here which I'd really like to be able to do especially since I plan on staying and living here.

Appreciate any suggestions.

Bom dia, My Vovó is from São Miguel and always used to sing us this nursery rhyme, but I can’t remember what it was actually called. I know this is a long-shot, but I’m curious if anyone knows it. I know it had something to do with a chicken laying an egg for a child, and she’d tap her palm as she sang it. I remember more or less how it went, but I didn’t understand most of the words growing up. I think it went something like this: poon poon galinha poon poon…something…something a mim. Any help is appreciated.

Does SATA provide or have for rent blankets in economy?

Hi,

I am planning a 5 days solo trip to Azores on January(after Christmas). I can not rent a car as I dont have a EU driving license.

Knowing that Sao Miguel is always a safe play but I find the island is quite big to bike and I enjoy nature sight-seeing and light hiking so also wanna choose between Flores or Sao Jorge?

Could you give some advice about which island to visit? Mostly I am worrying about the transportations between places.

Thank you !