The 9 Azores Islands Compared: Which Island Should You Visit?

The Azores are nine volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic, and the first question almost every traveler asks is: which island should I visit? Most first trips start on São Miguel, the largest island and the main gateway, but each of the other eight has its own personality. Some are about hiking and wild scenery, some about history and festivals, and some about doing very little at all.

This guide compares all nine Azores islands, explains what each one is best for and shows which islands are easiest to combine on one trip.

The Three Island Groups

The islands are split into three groups, and understanding them makes planning much easier, because islands in the same group are far easier to combine than islands at opposite ends of the archipelago.

• Eastern Group: São Miguel and Santa Maria.
• Central Group: Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial.
• Western Group: Flores and Corvo.

All nine islands have an airport or airfield with inter-island flights, and in the central group Atlânticoline ferries link Faial, Pico and São Jorge all year, with extra seasonal routes in summer. More on that below.

São Miguel: Best for a First Visit

São Miguel is the biggest island, has the most flights, hotels and tours, and packs in many of the sights you've seen in Azores photos. If you only have a few days, it's the easiest choice.

• Sete Cidades: twin crater lakes, one greenish and one bluish, seen from viewpoints on the caldera rim.
• Lagoa do Fogo: a wild crater lake high in the middle of the island. In summer, car access to the viewpoint area can be restricted and a seasonal shuttle runs, so check the current rules.
• Furnas: a valley of steaming fumaroles and hot springs, where the local stew, cozido, is slow-cooked underground using volcanic heat. Terra Nostra Park has a warm, iron-rich thermal pool in a historic garden.
• Tea plantations on the north coast, such as Gorreana, which are unusual for Europe.

Choose it if: it's your first trip, you have limited time, or you want the widest choice of accommodation, restaurants and tours. Skip it if: you want the quietest, least-visited Azores.

Terceira: Best for History, Festivals and Local Life

Terceira is a round, green island in the central group, known for its patchwork of stone-walled fields and for having the liveliest festival culture in the Azores. Its capital, Angra do Heroísmo, has a historic center that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Highlights include Algar do Carvão, a volcanic chimney you can walk down into; the Gruta do Natal lava tube; the Serra do Cume viewpoint; the natural lava pools at Biscoitos; and the sandy beach at Praia da Vitória. From May to mid-October, villages hold touradas à corda, street events where a bull is run on a long rope, and in June Angra hosts the Sanjoaninas festival.

Choose it if: you want culture, food and festivals as well as nature. We cover it in detail in our guide to the best things to do on Terceira.

Pico: Best for Climbing a Volcano and Wine

Pico is dominated by Mount Pico, which at 2,351 m (7,713 ft) is the highest mountain in Portugal. Climbing it is a demanding but unforgettable hike. Climbers must register before setting out, and the weather on the summit can turn quickly, so many people go with a certified guide.

Pico's other big draw is its wine. The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, a maze of black basalt walls protecting small vineyard plots called currais, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The island also has a long whaling history and is one of the best bases for whale watching.

Choose it if: you're a hiker, a wine lover or a whale-watching fan.

Faial: Best for Sailing Culture and Volcanic Landscapes

Faial sits just across an 8 km channel from Pico, and the two are easy to combine by ferry. Its town, Horta, is a famous stop for yachts crossing the Atlantic. Sailors traditionally paint their boat's name and the date on the marina walls for good luck, turning the harbor into an open-air gallery, and Peter Café Sport is the historic sailors' bar in town.

On the western tip, the Capelinhos volcano erupted from the sea between September 1957 and October 1958, adding new land to the island. Today you can explore the grey, moon-like landscape and the interpretation center built into it. In the middle of the island, the Caldeira is a huge crater you can walk around on a clear day.

Choose it if: you want an easy-going base with views of Pico and plenty to do in a few days.

São Jorge: Best for Dramatic Coastal Hikes

São Jorge is long and narrow, with steep cliffs dropping to the sea. At their base are fajãs: flat strips of land formed by lava flows or landslides, many with tiny villages. The fajãs were recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2016.

The classic hike goes down to Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo, which has no road access and is known for its clams and surfing. The island is also famous for São Jorge cheese, a sharp, aged cow's milk cheese.

Choose it if: you love hiking and want somewhere quiet and spectacular.

Graciosa: Best for a Slow, Quiet Escape

Graciosa is the least rugged island, with gentle hills, plains and windmills. It became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2007. Its signature sight is the Furna do Enxofre, a large volcanic cave inside the island's caldera with a lake at the bottom. Afterward, you can relax at the Carapacho thermal baths on the coast.

Choose it if: you want two or three peaceful days somewhere few visitors go.

Flores: Best for Waterfalls and Wild Scenery

Flores, in the western group, is often called the most beautiful island in the Azores. It's covered in waterfalls, lakes and deep green valleys, and it has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2009. Don't miss Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, a lagoon fed by a wall of waterfalls, or the Rocha dos Bordões, a cliff of tall basalt columns.

Choose it if: you want raw nature and don't mind being remote. Allow extra days, because weather can delay flights to and from the western group.

Corvo: Best for a Unique Day Trip or Birdwatching

Corvo is the smallest island, home to only a few hundred people in a single village, and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (2007). Most visitors come from Flores for the day by boat, weather permitting, to see the Caldeirão, a collapsed volcanic crater with lakes and small islets inside. In autumn, Corvo is known among birdwatchers for rare migrant birds.

Choose it if: you're visiting Flores and want to see somewhere truly off the map.

Santa Maria: Best for Beaches and Sunshine

Santa Maria is the oldest island geologically and feels different from the rest. It's warmer and drier, with red earth, whitewashed villages and pale sandy beaches, which are rare in the Azores. Praia Formosa is the main beach, and the bays of São Lourenço, with terraced vineyards on the slopes, are among the prettiest views in the islands.

Choose it if: you want beach time and a relaxed pace, ideally combined with São Miguel.

Quick Comparison: Which Azores Island Is Best for You?

• First trip or short trip: São Miguel.
• Culture, history and festivals: Terceira.
• Hiking: Pico (the mountain), São Jorge (the fajãs) and Flores (waterfalls and trails).
• Whale watching: Pico, Faial and São Miguel are popular bases.
• Hot springs: São Miguel (Furnas) and Graciosa (Carapacho).
• Beaches: Santa Maria, plus Praia da Vitória on Terceira.
• Remote and wild: Flores and Corvo.
• Peace and quiet: Graciosa, São Jorge and Santa Maria.

How to Combine the Islands

The easiest multi-island trips stay within one group:

• São Miguel + Santa Maria: a short flight apart, mixing big sights with beach days.
• The "triangle" of Faial, Pico and São Jorge: connected by Atlânticoline ferries year-round. In winter there are fewer sailings, so check the timetable for your dates.
• Terceira + the triangle or Graciosa: by inter-island flight, or by seasonal ferry between roughly May and September.
• Flores + Corvo: linked by a small boat service and by flights, both weather-dependent.

As a rough guide, give each island at least three or four days, so a weather day doesn't wipe out the things you came to see. Clouds and fog can hide crater lakes and summits for hours, so keep your plans flexible.

Before You Book

Flight routes, ferry timetables, access rules and opening hours in the Azores change by season and sometimes at short notice. Check the official websites of SATA, Atlânticoline and each attraction for your travel dates, and book cars and accommodation early for July and August.

Whichever island you choose, you'll understand why so many people come for one and end up planning a trip back to see the rest.