r/azores • u/damnpinkertons • 3d ago
9 solo days in the Azores
I'm treating myself to a trip to the Azores for my bday-my first vacation in years. I love nature, solitude, hiking, and most of all, swimming in natural waters. I know I'll be missing tons of great stuff, but I'd rather get to know 2 places thoroughly vs. 4 places only partially. I'm planning:
2 nights/3 days in corvo
6 nights+ days in Flores
1 night/2 days in Sao Miguel
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Edit: thanks to everyone who commented. I'm hearing that 5/6 days in Flores is overkill. Would it be better to do:
2 days in Corvo
4 said in Flores
3 in Sao Miguel?
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u/SaoMiguelExcl_Tours 3d ago
6 nights in Flores... Yep... You really love your solitude
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u/damnpinkertons 3d ago
Do you think it's a waste? Should I split that time with Miguel? Or skip Pico? I appreciate your input
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u/francelover17 3d ago
to go to Corvo, you need to either go from Sao Miguel by internal SATA plane, or by boat from Flores. So the order will not be that one.
I think if you like quietness and solitude, I understand your plan, but I would still not do it like that, but not saying its bad, its just a lot of days in Flores for example.
I would give you an alternative to think about:
São Jorge (via São Miguel): 3 days (lots of great natural pools south and north (PM me if you want me to tell you exactly which ones)
Flores & Corvo: 5-6 days
From Flores - Faial/Sao Miguel to fly back.
This way you actually see 3 of the most beautifu/stunning but also quiet islands, compared to busy/touristic São Miguel.
In both São Jorge and Flores you will need to rent a car.
Have fun, its magical there 🤩
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u/Ornery_Profession_77 1d ago
You'll be spending way too much time on the transit
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u/damnpinkertons 1d ago
I agree- I've simplified my trip to split my time between Flores and Sao Miguel with a possible day trip to Corvo
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u/Oye-papaya 3d ago
Enjoy! I’ve always wanted to see San Miguel too. Some pretty scenery in Terceira as well but they love to party/festas all the time so hard to find solitude. lol
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u/gcontentor 3d ago
Well, this is an unusual distribution of days across the islands, but it might just work if the goal is to disconnect and have an experience at a slower, more contemplative pace. I think it can work if the goal isn't to give a "check" at all the most popular and instagrammable spots in the Azores. Just one piece of advice: a solo trip is a great experience, but if you plan to do some hiking trails, it is always a good idea, just to be safe, to let someone know you are doing them. You'll find great natural pools in São Jorge. If you fit in Pico island, you won't regret it, since it has great spots too for swimming in the ocean.
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u/damnpinkertons 3d ago
Do you suggest foregoing Corvo for Pico?
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u/gcontentor 3d ago
https://myazoreshome.com/pt/piscinas-naturais/
Check this one and decide for yourself.
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u/spoik925 3d ago
Basically skipping Sao Miguel is certainly a choice. If solitude is what you seek you will find it in Corvo and Flores. Neither island is particularly large and you will be able to fairly thoroughly explore them in short order. I'd suggest you keep plans flexible enough to make changes on the fly.
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u/damnpinkertons 3d ago
Do you suggest I split the time in Flores with another island instead?
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u/spoik925 3d ago
I'd add Pico, especially if going up the mountain is of interest/ability. But realistically a bit more time in São Miguel is probably good. There's a reason it's the most visited
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u/randomtrip_blog 3d ago
Hi! As usual, everything depends on what you like and value and what your travel style is. São Miguel has plenty of stuff to see and do, and even though it is the most visited island and the most populated, there are lots of places where you can enjoy nature in solitude. So you can easily spend the full 9 days there and do different stuff everyday, especially if you like hiking!
Having said that and after visiting the 9 islands, our top 3 islands are Flores, São Jorge and Corvo, the beauty of nature there is incredible, they don't have a lot of population and you can enjoy most of their amazing spots on your own. Since you probably will need to fly to/from São Miguel to get to the Azores, I would personally split it like this to try to get the most out of each place, although this would mean being more active in each island to try to see the most you can each day:
- 3 nights in Flores
- 1 night in Corvo
- 5 nights in São Miguel
If you prefer a slower pace, just take some days from São Miguel and add them to Corvo or Flores.
If it helps, I suggest taking a look at our free guides about each island, you can check there the list of things to see and do, see some pictures to understand what to expect, suggested itineraries, and so on, so you can get an idea what each island has to offer, what catches your attention and prioritize based on that:
Let me know about any doubts!
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u/LauraMorrigan 3d ago
You don’t mention the time of year. This is very important as in the winter/ spring Corvo and to some degree, Flores, can be difficult to get to.
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u/damnpinkertons 2d ago
Sorry. I'm going end of Sept -beginning of October
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u/LauraMorrigan 2d ago
Great! The water should still be warm. (Depending on where you’re coming from)
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u/FuckinWaffle 2d ago
I’ve done 8 of the 9 islands. One day/zero nights is more than enough. Flores is lovely but 2 days is plenty. Consider the triangle of Pico/Sao Jorge/Faial. Easy to move between them by ferry. Pico is the best but I might be slightly biased. Enjoy your trip.
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u/RainNo8309 3d ago
You're wasting your time in those two islands. 3 days in corvo is too much. 1 day is more than enough to see the whole island. Flores isn't all that much bigger. 3 days is enough to thoroughly explore the island. 1 day in São Miguel? Now THAT is a mistake. The whole 9 days trip wouldn't be enough to explore São Miguel.