1. Go horseback riding in Sete Cidades on Sao Miguel.
Truly one of the most special and breathtaking parts of our trip, as we rode through the most magical feeling landscapes. We were so glad we added Sete Cidades to our itinerary and no better way to enjoy it than on horseback!
Sete Cidades Horse Riders
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João was an incredible guide! He took time to make sure we were comfortable with the horses, especially since we were beginners. He took us on a route that felt so magical because we had most of the route to ourselves. He made sure to take us to several incredible viewpoints.
We booked the whole day tour so he took us to a wonderful local buffet for lunch where we got to chat with him a bit. Highly recommend!! We met his family who help with the business afterwards as well and they were equally as welcoming and kind.
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2. Take a Jeep tour on Faial.
Since we only had one full day on Faial we wanted to make the most out of it. We decided to do a Jeep tour and it ended up being such an amazing way to see the whole island, while also gaining knowledge of the islands history and a locals perspective. We visited several viewpoints, went to the volcano museum, drank coffees at the black sand beach, and went to some of our guides favorite spots not as commonly visited.
Azores Experiences - Whale Watching & Jeep Tours
@sidestreetatlas
We did a full day Jeep tour of the island with Hugo who was an amazing tour guide! You could instantly tell his passion and love for the island he lives on, including the nature, culture, and history. We learned so much from him, and we loved how he gave us different options to “choose our own adventure”. The small tour group size was so perfect!!
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3. Hike the Mistérios Negros trail on Terceira.
This hike in Terceira ended up being one of our favorites! We went on a pretty drizzly day which was a nice break from the heat. The first half is all in beautiful lush woods and the second half you actually break above the tree line and get some incredible views of the landscape. A pretty easy half day hike with well worth it views.
Hike Mistérios Negros - PRC01
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The Azores official tourism website has great trail guides for all of the hikes on all the islands. Highly recommend referencing that if you choose to do this hike :) Link below.
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4. Bathe in a thermal spring on Saõ Miguel.
The thermal baths on Saõ Miguel were all unique and so incredibly relaxing. We loved all of them for different reasons! I’m even including an extra one here that we didn’t get a chance to visit but hope to next time.
Poça da Dona Beija
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While this one is definitely still popular, it’s a little bit less so than the Terra Nostra one. We enjoyed going to this one at night as it’s in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by lots of plants. The way it was lit up at night was really serene. They have a cute gift shop here too.
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Parque Terra Nostra
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The Terra Nostra park consists of gorgeous, beautifully curated grounds where you can easily spend and hour or two walking around the gardens. You do not have to be a guest of the hotel to buy admission - although I believe tickets do sell out quickly. The hot spring in the park is definitely the main attraction for most people and is quite large, allowing enough space for guests to spread out. The water is a brown, muddy looking color due to the minerals in it.
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Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha
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We didn’t get a chance to visit this one since it was a bit out of the way, but it looks like an amazing experience if you’re looking to be more immersed in nature! I’m sure it still books up fast but this seems like a bit of a more unique experience than Terra Nostra.
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Termas da Ferraria
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This one is unique because it’s a thermal spring right on the ocean!! You’ll definitely want to check the reviews to make sure you plan your visit appropriately with the tide to have a comfortable visit. Also keep in mind that it’s quite rocky so you’ll want some sort of water shoes if possible. The current can be quite strong but they have several ladders and ropes to assist with that.
Also this one was completely free!
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5. Join a whale watching tour.
The Azores is known as one of the premier whale watching areas in the whole world!! We went in with dampened expectations since our trip was not during peak whale watching season - however, we ended up seeing a whale breach!!! And tons of dolphins too. It was definitely an unforgettable experience.
Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL
@sidestreetatlas
This company really impressed us at how the conservation of the animals is central to their operation. Before going out they have all guests watch videos about the animals and the important conservation work they are doing. All tours are led by marine biologists so the level of knowledge they provided us with along the tour was really in depth.
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