Azores Holidays

If you are looking for Azores holidays you have come to the right place, we have hundreds of great Azores holiday deals. We search the best flights and accommodation to find the cheapest holiday offers at your Azores holiday islands such as Sao Miguel , Flores and Santa Maria .

The Azores, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, is made up of nine volcanic islands off the west coast of Portugal. This group of islands are some of the few unspoilt paradises left in the world. They provide a holiday destination that is unique and unspoilt by neon lights and mass tourist numbers. With a total land mass of 2,355 km²(893 sq miles), spread across the nine islands, these forested Portuguese retreats offer tourists a quiet, and relaxing escape or an active outdoor adventure, away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. The Azores sit almost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and are all of volcanic origin, quite densely forested and are each ringed by sandy beaches. The Azores have a combined population of just over 240,000 people, who still still embrace Portuguese traditions such as bull fighting, also, Azorean folklore, and many relgious festivals are actively followed and celebrated throughout the year, giving the islands a warmth and friendliness that is typical of the Azorean people. Sitting on the Lisbon parrallel, the Azores cannot offer year round guarenteed sunshine but it does however provide a temperate maritime climate with warm sunny summers and mild winters. Sao Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico, offer more to satisfy tourist needs however the other 5 islands of Santa Maria, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Flores and Corvo provide tourists with a more laid back approach to The Azores. High craters, subtropical vegetation, cascading waterfalls, and boiling pools give the Azores character that is unique and only believable when seen and experienced. The islands have long been famous for deep sea fishing, their many varieties of tropical fruits, local cheeses and red and white wines, which can be experienced all over the islands. At the heart of these nine islands is a contemporary and timeless way of life that is boosted by its warm character and majestic scenery. These hidden Atlantic beauties are increasingly gaining the trust of their visitors for providing an experience that is not only interesting and exciting, but is at the same time cultural and peaceful. Being a region of Portugal and of Europe, the Azorean currency is the Euro.

Azores Deals

You can get cheap late deals on flights to many Greek destinations, including Athens, Rhodes and Thessaloniki. Athens is an especially beautiful City with some amazing 5* hotels, many late deals are available throughout the year, and with good value accommodation on offer all over the country, Greece makes an ideal choice for family beach holidays, City Breaks, couples, single travellers and escorted tours alike. City breaks, Beach holidays, or Med Island Cruising; Greece has it all and more.

Azores Sports

9 islands, each encapsulated by the ocean. This bond is a hard one to break, in the Azores; there are sports and activities to be enjoyed both on land and on water. Fishing is a major practice on the islands, specially equipped fishing boats are available on Sao Miguel and Faial, rock fishing is practicable on all the islands and fresh water fishing is possible on Sao Miguel and Flores. For those holiday makers preferring sports the land has to offer, golf is available on Sao Miguel and Terceira and Tennis on Faial. To take in breath-taking views, it is advised to take to foot and experience what’s to offer in the hills, dales and cliffs of The Azores, with countryside that is masked in greenery and flowers of all colours.

Azores Events and Festivals

Religion is at the heart of most Azorean communities, Catholic being the main denomination of the region. The faith is actively practiced and celebrated on the islands and many of the festivals and saints days of the year take priority on the Azorean calendar; the festival of the Holy Spirit being one that is common to all of the islands although local adaptations are applied. The Azores take a slightly less solemn approach to religious festivals, with parades, music, drink, dancing, food, and even bullfights but with rope in place of swords. The festivities are renowned for their colour and creativity. Azorean tradition still plays a major part in even the religious festivals, during the festival of the Holy Ghost; one poor resident of The Azores is crowned Emperor or Empress for the day, and for that one day they are royalty, mass is said and festivities including lots of drinking, music, and eating go on well into the night. For many of the festivals celebrated on the islands, it isn’t unusual if it seems as though the whole region closes down for the day to take part. Each of the nine islands celebrates festivals and feast days that are specific to their own heritage, for example, Flores – one of the smaller of the nine islands has the Lady of Flores Festival which is held in the Matos Chapel and draws the biggest crowds for any festival on the island. The Santa Cruz festival is a culmination of the Lady of Flores Festivals and the Sanjoaninas Festival.

Azores The Islands

• Flores

• Sao Miguel

• Santa Maria

• Terceira

• Faial

• Pico

• Graciosa

• Sao Jorge

• Flores

• Corvo

Azores Food, Drink & Shopping

The Azores has long been famous for its’ local cheeses, red and white wines, pottery, figures, embroidery, lace, and tropical fruits. Across the nine islands varying cuisines can be experienced, this variation stems to the original settlement on the islands when members of different cultures flocked to the region combining their cultures, cuisines and living styles to create the way of life now known to the Azores. Cafes and restaurants serving these individual cuisines can be found all nine islands. Most towns have small supermarkets supplying tourists and residents everything they need to live a comfortable life on the islands. Prices across the Azores are fairly reasonable, for example it can be expected to pay between £10 and £15 each for dinner. The basis for Azorean cuisine is that of Portuguese, therefore many traditional Portuguese dishes appear on the menu’s of Azorean restaurants. The region is famous for fishing and as such fish can be found as a speciality in most parts of the Azores, with varying flavours, cooking styles and fish varieties available according to the time of year, and the islands’ traditions. Many of the islands have specialities of limpets, crayfish and rabbit stews. Examples of typical food dishes found around the islands include: Octopus stewed in wine, on Sao Miguel; beef stew is a tradition on Terceira, and fish chowders with the catch of the day as speciality in many eateries. The Azores is the only region of the world to boast the year-round growing of pineapple, the local variety of pineapple is one with intense flavour and a small crown. The ability to grow these year-round is made possible with the use of pineapple greenhouses; Sao Miguel alone has over 6000 such houses. Exotic fruits grown on the islands are very often made into liqueurs, brandies and fine wines which are distilled on the islands.