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Birding at Ponta Delgada, Flores (Corvo in background).
Photo: Bosse Carlsson
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Strategy
Since there are nine major islands, most of them (except for summer) accessible
only by flights, you have to start with deciding which islands to visit.
Domestic flights between the islands are normally not fully booked within
low season, but to be sure you better book in advance. If you have a package
holiday you will most likely be staying one or two weeks on São
Miguel, but there are other options with combinations of two or even more
islands. With international or regular flights from the mainland you will
end up either in São Miguel, Faial or in Terceira.
If you are visiting for the first time, or if your main
aim is to see the Azores Bullfinch, and to combine this with a little
sea watching and a few Nearctic vagrants, you will of course stay on São
Miguel. One week will do for that, and you still have time to squeeze
in one or two days at Terceira for a better list of waders. For a tour
around several islands you will need two weeks, considering the unpredictable
weather. When arranging flight tickets remember that you often have a
special tourist price if you book in advance (if arriving by an international
flight), and that you by choosing the right flights can have a stopover
on Terceira for a few hours without any extra cost.
The Azores is a perfect destination for a combined birding
and family holiday if your companions are interested in nature and culture.
Most of the places good for birds are also holding many other attractions,
and you can combine a nice and slow birding with a general sightseeing.
Fog filled crater lakes, hours of sea watching from the same windy place,
or half a day at the quarry in Cabo da Praiha could however strain some
of the patience from non birders. There is much to explore in many of
the islands, and if you are in for whale watching you might consider Faial
and Pico for a few days. Except for the summer months, the Azores is however
not a place where you spend hours sunbathing or swimming at the beach
or in the pool.
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Cory's Shearwater, which not following vessels only.
Photo: Kari
Eischer, São Miguel 2005
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When to go
August to December is probably the best time for a bird watching holiday
to the archipelago. This will give you the greatest possibility of seeing
all the resident land birds, endemics, and a lot of migrating waders and
seabirds. Very few birders have been visiting later in winter, and their
finds are interesting. However, there could be some trouble with the weather
conditions at this time of the year. No birders at all seem to visit in
spring, so that is a totally unwritten chapter.
No matter what time of year the Azores is visited, it
is possible to find something unexpected. The endemic Azores Bullfinch
as well as the three subspecies of Goldcrest can be seen at any time of
the year.
Remember (especially for Scandinavian birders), that
you often will find a cheap (low cost charter) package holiday to the
Azores for one or two weeks in late autumn or winter. Hotel prices also
go down after the summer (June-Aug.) high season.
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| Beautiful agricultural landscape in
south-eastern part of Terceira. Photo: Bosse Carlsson |
Flights, international and domestic
Main operators are the local SATA-Air Azores, TAP,
and charters from the Scandinavian countries.
There are several international flights to Europe and
North America, and from 2005 a new direct connection to London. Since
2003 there are also flight connections between Madeira and the Azores,
which make it possible to bird both archipelagos on a two weeks adventure!
There are frequent two-hour flights from Lisbon to three
Azorean airports: Ponta Delgada (São Miguel), Lajes (Terceira)
and Horta (Faial), and even the odd flight direct to Santa Maria.
The local airline SATA is equipped with modern two-engines
propeller aircrafts. There are several departures from most islands every
day. Beware that many flights are cancelled due to bad weather, which
often include very local conditions with low clouds or wrong wind directions
at very exposed airstrips.
Useful links:
TAP
Portugal
SATA Air Açores
Charter/Package deals
USA
Azores Express: www.azores-express.com/default.aspx
United Kingdom
Atlantic Holidays: www.atlanticholidays.net
Archipelago Azores: www.azoreschoice.com
Scandinavia
STS Solresor: www.solresor.se
Bravo Tours: www.bravotours.dk
Hispania: www.hispania.fi
Travelling by car
Surface transport on the islands is trouble-free thanks to the modern
road structure, which has been significantly improved in recent years
(by EU contributions). For example there are good and fast roads (highways)
from Ponta Delgada towards the northeast (via Ribeira Grande), along the
south coast to Vila Franca do Campo, and on Terceira between Praia da
Vitoria and Angra do Heroismo. Most of the other roads are paved, and
in good condition, but often very winding and time consuming.
Do you only need transportation by car for a day, or
less than a day, there are a number of taxi cars available. You can always
negotiate the price, and check for an English talking driver unless you
want to practice your Portuguese. For longer periods the best option is
to rent a car, and there are rental companies on all islands except for
Corvo. Beware that there are only a few cars available on the smaller
islands. Compare prices between a few companies before you make a final
decision. Remember that your travel agent often has an agreement with
car hire companies at advantageous rates.
Buses
If you do not intend to hire a car it's always possible to use the bus
network. Especially on São Miguel there is a developed system of
local buses, with good connections almost all over the island (though
slow!). Combining this system with a few taxi telephone numbers to call
from your mobile, could often be a smart and economical alternative to
a rental car.
The best service is offered on Sao Miguel where the
main towns are linked 3 or 4 times a day, and where you can go on day
tours to places like Sete Cidades or Furnas.
Ferries and boat trips
There are regular daily ferries all year round, provided by Transmaçor,
between Faial (Horta) and Pico (Madalena). In summertime (mid May to mid
September) also a few tours weekly onwards to São Jorge (Velas
or Calheta), and Terceira (Angra do Heroismo).
During summer ferries from the Açorline connect
all islands but Corvo. There are tours from São Miguel to Santa
Maria (four hours at sea), and also various routes connecting Faial, Pico,
São Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, and São Miguel. There are
furthermore a few tours connecting Faial with Flores, an eight and a half
hour sea tour that normally gives you two days on Flores before returning.
For whale and dolphin watching tours check the Cetaceans
page.
Useful links:
Transmaçor –
Transportes Marítimos Açorianos (In English and Portuguese)
Açorline
Transportes Maritimos
Accomodation
All over the Azores there are a plenty of hotels, apartments and pensions,
especially in the major towns. Most birders chose to buy a package holiday
with accomodation included, most of which is located in São Miguel.
However, if you only take a flight, or want to visit several islands you
might save a lot of trouble and time by booking in advance. Except for
the high season you can of course mostly find lodging without pre booking,
but since the number of available rooms in some places may be limited
this could be a little hazardous.
If you want to stay more private, near nature and rural
surroundings this is also possible. There are a number of private rooms
or houses to rent in places like Sete Cidades in São Miguel, or
Fajã Grande in Flores. There are camp-sites on most islands, with
a few exceptions at a rather poor quality.
There is plenty of information on the Internet, where
you can get in contact with the owners or the hotel directly, or you can
book via a travel agency or tourist office.
Useful links:
Casas Açorianas
- Rural Tourism Azores - Azores Natural Lodging
AZORES ONLINE – (In English)
Azorean official tourism Association; (In English and Portuguese)
Portal Açores
(In Portuguese)
Azores Tourist Offices
Destinazores
(In English, German and Portuguese language)
This web based tourist guide to Azores are in general the best available
one! Highly recommended!
Portugal's
Official Tourism Website (In Portuguese, English, German and Spanish
language)
Delegação de Turismo, Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira.
Tel: 295 216 109 / 295 213 393
Direcção Regional de Turismo dos Açores, Ilha do
Faial. Tel: 292 200 500
Delegação de Turismo de São Miguel, Ponta Delgada.
Tel.: 296 285 743/152
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