mix007

This is my first post here, so I appreciate any advice I can get. I'm a single father planning to go to the Azores with my 5yo son. I don't have a drivers licence , so my main interest is hiking (though I'm open to ideas). I'd like to know
1) how long does it make sense to stay on the island(s) - I have 32 days to spare but I think I'd draw a line at a week, 10 days max.
2) Should I focus on one island or a few (or all of them)? And if more then how can I get to the other islands from Sao Miguel?
3) Also, on Sao Miguel, should I stay in different hotels, so that places of interest are closer or will one suffice?

Thanks again for your time, and your advice.

Pvoyageuse

I spent 2 weeks with my son a few years ago and wish I could have spent more. We flew into Sao Miguel, spent a few days there, flew to Tercera, flew to Sao Jorge, took a ferry to Pico, a ferry to Faïal and flew black to Lisbon from Faïal.
I didn't rent a car, instead we took a taxi for the day. Sao Miguel is larger than the other islands but small enough that you don't have to change hotels or to worry about missing what there is to see.

bilboburgler

I spent 12 day son three islands biking around them. There are buses but generally the locals use taxis who are gret for taking you up to a site and you walk back to town.

The people are very friendly and you will find very limited crime (when we checked in the first B&B they had left the key in the door of the empty house so that we could get in) as they said the key is required to keep the cows out.

Sao Miguel is good but you could do a two centre break say at Furnas and Ponta Delgada with a walk aournd the rim of the blue and green lakes.

Whale watching is the one thing you have to do. I'd surf this website for options.

lynclarke

We spent one week in Sao Miguel in April/May 2012. We rented a house in Mosteiros and rented a car. We LOVED it. We did a lot of hiking and or walking near Mosteiros. Does your 5 year old hike? There is a national park Pinhal do Paz which has plenty of trails, picnic areas, soccor fields etc. There is a path around the green lake of Sete Cidades about one mile each way. There is a walking trail along the lake in Furnas next to the geysers /steam vents area. Tell us more about what you like to do with your son, though. If you are in a village then you will see farm animals and other children playing. Ponte Delgada was too touristy for us---we were in the mood for walking, hiking, watching waves etc--not so much for gift shops. Beaches are everywhere if you choose a time of year with temperate weather. It was a lttle too chilly in April. We hated to leave after one week. There is a huge shopping mall in Ponte Delgada which has everything an US mall has. Tell us about your child's interests.

mix007

@lynclarke - Yes, he hikes, and he's not half bad at it (if I say it myself). I was reading about what you guys were doing over there and it sounds like what I/we would do. My plan right now is 1-2days in Faial, 2-3 in Pico and then about 5d in S Miguel.

Jayme_Simoes

1) how long does it make sense to stay on the island(s) - I have 32 days to spare but I think I'd draw a line at a week, 10 days max.

There are 9 islands, and they are big. Sao Miguel, Terceiria and Pico are huge - so you need 2-3 days each. Lots of great well marked hikes, check out the Sunflower Guide and the Bradt guide for good hiking info.

2) Should I focus on one island or a few (or all of them)? And if more then how can I get to the other islands from Sao Miguel?
SATA connects them all by air. there is a ferry between Faial-Pico-Sao Jorge - but the others are too long a ride to make boat a good option (with the exception of Flores adn Corvo).

Just a word for flores- breathtakingly beautiful - and the whole western half is just hiking - no cars or towns... Check out aldeia da Cuada

3) Also, on Sao Miguel, should I stay in different hotels, so that places of interest are closer or will one suffice?

If you don't rent a car - there is good bus service. Furnas is a good hiking base - but most hikes are in rural and and natural areas - like Sete cidades, with no hotel. I like the Terra Nostra and the Talisman.