Azores
 

Thinking of visiting the Azores possibly this summer. My thinking is that we would spend maybe 5 days on Sao MIguel and then would like to visit 2 other islands for possibly 3 days on each. Does this seem like enough time? Which islands are your favorites ( we would hope to hike some). My early reading looks like Sao Jorge, Flores or Terceira might be fun. Any thoughts??

No opinion on your question, but we had a stopover in the Azores once, just enough time for a short drive and dinner, and it was some of the best food I have ever tasted. What I saw was beautiful and interesting.

we did a walking and cycling tour, incredibly friendly people, very high levels of security (makes Singapore look like den of thieves). Great whale watching. Weather extremely changeable (hour by hour). Some villages don't have anywhere to eat so if booking a flat then chat to renter about where to eat. Boiled potatoes seem to be the only way they cook them, but there has to be something wrong with this place.

We had 4 nights on Faial, staying in Horta and loved the laid back atmosphere there and the trip out to whale watch. We stayed in the Pousada in Horta and thoroughly enjoyed it, loved the local places to eat and the scenery round the island. Visited Pico and walked down the volcano on Sao Jorge. From there we flew over to Terceira, staying just outside Angra, another island with spectacular scenery.

Corvo and Flores in the north group are a bit far out, as are Sao Miguel and Sao Pedro. For a first time experience, go with the central group, there's lots to do and see.

I assume that on each of the islands you will need a car. None of you mentioned Sao Miguel. I thought that was the likely place where most people went because it is the largest. Since you didn't go there which airport did you fly in to? We will be coming from the states so I thought we would fly to Lisbon and then catch a regional flight from there. As you tell I am just starting to plan.

we did most of the place using buses and cycles (ferries) plus one taxi. I guess you could hire a car but there is no real reason to and in many ways we found using a taxi/bus to dump us in on a path/mountain top etc was the best way to make us walk to our hotel. (the point being a lot of the walks are downhill so having to walk back up again is a faf)

We caught the flight from Porto but we flew in from the UK and it worked out better timings for us

We went straight to Furnas for a couple of nights, nice little place (little) before touring some other islands, returning to Ponta Delgada which was a bit too big for us after 10 days in the island quiet. The walk back from Sete Cidades was pleasant and we agreed a time to meet the taxi there. But the best walk was with a farmer moving his bull on country mud roads and for the life of me I cannot remember even which island, only the farmer was enormous and he was dwarfed by the bull.

Horta was nice as was Pico.

I would like to get this post going again because we didn't go when I originally posted but pretty certain we will go next summer, either August or early September. We may fly in to Sao Miguel and then travel to a couple of other islands. We should have about 2 weeks. Reading your posts Faial and Terceira sound interesting. Any thoughts or ideas will be greatly appreciated. I will have just hiked a portion of the Santiago de Compostela trail (about 90 miles)