GREEN ISLAND TOUR:

(Starting at $509)

• 6 nights stay at the Hotel Talisman.
• 2 full day tours of São Miguel island, with lunch.
• Round trip transfers.

BLUE AND GREEN ISLAND TOUR:

(Starting at $829)

• 3 nights stay at the Hotel do Canal.
• 2 full day tours in Faial and Pico, with lunch.
• 3 nights stay at the hotel Marina Atlantico, with a sea-view room.
• 2 full day tours of São Miguel island, including lunch.
• Round trip transfers and ferry tickets.

AZORES EXPERIENCE TOUR:

(Starting at $1,329)

• 3 nights stay at Hotel Terceira Mar.
• Full day tour of Terceira and a half day tour with lunch included.
• 3 nights stay at the Hotel do Canal.
• 2 full day tours in Faial and Pico, with lunch.
• 3 nights stay at the hotel Marina Atlantico, with a sea-view room.
• 2 full day tours of São Miguel island, including lunch.
• Round trip transfers and ferry tickets.

GREEN ISLAND TOUR SPECIAL:

(Starting at $999)

• Green Island Tour including airfare.
• Departure on March 12.

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include all taxes and fees (subject to change) for departures in March. The Green Island Tour Special includes fuel surcharge and government taxes of approx. $354.00. Single supplement is between $300-$450. All packages are subject to availability and are capacity controlled. Cancellation penalties do apply. Tourazores.com and Columbia Travel Inc. are not responsible for errors and/or omissions.

Azores Flyer

In this video, Ed explains one of the methods in acquiring euros when you are in the Azores.

Few more things to remember:

• Make sure to check with your bank, what the withdrawal charge would be for an international ATM, as well as your limit.
• You can use any ATM/Multibanco in Portugal, there is no difference, between Multibanco’s other then name
• Be aware of your surroundings, just as you would at home.

There are various ways to get to the Azores from the United States.  You can fly across the Atlantic to Continental Europe, and then fly back to the Azores.

Lajes Airport, Terceira

However there is only one carrier, SATA International, that flies directly from the United States to the Azores.   SATA International flies from two U.S. cities,  Boston, MA and Oakland, CA., the flights from Boston are year round, while the flights from Oakland are during the summer.

Flight Times to the Azores

From Boston, you are able to fly directly to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel (Year Round) and Lajes, Terceira (Summer).  The flights depart at night (around 10:30PM), and arrive in the morning (around 7:00AM).

From Oakland, you are able to fly to Lajes, Terceira (with a technical stop) .  The flights depart in the afternoon (around 4:15PM), and arrive in the morning (around 10:00AM).

SATA Inter-Island in Horta, Faial

Inter-Island Flights in the Azores

Should you need to get to other islands, you can connect with SATA Air Acores,which has flights to the other islands of the Azores.  In the summertime the inter-island flights are increased between the islands due to the influx of vistors.   Flights between the islands leave at various times, but usually there is a morning and afternoon flight.  The amount of time that you are in the air  is very short, as the longest flight is only  1 hour and 15 minutes, from Sao Miguel to Flores.  Below you can find the schedule for 2013.

2013 SATA International Schedule by City:

Boston, MA to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel

Between March 14 and April 11, the Boston-based restaurant chain will be serving up Azorean dishes which will highlight products imported directly from the islands. Legal Sea Foods not only hopes to introduce its guests to a different style of food, but also promote the Azores as a distinctive tourist destination. Information will be provided, by the restaurants, to those who would like to learn more about the unique Azorean ingredients that were used in preparing their meals, and also to those who may be inspired to visit the islands themselves.

For restaurant locations, please visit legalseafoods.com

The Azores, has been getting a lot of good press lately, and it has been well deserved.  This time, Budget Travel magazine has nominated the Portuguese Islands as one of its Top Budget Travel destinations in 2012.

Island of Graciosa

The Azores are a bargain destination, when compared to other destinations in mainland Europe.  It is also a close destination, with just a four and a half hour flight from Boston to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel.

Caldeira Velha

Bargain Package

Our Winter package starts at $669.00, and it includes Air, Hotel, Full Day tour of

the Island of Sao Miguel, including lunch, and transfers.  With taxes amd fuel surcharges of $308.00, that is a Travel package to Europe for less then $1,000.00.

You can read the article by clicking here: Azores, a Top Budget Travel Destinantion in 2012.

Visit Azores.com & Visit Portugal.com

The websites for the Azorean Tourism Board and the Portuguese Tourism Board, provide tourist information on all 9 islands of the Azores.  You can view videos of the different activities on the islands.  Within both sites, sample itineraries are offered, giving various ideas for those who are interested in self-guided tours.

Visit Azores Website
Visit Portugal Website

Magical Azores Islands.com

Website run by Rob Belchoir, a Canadian, whose father is from the Azores.    In his site, Rob shares his experiences on visiting the islands of the Azores.  He also offers tips for travel on the islands, and answers questions on his blog.  Be sure to check his Azores Photo Gallery as there are a lot of interesting photos of the islands.

Magical Azores Islands Website

Azores Guide & Destinazores

Azores Guide and Destinazores, are the publishers of tourist guides in the Azores.  These free guides can be found throughout the islands, either at hotels, tourist offices, and car rental offices.  There websites are online versions of their guides, with detailed information of the islands.

Azores Guide
Destinazores Website

Tourada à Corda (Bullfight by rope) is one of the more unique experiences that you will have on the island of Terceira.  From May until October you will find bullfights in the street, in the fields, and even at the beach.  While the island of Terceira has the formal Portuguese bullfight, where there are “Cavaleiros” (Horsemen), “Toureiro” (Bullfighters) and “Forcados”  in a bullfighting ring,  the Tourada à Corda is less formal, in that it gives the spectator the opportunity to be on the same playing field of the bull.

 Bullfighting in the Street

The Tourada à Corda happens in the late afternoon, when the work day is done for most.  Those who wish to spectate, take there place in high grounds, whether it is behind make shift barricades, up in trees, or on the verandahs of there homes.  While those brave enough, congregate in the street awaiting the release of the bull.   The bulls are brought in by crate and released one bull at a time with the rope attached.  The bulls are handled by the “pastores” (Herdsmen), to ensure the safety of the spectators as well as the bulls themselves.  Depending on the stamina,the bull is let loose in the streets for a period of about thirty minutes or more.  Wannabe bullfighters try to get the attention of the bull by flailing there arms, umbrellas or capes, in hopes that the bull chases after them.  Once the bull begins to charge the wannabe bullfighters run for there lives, to higher grounds, or behind the barricades, a cat and mouse type chase.  Once the bull is tired of the chase the pastores bring it back into its crate and then release the next bull.  This will continue until all the bulls have been released, with the last bull being the wildest.

More information:

• The Regional Tourism Association of the Azores provides an in depth brochure about bullfighting in the Azores, you can download the brochure here, or go to their website http://en.artazores.com/.

• Travel writer Andrew McCarthy provides his account of being a spectator in the Tourada à corda, in a short story for the travel section of the Huffington Post.  You can read that story by clicking here.

• Diana Marcum has an article in the LA Times about Portuguese Americans continuing the tradition of  Portuguese bullfighting in California.  You can read the article by clicking here.

• We have more photos on our Facebook page, you can see them by clicking here.

Interested in going to a Tourada à Corda, or visiting the island of Terceira?  Send us an e-mail at info@tourazores.com, or contact us at 1-888-678-9093.

In the write up, they gave a brief descriptions of what make the islands of the Azores great.  From the black and white sand beaches, to the flowers that populate the islands and of course the cozido that is cooked by geo-thermic heat.  In the article, they show only one photo of the Azores, so below we added a supplemental gallery for you to see why they rank the Azores in the top ten.

You can check out the article, by clicking here.

Black Sand Beach

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Praia do Populo on the island of Sao Miguel.

Want to explore all nine islands of the Azores? We still have some space left on our Nine Island tour, be sure to check it out here, oOr you can contact us at 1-888-678-9093.

We came up with the following list of the best options, ordered by cost, to call home from the Azores and Portugal:

Pay Phones:

Pay phones are available throughout the major towns and cities in the Azores.  They are located near town, city centers and near public transportation stops.

Pay phones accept calling cards as well as euros.  Calling cards are available at most cafés, corner grocery stores and magazine stands.  They are available at a cost of 3, 5, and 10 euros per card, with a 10 euro card letting you call for 376 minutes (€ 0.026 per minute) to call the United States or Canada.

Pay phones also accept coins in 2, 1 euros and 50, 20, 10 cêntimos, they are more expensive then the calling card option, with a rate of more or less 5 minutes per euro (€  0.20per minute).

Pros: Very inexpensive way to call home.

Cons: You have to search for the pay phones, and some payphones might be out of order.

Buy a Prepaid Cell Phone in Portugal:

You can also buy a prepaid cell phone while out in the Azores.  There are two major cell phone companies, Vodafone and TMN, and they have stores located through out the major islands of the Azores.  The price of a cell phone begins at about 20 euros, and they usually come with a bonus of 5 euros worth of prepaid calls.  The cost to call the United States 2 minutes per euro (€  0.45per minute), however whenever you receive a call you will not be charged.

Pros: You can call home from anywhere on the islands.  Family and friends can call you at any time.   Calls that you receive, will not be charged to your balance.

Cons:  The cost to call home is a more expensive then using a pay phone.  You are investing in a phone that you might only use once and any minutes left on your phone will expire after 6 months.

Personal Cell Phones:

You can also bring your own cell phone out to the Azores, assuming your cell phone can work properly out in the Europe.  Based on experience, AT&T and T-Mobile phones work out there, Verizon and Sprint not so much.  Check with your carrier or your phone manual before bringing your phone.  The cost to call the U.S. can be expensive, as most carriers charge $1.99/minute.  You will have your personal phone, and friends and family can contact you just as easily.

Pros: Using your personal cell phone it is easy for family and friends to keep in touch with you and you will have your contact information easily available.

Cons: Cost is expensive, when compared with the options above.  Phone might not work in Portugal.

My father and I, use the pre-paid option when we are out in the Azores.  The reason being it is cheaper then bringing our own personal cell phones, and anybody can get a hold of us.

If you just need to check in once in a while at home,and you do not want anyone calling you, then the calling card option might be the best option.  Whatever your choice you can always call home.

Thinking of traveling to the Azores? Contact us at info@tourazores.com or call us at 1-888-678-9093.

You can also checkout our current travel packages that we are offering, by clicking here.

Whales and dolphins have been coming to the Azores for many years due to the rich amount of fish supply that the sea surrounding the  islands have.  The islands of Azores, offers you a great opportunity to see these mammals as there are over 20 different types of species that have been seen near the islands.

While you can go whale watching year round, the best time to go is during the summer.  There are many operators that offer whale watching tours, and you can find them near the marina in Ponta Delgada.  Most tours last 3 hours and the cost can range from 40 to 55 euros.  Below is a list of operators that offer whale watching tours.

Operators

“Picos de Aventura”

Picos de Aventura is located right below the Marina Atlantico Hotel, on the Avenida, in Ponta Delgada.  The company has been in business since 2003, and you can find out more info about there whale watching tours, and by clicking there logo.

“Futurismo“

With 20 years of experience, Futurismo is one of the older companies on the island.  There office is located at the Portas do Mar in Ponta Delgada, and they also have a shop on the Avenida, almost across the Portas da Cidade.

Need help in booking a whale watching tour or getting to the Azores? Contact us at info@tourazores.com or call us at 1-888-678-9093.