2019/03/13

CATEGORIES: Personal

Visit Azores in Portugal – Day 1

Azores has always been very high on my travel list, so when SATA Airlines (now Azores Airlines) and The Azores Tourism Board invited me to go visit the beauty of Azores, I dove head first into this opportunity! I’ve always seen beautiful images of this place and it’s been so heavily advertised on Travelzoo. The goal of this trip was to see the potential and opportunities Azores can offer for destination weddings and honeymoons. I’ll have you take a look at the images below to let you decide for yourself!

Azores is only a 5 hour direct flight ride from Toronto – we flew out at night and arrived bright and early in the morning to start our tours. Did I sleep? NOPE! Sleep is for the weak! I was way too excited to see the island.

Where to Stay in Azores

Our first stop was the Azor Hotel – a beautiful, modern hotel with a view of the ocean. I can even see cruise ships dock from my bed.

The three beautiful and fun ladies that I got to travel with: Gloria of Devoted to you, Crystal of Distinct Occasions and Rebecca of Rebecca Chan Weddings.

Lunch in Azores – A Favorita

And it was lunch time! Our tour guide took us to a local restaurant called A Favorita for lunch. Dairy and beef are their local industries so we had to have some of that to start! AND FISH! Lots and lots of seafood! We ordered wayyyyy too much food but I think we did a pretty good job at finishing up everything! So so so tasty!

Our tour guide showing us around!

We passed by a beautiful waterfront restaurant only a 7min walk from our hotel – we shall be back here tonight!

What to see in Azores

Sao Miguel is not a big island at all. If you did a trip here, you can easily rent a car and drive around yourself. There are not a lot of cars on the roads at all and it is very easy and safe to get by. We stopped along the way to stare at the gorgeous scenery before arriving at Terra Nosta Gardens.

I love a view like this! Where you’re a bit away from the city but yet NOT too far away if you know what I mean.

Cows everywhere! I’ll never get bored of looking at rolling hills like these! Something you don’t see in Canada. Azores is very very hilly. As we’re driving we’re going up and down and we’ll traverse through various weather environments too!

Imagine doing a destination wedding elopement with this as your backdrop! It’s jaw dropping!

A Must See in Azores – Terra Nostra Park

Terra Nostra Park is spectacular. You can easily spend a good half a day here just wandering and getting lost. The grounds were very wet on the day we arrived because it had just rained. There are various vegetation here that you won’t see in Canada.

The main attraction is this thermal water pool. I’ll be honest, the water doesn’t look very inviting at first sight because of the colour! It looks like mud water, right? The water actually contains essential minerals – it is actually iron dissolved in the water that’s coming from a gushing volcanic spring. The temperature is always between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius and provides a sensation of rest and relaxation.

Azores Luxury Spa Experience

We took a quick tour of Funas Boutique Hotel. A hotel you should definitely stay at if you’re looking for a luxury spa experience and taking a dip at their private thermal pool. We will be back here on the last day to experience the thermal pool.

On our drive back to our hotel, we stopped by some hot springs. Be careful not to get to close!

Where to Eat in Azores – Cais Da Sardinha

This dreamy seaside restaurant has the best seafood anyone can ask for! Their octopus was divine! It’s such a pretty and romantic restaurant to dine at. If you’re here for a honeymoon – definitely stop by this restaurant! Their space is large enough to host a wedding celebration as well.

Even their dessert was so so so good!

Portas da Cidade

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Portas Da Cidade to check out the night views. There really isn’t any night life here on this island unfortunately so it was a very peaceful and quiet walk back to the hotel. If you’re looking to party on the island then this isn’t the place for you. If you’re looking to do some sight seeing, having a romantic honeymoon with just the two of you or a wedding elopement, then this island the right place!