How to get to the Azores

There aren’t any ferries to the Azores – only between islands – so unless you want to charter a sailing ship to cross the Atlantic à la Greta Thunberg (which is possible!), you must fly to get to the Azores. Regular direct flights depart from the UK, USA and Canada – and even more from mainland Portugal, so you can take your pick of routes. We highlight the easiest and most popular flights below.

It’s worth noting that flight times change seasonally, with direct flights more frequent in summer (May-October) than in winter, so do take these timings as guidance rather than as written in stone. If in doubt – or if you’d like to travel from a country we don’t cover – then get in contact and we’ll connect you with our Azores experts, who’ll give you the latest advice about booking flights to the Azores.

Most visitors fly into Ponta Delgada Airport (AKA João Paulo II Airport) on São Miguel island. Like most airports in the Azores, it’s a tiny single-runway affair right next to the capital city of the Azores, in the south-west of the island.

Direct flights from the following places arrive in Ponta Delgada Airport:

Mainland Portugal (Lisbon and Porto) Madeira (Funchal) UK (London) USA (Boston) Canada (Toronto) Cape Verde (Praia) Inter-island flights from all eight other islands in the Azores – Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Terceira, Flores, Corvo, Graciosa and Santa Maria

If you’re traveling from the Portuguese mainland, you can also fly directly to:

Lajes Field on Terceira, which doubles as a military airport, so take the no photos signs seriously! (from Porto and Lisbon) Horta Airport on Faial (Lisbon only) Santa Maria Airport on Santa Maria (Lisbon only) Pico Airport on Pico (Lisbon only)

We’re really passionate about flying less and staying longer when traveling, so we’re phasing out most of our vacations with jet flights of less than an hour by 2022. That won’t affect our trips in the Azores. The planes that zip between these islands have turboprop engines, which churn out significantly less carbon into the atmosphere per passenger when traveling these short distances. They’re also a lifeline for Azoreans, connecting them with their work and family, while also linking isolated communities to the opportunities that tourism can bring.

If you’d prefer to travel by ferry all the way, however, choose a tailor made trip – our partners will be happy to design a route that takes in your travel preferences.