Planning a trip to Portugal next summer ( yes, I plan waaaay in advance). There will be 10 of us including 4 kids, ages 9-15. Wondering which island is the best for us. They look like they all have something great to offer. The kids like adventures and nature. Also wondering how’s touristy it is. Would like to avoid cruise ship ports. Thinking of spending 4-5 days of our total trip on the islands…..Thank you!
Posted by
8 posts
We just spent 5 days in Sao Miguel last week. If you only have 4-5 days, I'd suggest staying in one place on Sao Miguel. It's a magical place that captured all of our hearts. We barely scratched the surface in 5 days. It didn't feel very touristy, and outside the top attractions (Sete Cidades, for example), it's easy to get away from the crowds. The kids really loved swimming in hot springs and playing on black sand beaches. Getting to some of the swimming spots can be tricky with tight hairpin turns. A manual transmission car is definitely recommended.
Posted by
Rhode Island, USA
481 posts
With such a short amount of time, São Miguel is the best and only choice. There is plenty to see and do with the kids. Let them assist in the planning!
At the top of this forum is a post written by the webmaster. You will find a link in it to my Azores guidebook. The first 52 pages, out of 533 pages total, are totally free to access and read. Those pages will have a large amount of Azores logistical guidance and other information for your trip.
Most ships do not visit São Miguel in the summer, and you will not feel crowded anywhere you go.
The earlier you book flights, hotels, and car rentals, the more you will save. I normally book everything around 11 months out, prior to visiting. I explain everything as to how to accomplish your reservations (in detail) within those free pages.
I am always a private message away for any specific Azores or mainland Portugal questions you have.
Your family will fall so much in love with São Miguel, that all of you will want to visit many of the other Azores islands.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you, all!
Posted by
18 posts
Sao Miguel is great. You will have plenty to do as long as everybody is outdoorsy. There are a lot of Airbnb places, which is more economical for a large group like yours. There are also a lot of food options. If the kids have good appetite, there are a lot of local restaurants with lunch buffets. For around 15 Euro per person, you can try different local dishes.
Cruise ship only stops at Ponta Delgada during a trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises, so more likely in May and Oct.
With 10 people, local transportation is going to be a challenge for you. Relying on taxi is going to be very expensive. If you plan to rent cars, you will find that cars with automatic transmission are expensive and hard to find. You should try to book as early as possible. Azores Easy Rent is where I booked mine -- it had good prices and good customer service. My family of 4 were in Sao Miguel at the end of May. I rented a VW Tiago (equivalent size of RAV4 or CRV, assuming you are familiar with typical SUVs in US). That's the only automatic transmission car available from the rental car agency that will fit 4 people plus luggage. I had a tough time navigating some narrow streets and tight corners. When I returned the car, they found some scratches on the passenger side. I must have brushed against a stone wall on one of the tight turns. It ended up costing 500 euros for the damage, but fortunately I paid for the rental on my Chase Sapphire card which provided rental car collision. It still took a month of back and forth with the claims dept to get reimbursed.
So for your group of 10, you may want to consider rent 3 small cars instead of 2 larger ones, or make sure you have comprehensive collision coverage, either buying from the rental car place or getting it from a premier credit card.