the Azores

In a nutshell, here is my advice for a 2-day visit to Sao Miguel...

Taxi to hotel should be around or under 15 euros, depending on how much luggage you have. If arriving early, email the hotel beforehand and ask if they can store your luggage (always free) before the rooms are ready. Normal check-in is around 2:00 pm-3:00 pm

Day 1-Walk and explore Ponta Delgada. Top sites, and in this order, beginning at 10:00 am, are: Fort de Sao Bras, Santuario do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres (as you enter, walk left to see the famous statue behind the iron bars), Ponta Delgada Bell Tower (behind and attached to the Camara Municipal), Igreja de Sao Sebastiao, Portas da Cidade, Portas do Mar, Mercado da Graca (Including O Rei dos Queijos at the corner), Museo Carlos Machado, Nucleo de Arte Sacra and adjoining former church, Jardim Botanico Antonio Borges. Dinner at "A Tasca" or "Restaurante Alcides" (make reservation a few days before). Drinks/nightcap at Louvre Michaelense. If still hungry, try a cachorro quente (Sao Miguel style hot dog-get all the toppings for a spicy treat!) and Kima drink (carbonated passion fruit) from a vendor across from the harbor, near the fontanario and Alfandega building, and located on the same sidewalk. Sit on the harbor wall or on one of the benches and people watch and eat the hot dog. Airplanes will be landing overhead. A slow walk along the harbor, late at night, helps with digestion, and is a must do! This is something I cherish on every visit.

Day 2-Rent a car in the city and visit Miradouro Pico do Carvao, Miradouro do Rei, Mosteiros beach, Oficina Museu das Capelas (skip if the thermal bath, below, is preferable), Miradouro da Caroa da Mata, Miradouro Santa Iria, Cha Goreanna, thermal bath at Caldeira Velha (make online reservation a couple of weeks before probably for the last entry time slot). Dinner could be in Ribeira Grande at Alabote or O Silva (make reservation a couple of days before). Fuel up car BEFORE parking at hotel or at one of the many free parking lots. Dinner in Ponta Delgada at one of the restaurants along marina of Portas do Mar, no reservation needed, or nearby (by car) at Quinta dos Acores. Final day, drop off car at airport or where you picked it up, if in the city. If in the city, taxi to airport for about 15 euros. Some extra options, depending on your time frame and interests, would be a visit to Algar do Carvao lava tube (need reservation), or Ananases da Arruda pineapple plantation.

Use www.booking.com to search for a hotel using the code PDL, using the filter and sort features. There are countless great places in Ponta Delgada to stay at. Your likes and budget could be vastly different than mine. Read some of the recent reviews to be sure they match the rating. Most come with free breakfast.

I hope this helps. :-)

For a short stay it makes sense to stay in Ponta Delgado, but if you'd rather be immersed in the beauty of the Island you could consider staying over at the Terra Nostra hotel in Furnas. There are a couple of nice restaurants in Furnas as well as options in the hotel. There are a number of sites you could see down this end of the Island but it's the wrong end of the Island for Setes Cidades which I think is worth a visit, but you could potentially do that on your departure day as it's the same end of the Island as the airport, depending on your timings of course.