How to Get Around the Azores (Cars, Ferries, Buses & The Honest Truth)

If you’re visiting the Azores, one thing becomes clear very quickly.

These islands are beautiful. But moving around them is not always simple.

So here’s the real explanation, no tourist brochure nonsense, about how people actually get around the Azores.

✈️ Getting to the Azores

Unless you own a boat and a lot of patience, you’re arriving by plane.

Most people fly from mainland Portugal or other European cities. Some flights also come from North America.

Once you land, the real question begins. How do you actually move around the islands?

🛫 Moving Between Islands

If you want to visit multiple islands, you basically have two options.

✈️ Planes

The main way to travel between islands is by plane.

Local flights are operated by SATA Air Açores and the flights are usually short. Sometimes ridiculously short.

Island hopping by plane is normal here.

⛴ Ferries

Yes, ferries exist.

But they mostly operate during summer and mainly connect the central group of islands, like Pico, Faial and São Jorge.

If you’re staying on São Miguel, ferries usually won’t be very relevant for you.

🚗 Moving Around Inside an Island

Now the important part.

You’re on the island.

How do you actually explore it?

🚗 Renting a Car

Let’s start with the obvious option.

Renting a car in the Azores is ridiculously expensive 😢 compared with mainland Portugal or Spain.

Same car. Same category. Sometimes almost double the price.

Why? A few reasons.

The islands are small, so there are fewer rental cars available. Tourism explodes in summer, demand goes crazy, and suddenly everyone wants a car at the same time.

On top of that, cars have to be shipped to the islands and rental fleets are smaller.

So yeah. Prices go up. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it. You basically need a car.

Public transport exists, but it’s very limited and many of the best places on the islands simply aren’t reachable by bus.

Most viewpoints, lakes, waterfalls, and hiking trails are far from the main towns.

Think of it like going to the gym. If you want results, you suffer a bit.

Same thing here. Unless you know someone on the island who can lend you a car.

🚗 Do You Need a Car in São Miguel?

Short answer: yes.

Could you survive using buses, taxis and Bolt? Technically yes.

Would it be annoying, slow, and limit where you can go? Also yes.

Most of the best places in São Miguel, like lakes, viewpoints, waterfalls and hiking trails, are spread all over the island.

Without a car, you’ll miss a lot of them. So yeah. Renting a car hurts the wallet a bit, but it gives you the freedom to explore properly.

🛵 Scooters

Some companies rent scooters. Honestly, it’s not a terrible idea.

They’re much cheaper than renting a car, and São Miguel isn’t that big.

But it’s still a scooter. Rain, wind, steep roads and sometimes animals on the road are part of the experience.

And yes, animals on the road is a real thing here.

If you’re wondering why cows sometimes stand in the middle of the road in the Azores, I explained that whole situation.

And yes, animals on the road is a real thing here.

Sometimes you’ll be driving through the countryside and suddenly… there are cows in the middle of the road just chilling like it owns the place.

Welcome to the Azores. ❤️🤣

It doesn’t happen every five minutes, but it’s normal enough that locals barely react anymore. You just slow down, give the cow some space, and wait until it decides to move.

🚌 Buses

Technically, buses exist. In reality, they are very limited.

Schedules are not tourist-friendly and they don’t reach many of the places visitors actually want to see.

You can use them between towns, but for exploring the island properly, they’re not very practical.

🚕 Taxis

Taxis exist everywhere. But they’re expensive, especially if you start using them multiple times per day.

Using taxis to explore the island will destroy your budget very quickly.

🚘 Bolt

Yes, we actually have Bolt in São Miguel. But it mostly works around Ponta Delgada and nearby areas.

If you’re trying to go somewhere remote like a lake, hiking trail or viewpoint, don’t count on Bolt drivers being available.

🛴 Electric Scooters

Inside the center of Ponta Delgada, you’ll find electric scooters.

They’re fun for short distances inside the city. But they’re useless for exploring the island.

You’re not riding one of those to Sete Cidades unless you hate yourself.

🔄 One Funny Thing About Driving Here

Every summer something funny happens.

A lot of tourists land in the Azores and suddenly forget how roundabouts work. 🤣

And we have a lot of roundabouts.

🧭 The Honest Recommendation

If you want to properly explore the Azores, rent a car.

Yes, it’s expensive, yes, it hurts a little.

But without one, you’ll only see a small part of what these islands actually offer.

And trust me, that would be a shame.