If you’re flying to Europe in the next couple of months and you’re yet to give up hope on an off-season warm getaway, this small, unbelievably beautiful Portuguese island in the middle of the Atlantic offers unspoiled nature, affordable eats, stunning architecture, and 68-degree temps in winter:
The largest island in the Azores, a Portugal-administered archipelago set halfway between the Old and New Worlds, São Miguel is your best bet at a mild European winter, and if you’re flying straight from the States, those long, exhausting layovers are not even required!
No need to seek a sunny escape in Spain, or go as far east as Türkiye: for many Americans, magical São Miguel is a short 5-hour nonstop flight away.
What Makes São Miguel So Special?
You probably know Portugal for its imposing Moorish fortresses, Roman ruins dating back to times immemorial, and hilly cities lining scenic rivers.
It’s time you forget all that: São Miguel may be Portuguese, but it exists in its own microcosm.
For starters, it wasn’t settled until the Age of Discoveries.
You know when Europeans, the Portuguese included, set out sail to the Americas for the first time?
As they charted unknown territory, they first made landfall here.
This means São Miguel remained virtually uninhabited up until the 1400s, so there are no particularly-ancient monuments here, nor a thousands upon thousands of years of History––that’s not to say it lacks cultural value, quite on the contrary.
Ponta Delgada Is A Beautiful Colonial Town
Ponta Delgada, the small, compact capital, home to roughly 30% of the island’s population of 150,000 residents, is the quintessential colonial Baroque city, dominated by whitewashed palaces with elaborate ornamentation, and dotted with cafe-lined squares.
The main church, Igreja Matriz de Sao Sebastião is well-known for its gilded altars and stained glass windows, while the nearby Portas da Cidade served as a gateway to the Old Town and its many museums and market halls.
The busiest of them, Mercado da Graça is where you’ll find fresh seafood and local produce, and it’s definitely somewhere you should prioritize visiting as a foodie: from grilled fish skewers to the universally loved pastel de nata, you’ll find it all here.
As charming as Ponta Delgada may be, São Miguel’s greatest triumph is its wild nature:
From Towering Mountains To Unruffled Volcanic Beaches
No visit to the island is complete without the famous hike up Sete Cidades, a viewpoint overlooking an otherworldly double crater filled with water, one side a deep-blue (Lagoa Azul), the other a green as verdant as the surrounding nature (Lagoa Verde).
If you love nature and you don’t mind challenging hikes, a towering Pico da Vara awaits: the highest peak on the island, and one of the highest in Portugal, standing at a proud 1103 meters above sea level, it boasts unbeatable views towards the mountain-traversed landscape.
As for beaches, on particularly warm sunny winter days, you should follow the locals down to Praia Formosa, near Ponta Delgada, arguably the most popular swimming spot due to its gold-colored sands and surprisingly clear waters for the North Atlantic.
To the east, Praia de Santo Amaro is most in-demand for surfing––in case you ever wondered why the Azores are known as the European Hawaii––though if you want to see something truly unique, head over to Praia da Ribera Quente.
A black sand strip known among tourists as ‘Fire Beach’, it lies adjacent to the volcanic springs of Ribeira Quente. These springs are linked to the ocean by submarine hydrothermal vents, which naturally warm the seawater.
If you’ve ever been in the water in Portugal, you know how gelid the sea temperatures actually are, so this is a rather unusual (and most welcome) occurrence.
Hot Springs Galore
People flock to this up-and-coming slice of paradise from all over the world for the volcanic scenery, the rich marine life––you might even be able to spot a few whales peeking out of the water off the coast!––and its numerous hot springs.
We won’t lie to you: though Ponta Delgada itself is relatively warm in winter, at least by mainland Europe standards, other parts of the island can get quite chilly and rainy, but lucky for tourists, they’re never too far away from a naturally-heated pool in São Miguel.
One of our favorites is Caldeira Velha, Portuguese for ‘Old Cauldron’, where you sink into a puddle of boiling mud, or bathe in cascading waterfalls; at a short 20-minute drive from the capital, it is the perfect day trip on a gloomy day if you’re looking to relax.
Other hot springs include Termas da Ferraris, near the sleepy town of Furnas, distinguished by its steaming fumaroles, and Termas de Ginetes, located in the more remote north of São Miguel, overlooking the azure Atlantic.
You Just Can’t Beat Those Mild Winter Temps
As for the weather, you should know that the Azores are never exactly scorching hot in summer or as freezing cold as mainland Europe in winter: as they are located in the middle of the Atlantic, in a particularly windy zone, temperatures are mild at best year-round.
Regardless of season, they can fluctuate from 61°F to 77°F––if you’re coming in winter, however, you should pack a few extra coats as temperatures can plunge to lower lows in the evening.
In December, the average maximum temperature in Ponta Delgada is a pleasant 62.6 °F.
It may get much colder up in the mountains, so make sure you bring a wide range of clothing for all seasons: you’ll likely be out in shorts in light long-sleeve shirts during the day, and you could feel tempted to put on a jumper at night, especially if you’re dining alfresco by the harbor.
Fly Nonstop To The Azores This Winter
The Azores are an increasingly popular destination for Americans, owing to their spectacular scenery, cultural wealth, postcard-perfect beaches, and accessibility.
It is the closest point between America and Europe, and U.S. travelers can now fly nonstop to João Paulo II Airport, the international hub serving Ponta Delgada (PDL) and the island of Sao Miguel, from 2 cities––also, the shortest flight from Boston takes just under 5 hours!
Check this out:
Boston, Massachusetts (BOS)
- Operated by Azores Airlines
- 1 flight a day every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Outbound flights depart at 9:20 pm, landing at their destination at 6:15 am of the following day
- Return flights depart at 5:55 pm, landing in Boston at 8:05 pm on the same calendar date
- One-way tickets start from $320
New York, New York (JFK)
- Operated by Azores Airlines
- 1 flight a day every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
- Outbound flights depart at 9:20 pm, landing at their destination at 6:55 am of the following day
- Return flights depart at 5:20 pm, landing in Boston at 7:55 pm on the same calendar date
- One-way tickets start from $324.49
Learn more about the beautiful Azores, and start planning your visit here.
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