Things to know
Sunscreen is a MUST!
São Miguel is approximately zonal to Palermo, Sicily or Athens, Greece. Whenever you are out for some hours, you always should apply the highest sun protection factor available. No matter what the weather looks like, it can change in short time. The UV-index is always very high, because there is virtually no air pollution. Either cirrostratus clouds let pass that much UV radiation, that even pre-tanned skin will sunburn pretty quick. Sunscreen is expensive in the Azores, so better bring it along.
Don't always take the right lane in a roundabout - it can be expensive!
In Portugal and in the Azores, like in continental Europe entirely, it's obligatory to take the right hand side of the road resp. the right lane, if there are two or more in one direction (outside city limits). This includes additionally upcoming right lanes as well.
But traffic rules for roundabouts are different from countries that do not have two-laned roundabouts (like e.g. Germany). Common law is: priority to the car in the roundabout. But here you are allowed to use the right (outer) lane ONLY IN CASE you want to take the next exit.
In most cases, however, you want to go "ahead", which means: if there is a double-lane feeder to the roundabout, take the left lane as soon as it opens up and take the left/inner lane of the circle. Switch to the right just on exit, not earlier. Whoever gets caught passing by an exit on the right lane will pay a €300.- ticket!
But traffic rules for roundabouts are different from countries that do not have two-laned roundabouts (like e.g. Germany). Common law is: priority to the car in the roundabout. But here you are allowed to use the right (outer) lane ONLY IN CASE you want to take the next exit.
In most cases, however, you want to go "ahead", which means: if there is a double-lane feeder to the roundabout, take the left lane as soon as it opens up and take the left/inner lane of the circle. Switch to the right just on exit, not earlier. Whoever gets caught passing by an exit on the right lane will pay a €300.- ticket!
Azorean weather
The daytime
temperatures
in São Miguel are between 12°C / 53°F in Winter and approx. 25°C / 77°F in the shade in summer. The difference between day and night is only a few degrees. But the felt temperature in direct sunlight can be very much higher, which enables to have breakfast on the terrace in spring, even if the thermometer showed 13°C / 55°F at sunrise.
The azorean weather is changeable, which does not mean that there is a lot of rain in the half-year of summer. It depends on where you are. You will see frequently one part of the island being sunny and another part very cloudy.
There are webcams spread all over the island, so it is easy to always see what's the weather like in different places of the island. See spotazores.com
In summer, rain is commonly just a drizzle for a few minutes, even when the sun is shining. The locals don't care about that, because "real" raindrops are rare in summer. In wintertime, intense rain is more frequent and can last for 24 hours or more without interrupt, when a depression is passing the Azores, which usually comes along with hard wind. By the way: the most western islands, Flores and Corvo, are exposed to heavy rain and storm far more often than São Miguel. Heat thunderstorms are nonexistent, but you have cloudbursts for a few minutes in wintertime.
You will always see some clouds, especially in the mountains. Dark grey clouds often stay there the whole day and dissolve above the coastline resp. set off to the sea for miles.
The sun radiation is very high. Even if the thermometer shows only 21-22°C / 70-72°F in the shade, the felt temperature is above 30°C / 86°F in the sun. Moreover, there is a very high UV index. Hiking in direct sunlight can cause deyhdration very quickly, so it is recommended to take along twice the amount of water, which you would need in temperate climate zones.
Clouds can sometimes be very low, viz. even down to sea level from time to time. Those clouds typically form on the island itself. There are some places in the mountains that are cloudy almost the whole year, which can also be quite appealing. Drifting wafts of mist and heath vegetation on a trail at the Lagoas Empadadas or the Planalto dos Graminhais remind of the Scottish highlands. Even though the sun is shining a few hundred meters / yards away. In those places it might be useful to have a shirt or thin jacket over your tee, even in summer.
High-altitude viewpoints, like e.g. Lagoa do Fogo or Lagoa Azul & Verde / Sete Cidades, are quite frequently draped in clouds, even if all coastlines are sunny. If you want to enjoy those peerless views, it is necessary to be spontaneous. A look at the respective peaks and the webcams of spotazores.com will help.
The azorean weather is changeable, which does not mean that there is a lot of rain in the half-year of summer. It depends on where you are. You will see frequently one part of the island being sunny and another part very cloudy.
There are webcams spread all over the island, so it is easy to always see what's the weather like in different places of the island. See spotazores.com
In summer, rain is commonly just a drizzle for a few minutes, even when the sun is shining. The locals don't care about that, because "real" raindrops are rare in summer. In wintertime, intense rain is more frequent and can last for 24 hours or more without interrupt, when a depression is passing the Azores, which usually comes along with hard wind. By the way: the most western islands, Flores and Corvo, are exposed to heavy rain and storm far more often than São Miguel. Heat thunderstorms are nonexistent, but you have cloudbursts for a few minutes in wintertime.
You will always see some clouds, especially in the mountains. Dark grey clouds often stay there the whole day and dissolve above the coastline resp. set off to the sea for miles.
The sun radiation is very high. Even if the thermometer shows only 21-22°C / 70-72°F in the shade, the felt temperature is above 30°C / 86°F in the sun. Moreover, there is a very high UV index. Hiking in direct sunlight can cause deyhdration very quickly, so it is recommended to take along twice the amount of water, which you would need in temperate climate zones.
Clouds can sometimes be very low, viz. even down to sea level from time to time. Those clouds typically form on the island itself. There are some places in the mountains that are cloudy almost the whole year, which can also be quite appealing. Drifting wafts of mist and heath vegetation on a trail at the Lagoas Empadadas or the Planalto dos Graminhais remind of the Scottish highlands. Even though the sun is shining a few hundred meters / yards away. In those places it might be useful to have a shirt or thin jacket over your tee, even in summer.
High-altitude viewpoints, like e.g. Lagoa do Fogo or Lagoa Azul & Verde / Sete Cidades, are quite frequently draped in clouds, even if all coastlines are sunny. If you want to enjoy those peerless views, it is necessary to be spontaneous. A look at the respective peaks and the webcams of spotazores.com will help.
Outdoor jacket unnecessary
The humidity is far too high for a typical multifunctional jacket. The summer temperatures in the Azores feel at least 5-10 degrees warmer than they really are, even when it's cloudy. In winter only when the sky is clear, but hiking at 17°C / 62°F and 80%RH will make you take off your outdoor jacket nevertheless. The best outfit for May/June through October is shorts and T-Shirt. During the rest of the year, when the sky is cloudy, trousers may be long and there might be a longsleeved shirt over your tee. If it is very windy, it's useful to dress in layers (tee, shirt, fleece and light windcheater).
On the summit ridge, e.g. at Lagoa do Fogo, it might be windy even in summer, so a fleece jacket or cardigan in the trunk of your car is nothing wrong. A surprising shower on a trail can be faced with a folding umbrella or an unpadded (!) rain jacket.
If you forgot something to take along or it didn't fit into your case: there's a big, well-assorted Decathlon sports discount store in the capital Ponta Delgada.
On the summit ridge, e.g. at Lagoa do Fogo, it might be windy even in summer, so a fleece jacket or cardigan in the trunk of your car is nothing wrong. A surprising shower on a trail can be faced with a folding umbrella or an unpadded (!) rain jacket.
If you forgot something to take along or it didn't fit into your case: there's a big, well-assorted Decathlon sports discount store in the capital Ponta Delgada.
Shoes
Most hiking trails are a combination of paths on clayey ground, gravel and small asphalt roads. Edgy lava or naked rock parts are rare. Some loamy paths are quite demanding and may be slippery when wet (e.g. in the woods). Hiking boots may be appropriate for this, if they don't make you too warm. However, if you are reasonably sure-footed, you can get through anywhere in low trekking shoes with decent grip soles. Of course, there are also hikes of walking trail character.
For bathing, you always need shoes/slippers, even on a sand beach - it's hot!
For bathing, you always need shoes/slippers, even on a sand beach - it's hot!
Shopping
There are three big supermarket chains on the island:
Pingo Doce, Continente
and
Casa Cheia,
as well as Mini-markets (e.g.
Spar
and
Poupadinha).
Pingo Doce has a budget store brand and is very well assorted with "exotic" foods
Continente also offers an inexpensive store brand and provides a rich assortment of cheese, sausage, meat and fish.
Casa Cheia is a discount shop with slightly reduced assortment.
Apart from that, there are Mini-markets in almost every village. Little assortment, but often reasonable prices. A list of the nearest shopping facilities is on display in the accommodation.
Pingo Doce has a budget store brand and is very well assorted with "exotic" foods
Continente also offers an inexpensive store brand and provides a rich assortment of cheese, sausage, meat and fish.
Casa Cheia is a discount shop with slightly reduced assortment.
Apart from that, there are Mini-markets in almost every village. Little assortment, but often reasonable prices. A list of the nearest shopping facilities is on display in the accommodation.
Groceries
In contrast to many Mediterranean countries, sandwiches are eaten in the Azores, which means there are spreads as well as slices of sausage and cheese. Apart from milk processors there are four sausage factories in São Miguel, which cover everything "around the Chouriço". And, of course, you will find imported goods from the mainland. There is also a large selection of sweet and savory baked goods.
Bread consists, as usual in southern climes, of wheat flour and - in Portugal - also corn flour. Pão de mistura (mixed bread) is understood to be a wheat/corn mixture. Firm consistency, but very dry and typically sopped in soups. Dark breads get their color from wheat malt, only. "Health bread" and alike also contain sunflower seeds, flax seeds and alike. Sometimes you might find even bread with some rye (centeio) content.
Cake lovers should try Pão de Deus (God's bread), always made fresh at Café A Merenda in Ribeira Grande. It's a fluffy, moist yeast dough with coconut mixture topping. The name speaks for itself.
Portugal grows rice in the Alentejo (mainland). The large-grain variety, used for many types of rice dishes and the classic rice pudding Arroz Doce, is called Carolino. The fine-grained variety, which tends to be served dry and/or with seafood in restaurants, is called Agulha.
The Azores produce 60% of Portugal's milk. Fresh milk is not sold for hygienic reasons. The most frequently used fat grade is Meio Gordo (semi-fat, about 2.5%), but in some supermarkets you will also find Gordo, which is whole milk (3.5%).
Bread consists, as usual in southern climes, of wheat flour and - in Portugal - also corn flour. Pão de mistura (mixed bread) is understood to be a wheat/corn mixture. Firm consistency, but very dry and typically sopped in soups. Dark breads get their color from wheat malt, only. "Health bread" and alike also contain sunflower seeds, flax seeds and alike. Sometimes you might find even bread with some rye (centeio) content.
Cake lovers should try Pão de Deus (God's bread), always made fresh at Café A Merenda in Ribeira Grande. It's a fluffy, moist yeast dough with coconut mixture topping. The name speaks for itself.
Portugal grows rice in the Alentejo (mainland). The large-grain variety, used for many types of rice dishes and the classic rice pudding Arroz Doce, is called Carolino. The fine-grained variety, which tends to be served dry and/or with seafood in restaurants, is called Agulha.
The Azores produce 60% of Portugal's milk. Fresh milk is not sold for hygienic reasons. The most frequently used fat grade is Meio Gordo (semi-fat, about 2.5%), but in some supermarkets you will also find Gordo, which is whole milk (3.5%).
Restaurants
As already mentioned in another place, many of the traditional, non-tourist restaurants offer cooked meals only at lunchtime. Typical is a small appetizer (e.g. fresh cheese with red pepper spread and bread) or soup, a main course (fish or meat),
sobremesa
(dessert) and
café
(= espresso).
Traditionally, main dishes do not include side vegetables such as e.g. peas or broccoli. Most common is fried or grilled meat with rice and french fries or fish with boiled and sweet potatoes or a casserole/stew in which potatoes were cooked as well. Vegetables seem to be acceptable to Azoreans only if they contain starch, such as bean seeds (feijão), broad beans (favas), chickpeas (grão), taro root (inhame), potato (batata) and sweet potato (batata doce).
Salad, when present, seems to be solely a kind of decoration and is usually not dressed. Vinegar and oil come separately, often only upon request (vinagre e azeite por favor).
In many restaurants, however, you can order a salad separately for little money, even if it is not on the menu.
But, however, tourist restaurants - which are also open in the evening - are much more open-minded when it comes to salads or side vegetables!
Traditionally, main dishes do not include side vegetables such as e.g. peas or broccoli. Most common is fried or grilled meat with rice and french fries or fish with boiled and sweet potatoes or a casserole/stew in which potatoes were cooked as well. Vegetables seem to be acceptable to Azoreans only if they contain starch, such as bean seeds (feijão), broad beans (favas), chickpeas (grão), taro root (inhame), potato (batata) and sweet potato (batata doce).
Salad, when present, seems to be solely a kind of decoration and is usually not dressed. Vinegar and oil come separately, often only upon request (vinagre e azeite por favor).
In many restaurants, however, you can order a salad separately for little money, even if it is not on the menu.
But, however, tourist restaurants - which are also open in the evening - are much more open-minded when it comes to salads or side vegetables!
Language
Local language is Portuguese resp. the
"Micelense"-idiom. The related Spanish language will fairly be understood. French is rare. German, Italian or Dutch will be practically not spoken. English is mainly understood at places where many tourists are around, but elsewhere it's not unusual that somebody will be fetched for translation. Many Azoreans have been emigrated to Canada or USA and, when retired, use to spend the summertime on the island of their childhood. Those, of course, speak English (or sometimes French) fluently.
Electric devices
Electric power connectors in Portugal and the Azores are Schuko plugs (two-pin grounded plug; CEE 7/4), which is the most common type in Europe. The mains voltage is 230V/50Hz.
