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- The Azores have a population of about 240,000.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The archipelago can be reached by a flight of about two and a half hours from Lisbon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The official language of the Azores is Portuguese, and the currency is the euro.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Because the Azores are part of the Schengen Area, Turkish citizens require a Schengen visa to visit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The islands are one hour behind mainland Portugal. Temperatures generally range from 16 to 25 degrees year-round, and winters are mild and rainy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The best time to visit the Azores is from May to September. In June and July, hydrangeas turn the roadsides into long corridors of flowers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow do you get to the Azores?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To reach the Azores, you first need to fly to Lisbon or Porto. Turkish Airlines operates direct flights from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) and to Porto Francisco S\u00e1 Carneiro Airport (OPO), with flight times of about 5 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After arriving in Lisbon or Porto, you can continue to the islands, such as S\u00e3o Miguel or Terceira, on local SATA Airlines flights. For travel between the islands, you can again use regional flights operated by SATA or ferry services. Ferry schedules vary by route. Crossings from Pico to Faial take about 35 minutes, while routes to S\u00e3o Jorge can take several hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flying between the islands is the easiest and most efficient way to visit multiple islands during your trip. Ferries can be a more affordable option for travelers moving between nearby islands, though they are generally not recommended for short vacations. While ferries offer beautiful scenery and fresh ocean air, they move slowly and serve fewer islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To start planning this route from Lisbon or Porto to the Azores, you can explore\u00a0flight options to Portugal<\/a>\u00a0and shape your itinerary accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFacts about the Azores<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/vila-franca-do-campo-island-azores.jpg\")
Aerial view of the volcanic islet of Vila Franca do Campo in the Azores, featuring a circular lagoon at its center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The Azores are one of Portugal\u2019s two autonomous regions. The archipelago comprises nine islands grouped into three clusters. In the east are Santa Maria and S\u00e3o Miguel; in the center are Terceira, Graciosa, S\u00e3o Jorge, Pico, and Faial; and in the west are Flores and Corvo. All of the islands are of volcanic origin. As a result, one island may have black basalt-coated coastlines, while a neighboring island is shaped by white pumice and soft green hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/azorlar-sao-miguel-adasi.jpg\")
Two backpackers walking beside wooden railings at sunset on S\u00e3o Miguel Island, surrounded by mountain scenery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n S\u00e3o Miguel is the largest island in the archipelago and is known as the \u201cGreen Island.\u201d Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas, the Gorreana tea plantations, and the island\u2019s capital, Ponta Delgada, are all located here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/azores-pico-volcano.jpg\")
A narrow road winding through the green hills of Pico in sunlight, with a majestic volcanic mountain, covered in clouds, rising in the background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Pico is home not only to the highest point in the archipelago but also to the highest point in all of Portugal, at its 2,351-meter volcano. The island also features the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/azores-faial.jpg\")
A seaside town of white-walled, red-roofed houses beside a turquoise bay, with lush green hills stretching across the background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Faial earns its nickname, the \u201cBlue Island,\u201d from the deep blue of its hydrangeas. Its capital, Horta, has served as a port of call for sailors crossing the Atlantic for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Coastal](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/azores-terceira.jpg\")
Coastal scenery on Terceira Island, featuring geometric fields in shades of yellow and green, volcanic hills, the endless blue ocean, and a cloudy sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Terceira is home to Angra do Hero\u00edsmo, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. From the 15th century onward, the city served as a key port in maritime trade between the New World and Europe. It was inscribed for its military architecture and its remarkably well-preserved urban fabric. The island is also regarded as the center of the archipelago\u2019s bullfighting tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
S\u00e3o Jorge is often called the \u201ccheese island\u201d for its aged, sharp cheeses. Graciosa, Flores, and Corvo, meanwhile, are quieter islands where rural life still prevails. All three are designated as biosphere reserves under UNESCO\u2019s \u201cMan and the Biosphere Programme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEurope\u2019s only tea plantations: Gorreana and Porto Formoso<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Geometric](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gorreana-tea-plantation-azor.jpg\")
Geometric green striped patterns formed by the aerial view of the Gorreana tea plantations in the Azores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The idea that the tea you drink on a quiet European afternoon could come from a fifth-generation Portuguese family is not something most people expect. Yet that has been the reality here since 1883. On the northern slopes of S\u00e3o Miguel, in the only region in Europe still producing tea commercially, two historic factories continue to operate. The most prominent is Ch\u00e1 Gorreana, the oldest continuously operating tea factory in Europe, still owned by the founding Gago da C\u00e2mara-Hintze family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story dates back to the 19th century, when a fungal disease devastated the island\u2019s orange groves. As orange exports collapsed, the islands began searching for alternative crops. Tea seeds arrived from Brazil, but for a long time the Azoreans had little idea how to cultivate them properly. In 1878, the S\u00e3o Miguel Agricultural Development Society invited two Chinese experts from Macau, Lau-a-Pan and his translator, Lau-a-Teng, to the island. The tea culture that exists today took root on the knowledge they introduced. In the 20th century, competition from Mozambican tea, the impact of the world wars, and waves of emigration gradually forced the closure of every other factory on the islands. Gorreana remained the sole producer still standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Tea](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/azores-gorreana-tea-plantation.jpg\")
Tea plantations stretching toward the ocean, rows of lush green bushes, the coastline and a peaceful natural landscape beneath a sunny sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Today, Gorreana produces between 33 and 40 tons of tea annually on 32 hectares of land. The island\u2019s humid, cool climate keeps away the natural pests that affect tea plants in Asia. As a result, production remains entirely organic, with no pesticides or chemical preservatives. Some of the Marshall, Sons & Company machines still in use on the production line date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can observe the drying, rolling, and sorting processes closely. Gorreana produces both black and green teas, and the factory is open for free visits. At the end of the tour, guests are offered a complimentary cup of tea on a small terrace. The view of the hills descending from the plantations toward the sea, with steam rising from the cup, is the kind of moment that lingers long afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/arzo-islands-porto-formoso.jpg\")
A small coastal village along the ocean, geometric farmland, steep cliffs and lush green hills covered with dense trees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n A few kilometers to the west stands the Porto Formoso Tea Factory. Founded in the 1920s, it closed in the 1980s and reopened in 2001. It operates on a slightly smaller scale than Gorreana but still produces entirely organic black tea. Every year on the first Saturday of May, Porto Formoso revives the old harvest tradition, with more than a hundred volunteers dressed in 19th-century clothing gathering tea leaves in wicker baskets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For travelers planning to add the islands to their next Portugal itinerary, the mainland is the starting point. Those considering spending a day or two in Lisbon can explore our article,\u00a0Lisbon, the city of explorers<\/a>, to wander its labyrinthine streets. Travelers passing through Porto can review our\u00a0Three-day Porto<\/a>\u00a0piece, which also includes the Douro Valley route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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