There are many pleasant cafés and restaurants (many of which we list in the pre-departure information we send you) on all the islands and prices are reasonable. For dinner (with wine) allow £10-£15 per person, although it can be done more economically.

Local beef, pork and chicken are readily available and few dishes are highly spiced. Local fish is a speciality and greatly varied. Azorean bread and cheese are excellent and easy to find. Salads are fairly readily available although often are quite basic and vegetarian dishes are slowly starting to appear on menus. There are small supermarkets in most towns and like all shopping, prices are displayed and fixed.

If you do not speak Portuguese, you should not worry about getting by in the Azores. Many Azoreans have lived abroad for part of their lives and the young people often speak excellent English. Learning a few Portuguese phrases is always appreciated however, and you can make friends quickly if you have a go – our pre-departure information booklet contains some phrases to get started!

Visas and passports

Visas are not needed by UK or EC passport holders. You should check with your nearest Portuguese consulate if you have a passport other than these. Check your passport is valid until after your planned return date and it is recommended that you take a copy of your travel insurance policy for consultation in case of emergency.

Health

There are no special health formalities for visitors to the Azores and local hospitals are well equipped, should you be taken ill. Special fitness requirements for tours (if any) are detailed in tour ‘dossiers’.

Money

Travellers cheques are expensive to cash but ATM machines are common in most towns – remember to take your PIN number for your ATM card though! Credit cards are only accepted in larger restaurants and shops so you will still need currency (Euros) for smaller establishments.

Time difference

The Azores are 1 hour behind UK time throughout the year.

Guide book to the Azores

Archipelago Azores recommends this useful guidebook to the Azores...
Landscapes of the Azores by Andreas Stieglitz
136 pages, full colour, 24 maps. This handy guidebook is geared more towards walkers and those wanting to tour by car with helpful routes, large scale maps and plans of main towns.

Order your copy

Within the UK Post a cheque for £14 (add 50p for first class post) made payable to ‘Sunflower Books’ to:
Sunflower Books,
PO Box 115,
Exeter
EX2 6YU, UK

Remember to include your name and address and mention Archipelago Azores when requesting your copy!