When travelling to Faial you always have to keep in mind that you are visiting a small island which lies halfway in between Europe and America. Travelers are used to have plenty of flight options ready at hand and in most of the cases you leave your home in the morning and latest by the evening you have reached your dream destination. If you travel to Faial, or to the Azores, things are sometimes a bit more complicated. But it is not without reason that Faial is a destination where you can find nature and a relaxed lifestyle.
Travel to the Azores
Unless you are coming on your own yacht, the only way to travel to the Azores is by plane. Most of the connections to the Azores are from Lisbon in Portugal. During the main season there are also other options available from a number of European cities. The Azores, due to their geographical location always had a strong connection to North America. There is hardly anybody in the Azores who does not have relatives either in the United States or in Canada. Therefore, there are also all year round regular flight connections to the East Coast of America. Most of the flights are operated either by SATA Azores Airlines or TAP Air Portugal, on top Ryanair also has regular flights to the Azores, other operators offer seasonal connections.
Travel to Faial
The best option to travel to Faial is to take one of the direct flights from Lisbon to Horta Airport on Faial. During the summer there are daily connections, in the wintertime there are several weekly flights. Optional, you can fly either from Europe or from North America directly to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel island or to Terçeira island and take from there one of the several daily connections to Faial.
Travel within the Azores
The Azores are a group of nine islands spread over more than 600 kilometres, that is probably the reason why most of the travelling within the Azores is by air. All flights between the islands are operated by SATA Azores Airlines, don’t be surprised, but the inter island traffic is not done with large jets but with smaller turboprop aircraft. Taking a flight to another island is probably a bit like taking a long distance bus or a train if you are living on the continent.
In between the islands for the central group, Terceira, Graciosa, Faial, Pico and São Jorge, there is a seasonal ferry connection twice a week during the summer time. Among the islands of the Triangle, Faial, Pico and São Jorge there are multiple daily ferry connections. Between Flores and Corvo, a service is operated with a small passenger only ferry. All ferry connections are operated by Atlanticoline.
Travel in the Triangle
Travelling is easiest within the triangle of Faial, Pico and São Jorge where there are multiple daily connections some of them operated with ferries capable of carrying your car as well. During the summertime it is advised to book for your car in advance, as especially during the weekend many people from Faial go to Pico for their summer holiday. Tickets can be booked online from Atlanticoline or you can also go directly to the ferry terminals.
Travelling and the weather
The Azores are known for their ever changing weather conditions, there are days where you can experience all four seasons. Travel to Faial can though be impaired sometimes by storms. Luckily it is not an everyday occurrence, but on a couple of days a year it can happen that flights or ferry connections are cancelled. Flight cancellations are announced on short notice only, modifications of the ferry schedule are normally announced one or two days in advance by Atlanticoline.
