The Azores archipelago has a population of 245,766 people (2015 data). The majority (56%) live in São Miguel, followed by Terceira. Corvo has the least number of inhabitants, only 416.

It’s hard to find a safer place than Azores. Petty theft and the crime rate is insignificant. That said, it’s wise to take the usual precautions you’d have while traveling anywhere else.

This will greatly depend on what you want to do and the islands you plan to visit. As a bare minimum, save 4 full days to visit São Miguel island, the largest of them all. Read some more tips to plan your Azores itinerary.

OMG if I had a penny for every time someone asks me something weather-related.

Short answer is: I don’t know. No one does.

Long answer: we’re talking about the remote Atlantic Ocean, with many different aspects impacting the weather. Weather changes by the hour. Each morning it’s hard to predict if it’s going to be sunny in the afternoon so it’s definitely impossible to say if it’s going to be mostly rainy or sunny on your trip. To make things more complicated, weather varies significantly in different sides of the islands!

Check how the climate usually is in Azores but I recommend always keeping an eye on the weather with the live webcams of Spot Azores.

If you want to maximize the change of good weather, the best months to visit Azores are from May to October. You should consider other factors though like crowds: the July and August months are the peak tourist season with higher prices. More info here.

The best time of the year to go whale-watching in Azores runs from April to June, where the higher number of whale species can be found in Azorean waters. It coincides with the migratory paths of blue, sei, and fin whales. More info here.

There is no tipping policy in Portugal. You would tip 5-10% only if you think the service has been exceptionally good.

Most people in the Azores speak a decent level of English, particularly those working the tourism area and amongst younger generations. But why not learn some words of Portuguese too? It will earn you a smile from locals.

For centuries, locals in Azores have followed a diet heavy on animal protein. Only now options for people with dietary restrictions are slowly starting to show up in the main urban centers. Restaurants usually have an (inferior quality) vegetarian option.

It’s perfectly safe to drink tap water in hotels, restaurants, and homes in Azores. No need to buy bottled water. Ideally, bring a water bottle to refill and save on plastic.

The official currency in Azores is Euros (EUR). You may find some establishments accepting other currencies like US Dollars (USD) and Canadian Dollars (CAD), but this is very rare – don’t count on it.

Yes, as long as you follow Portuguese drone rules.

Also be careful with the fast-changing weather and do not fly in Nature Reserves like Lagoa do Fogo or Ilhéu de Vila Franca to not disturb the peace and natural ecossystem. If you have people around, consider asking if them it’s ok to fly as you’ll be disturbing their peace too.

Yes, there are 80+ official hiking trails in Azores. In fact it’s one of the best things to do in the islands.

Read my Azores hiking guide to know more.