The WORST things about the AZORES??? (2023)

Introduction

Hello friends. Welcome to the Azores. I received an interesting question - on what would I say the worst things about the Azores are.
In this video, first, we are going to talk about what tourists find the most annoying on the Azores (from what I have heard from them the most) and then, a couple of things to consider if you are planning to move here full time.

To have the best information on the weather, the best is to check out the following website: www.spotazores.com

Last year, when I was traveling around the archipelago, I used the following company for ferries: www.atlanticoline.pt/en/
There are other companies as well but they are the only ones with whom I have an experience. You can see the details on routes on the website.

The opinions expressed in the second half of the video are mostly personal and therefore I would like to ask you to respect it. If you would like to share your opinion, I would be more than happy to hear/read it!

Or is there anything else you would like to add/recommend/discuss? Please feel free to reach out either here, on instagram or on my e-mail. I am excited to hear back from you.

Take care and wishing you a great day,

Noemi

Content

A, very interesting thing happened the other day and a couple from the United States reached out to me through e-mail after they saw one of the videos.

They are kind of thinking about moving to the Azores.

So.

We started e-mailing a bit back and forth.

And.

They told me that they already know that it's like a paradise and it's known because of sustainability and hot springs and beautiful nature.

All this like ocean life and good food.

And.

There was this very particular question at the end of the e-mail: What are the worst things about the Azores? And I was like, wow.

That is a really nice question.

Because.

If we travel for vacation, we don't really wanna see the bad things.

I mean, we don't even have time to see the bad things.

First.

We are gonna talk about things, which are the most annoying for tourists.

And then we are just gonna look at it from a perspective of living here., Number one.

You almost always have to fly to Portugal mainland first.

From.

Many countries there are no direct flights, but the flight schedule, as everywhere else in the world changes, depending on winter and summer, seasons., Now, it's, July, 2022.

Right.

Now you can get here directly from Paris, London, Manchester, Boston and Toronto, New, York, Barcelona, and I, don't know, a few other cities outside of Portugal.

Then.

Another problem, especially in summer is that there are no cars to rent.

Sometimes, literally, none., And, I know that some people prefer private guides or hiring a taxi.

And in that case, that's OK.

But if you want to rent a car, try to book the car right after you book, your flight tickets, especially if you are coming in summer, like from May until October.

Yes.

This thing with renting, a car is not a joke in summer and I saw it last summer and I am seeing the same thing.

This summer.

Some.

People are solving this issue by combining buses and private drivers and taxis and I mean, yeah, it is possible to solve it.

It also works, you just won't have that much freedom.

And, one more advice for visitors who are renting cars.

Always check the marks on the car before you sign the contract.

Take pictures of the car, of the scratches, It's rental cars and people don't take care of the car.

They get scratched.

And the roads on some parts of the island are very tiny., It's, good to take pictures of the car.

Because once you return the car and the company "finds" "new scratches", which might have been there, even when you took the car, they will hold you responsible.

Even.

If you are not responsible for it.

And.

If you don't have the right insurance, you might be forced to pay for the damages.

The.

Next thing is the weather.

A lot of people tend to complain about the weather, even though you cannot really do much with the weather.

And.

Many times I get asked what the weather will be like when somebody is coming, like in a certain date, range.

And.

The thing is that you never know.

The.

Good thing is that it's never too hot or never too cold.

But.

The exact temperature, Nobody really knows.

It changes a lot.

There is a different weather on the south.

And there is a different weather on the north.

The best is to check the app.

They have and just to see the cameras.

Then.

Another thing is weather.

It is necessary to book hotels and restaurants in advance in summer.

And.

Yes.

It is, in summer.

Yes., Even, restaurants., And, hotels - yes.

The.

Next point would be traveling between islands.

It's easy, but it's, actually, not that easy.

So.

The best option is to fly.

And as far as I know, the only airline which offers inter-island flights is Azores, airlines.

And to get to most of the islands.

You would have to take a flight from Sao Miguel.

First Also, in my opinion, the flights are quite expensive.

Then about ferries.

It is not hard to travel around between islands which belong to the same group of islands.

For example, if you want to travel from Sao Jorge to Pico or Flores to Corvo.

But as far as I know, there are no ferries from Sao Miguel to Corvo, for example.

Previously I used the company, I.

Think it was something like Atlantico lines or Atlantic lines, but I am going to doublecheck their website and I am just gonna put it to the description.

So you can see the details and routes.

Then.

Another thing is the local roads and infrastructure.

It's true that the roads in the villages might get very tiny.

But on the other hand, there are the highways, which are I think more than okay.

The lizards and cockroaches.

Yes.

You are very likely to see both.

actually much more like any different kinds of insects.

There are lizards everywhere.

And you can expect to see cockroaches.

And sometimes you will find them inside the airbnb.

But, good hotels and airbnbs usually call these companies who deal with cockroaches like they come from the company and spray the house against the cockroaches like every 2-3 months.

With, the cockroaches I feel like I saw them the most during fall.

I, don't know, maybe it's like a weird coincidence., But.

Yeah, I have this feeling that I saw them more in like September - October.

Then in March, for example.

And.

They both, the cockroaches and lizards, and other small insects.

They move, like, really fast.

All, the things which were mentioned in the video until now were mainly from a perspective of a tourist.

And these were the things I heard.

The most that tourists were complaining, about.

So.

Now from a bit of a different perspective.

From, a perspective of living here.

And, a couple of things, which might be useful to consider before moving here, full time.

If.

You come here for the very first time you are going to be amazed and thrilled and excited.

But that "hype" and, kind of like.

"Wow" effect, is going to disappear.

Slowly by time.

And.

At one point living here is just going to become normal.

The.

First thing would be healthcare and it's great here.

But if you have to undergo some complicated procedures, you will have to fly to mainland Portugal.

Then.

A great thing is that if you live in the capital city or like a bigger city, you will not necessarily need a car from the very beginning.

But.

Having one makes everything less complicated, Then, n., 3, in winter.

There is no snow, but because of the rain, wind and humidity, it might feel a bit colder.

And I think a lot of houses do not have a heating system.

So during winter.

It can get a bit chilly, during the evenings and nights.

Then mould and humidity.

The humidity is high.

But it also depends on the part of the island where you live.

On, some parts of the island it's higher.

And in winter, it's really good to have a dehumidifier.

Otherwise.

The walls get mouldy very easily.

And.

Even the clothes, can get kind of.

You know, wet., especially if you leave your clothes, folded one on each other and just put them into the wardrobe.

I guess it's better to hang them.

Now.

Well, the last one, but it's also a fun.

One.

Getting.

Things, delivered might take time.

And.

It might be a bit more complicated.

Yeah.

It will take some time.