Azores

Azores – What you should know

The Azores have an oceanic climate without extremes: between 16°C in February and 25°C in August, never below 12°C at night. That evenness comes at a price — it is rarely very warm, and the weather changes fast. The saying about four seasons in one day describes this mid-Atlantic position fairly accurately.

Summer is the driest and most dependable season: July brings 18 mm with 10.3 hours of sunshine daily, August 37 mm. December is the wettest month at 112 mm. The sea reaches 23°C in August and September — remarkably warm for the Atlantic at this latitude, because the Gulf Stream brushes the islands.

When to travel depends heavily on why. For whale and dolphin watching, April to June are the best months, when blue and fin whales pass on migration. The hydrangeas lining the roadsides of São Miguel flower from June to August. For walks to the crater lakes of Sete Cidades, September is ideal: still warm, fewer visitors and usually clear views.