Azores – where to stay overnight and how much does it cost?

We will start the description of the Azores a little unusually, because we will start with an entry on overnight stays. Why so? Because we hope that with this post we can help people who are still going to the Azores this vacation and still don’t know where to stay find accommodation.

However, let’s start with the fact that the accommodation offer in the Azores is not very rich…. There are, of course, hotels, apartments and hostels, but their choice is far smaller than, for example, in Madeira or the Canary Islands.

Azores season?

No wonder, until recently the peak season here was in August, and it was the only month in which you could expect profits from tourism. During the other months, tourist traffic was considerably lower and it did not pay to maintain a large accommodation base, just as it did not pay to own many houses for vacation rentals.

But why am I writing in thezłtense? Because it’s all changed. The season may not now (yet!) last 12 months of the year, but the time when the islands are crowded with tourists is no longer just one month. We were in June, and the plane we flew on was full, and it was by no means a small plane! So what happened? What influenced such a change? Low-cost airlines. More specifically, it’s Ryanair and EasyJet. Residents unanimously confirm that since these carriers began flying regularly to the Azores, tourism revenues have increased, and the season has lengthened and now runs from April to at least September.

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Well, so the accommodation base began to expand, but what is noteworthy is that it was the locals who began to see the opportunities and possibilities brought by the development of tourism, and more and more pensions, apartments and rooms for rent began to be built. Not only have the offerings on booking.com increased, but Airbnb has increasingly better offerings as well.

Accommodation in the Azores

We will describe it to you using the example of the As Casas da Ribeira Grande accommodations, where we had the opportunity to stay overnight. The owners are Vanessa and João, a young couple who decided to take advantage of the emerging potential. They are very nice and helpful people who are willing to offer advice and guidance. They have used their experience, knowledge and skills to customize several houses for rent and spin off a business that will support the development of tourism in the town of Ribeira Grande, on the island of São Miguel (it was on this island that we stayed overnight).

Most importantly, they offer both guesthouse/guesthouse and entire houses for rent, in different standards, so there really is something for everyone. We stayed overnight in a single-family house, located right on the title river (Ribeira Grande means nothing but the Great River).

It was a large house, with 4 bedrooms, a large living room connected to the dining room, kitchen and two bathrooms (too big for us, but all the others were already occupied ;)). We also had at our disposal a well-kept garden with a barbecue area and parking space, and when we arrived (in the middle of the night), a basket of products for the first breakfast was waiting for us :)

Vanessa also showed us other houses whose finishes she designed herself (she is an architect by training). Surprisingly, when we enter old historic townhouses, we find ourselves in modern, warm, but somewhat austere Scandinavian interiors. Other houses are decorated in different styles, but each is very well equipped and you will find everything you need.

Locations are also available to choose from: we wanted a spot with parking, and that’s what they had on offer. Other houses do not always have a parking space, but they are located in the center (small town because small, but always ;)).

What particularly captivated us was the fantastic atmosphere especially in the guesthouse. Vanessa makes sure to contact everyone personally and is always available by phone. Amazing that she is able to embrace so many guests, but she stressed that for her it is very important to get to know her guests and make them feel special treated :)

In the guesthouse there is a big map on which everyone can mark where they came from, and on leaving, souvenir photos are taken and hung on the wall – we had to take a photo too :) Surprisingly, there were a lot of Poles here before us.

Accommodation prices in the Azores

It must be admitted that the Azores is not one of the cheapest destinations, including when it comes to accommodation. Although it’s not as bad here as in Iceland;-) Fortunately, the growing range of accommodation and greater competition means that it is possible to find something interesting.

Everything, of course, depends on the standard you expect and the type of accommodation you want. Below you will find a small summary of prices. We skip the typical hotels here.

For example, the accommodation we slept in (you can find it here on Airbnb) costs in the order of zł 390 per night. The price is the same with 2 and with 4 guests. So in the case of 4 people, we come out with a pretty decent amount.

You can also stay overnight, for example, in a (beautiful!) guesthouse with a shared kitchen and bathroom (although some rooms have their own bathroom). In this option, booking a night here for two people, you can have an overnight stay for the price of zł 250 (although the occupancy is quite high and it is difficult to find a free date).

To sum up…

Accommodation prices super cheap are not, but there is no tragedy. Worse may be only the accessibility looking at how fast tourism can develop in such places.

We highly recommend you the accommodation at Vanessa’s, we were very satisfied :) There is something for everyone here and I assure you that you will not be disappointed, …and Ribeira Grande itself is located in the central position of the island, away from the “crowds” in the capital :) This allows you to quickly get to any place on the island, such as the airport in 15 minutes :)