Home / And Beyond / The Azores, Portugal

Europe · Portugal · Self-guided

The Azores, Portugal with kids,
the real way

How we actually do the Azores with the girls: a walkable Ponta Delgada base on São Miguel, guided tours to the crater lakes and hot springs, and one of the shortest flights to Europe from Boston. Here’s what to do in the Azores for one week or two, and what it costs.

By Kailah Fredette · Last updated February 2026 · 8-min read

Some links below are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, NOE may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would book for our own family. Our disclosure.

The Azores, Portugal with little kids works best when you slow down. Our approach: book a comfortable home base, plan one thing a day, and leave room for the rest. Here’s the whole plan: one week, how to stretch it to two, and the honest costs from Boston.

June–SeptBest time to go

2–12Good for ages

6–10 daysIdeal length

~$4.5–6.5kRough budget (family of 4)

One week in the Azores

Base in Ponta Delgada and let guided tours do the driving

The Azores are one of the easiest big trips you can take from Boston: a genuinely short transatlantic flight to a green volcanic island that feels worlds away. Our approach: make Ponta Delgada your home base and travel out from there. With kids, we lean on guided half- or full-day tours rather than renting a car and navigating ourselves, so you relax, a local does the driving and storytelling, and the island’s big sights come to you.

Home base

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Stay right in Ponta Delgada: a vacation rental is again the best option for a family. The city is walkable, welcoming, and full of authentic restaurants that are genuinely warm to young children. (Our girls’ favorite was a pizzeria called Nonnas, where they cut the pizza slices with scissors, a small thing the kids still talk about.) For the little ones, there’s a lovely botanical garden within walking distance of town, an easy, pretty outing on a low-key day.

Book it

Where to stay in São Miguel, Azores: Ponta Delgada

We haven’t stayed in this one, but it passes our filters. Ponta Delgada has fewer well-reviewed two-bedroom places in walking distance of dinner than you would think, so this is the only one we would name right now.

Townhouse above the marinaFits our filters

2 bedrooms
2 baths
Stairs inside
Full kitchen
Washer and dryer
A/C
Crib and high chair
7 min to the marina

Townhouse · 10 out of 10 from 26 reviews

Between the marina and the market, so you can walk to dinner and the harbor. About $180 a night. It is on three levels inside, so expect stairs.

Find it on Vrbo →

See all 2-bedroom rentals in Ponta Delgada Or have us book it for you

Ratings and amenities were checked on Vrbo in October 2026. Links open Vrbo for 2 adults and 2 kids with no dates set, so prices change once you add dates. See every stay on our approved list.

Tours worth booking

Sete Cidades: the twin blue-and-green crater lakes; the island’s postcard, and an easy guided viewpoint stop
Furnas: steaming fumaroles, hot springs, the Terra Nostra warm pool, and the famous cozido stew cooked underground by volcanic steam
Lagoa do Fogo: the dramatic “Lake of Fire” crater (the island’s “fire mountain”), with show-stopping viewpoints
Botanical garden in Ponta Delgada: a gentle, walkable outing perfect for the youngest kids

Book guided half- and full-day tours through GetYourGuide. Code NOWHEREONEARTH5 takes 5% off.

Two weeks & older kids

What to do in the Azores with a second week

One base covers São Miguel beautifully, so a second week just means a slower, deeper version: more tours, more beach and garden days, less rushing. And if you have older kids, the Azores open up even more: there are tons of fantastic hiking options, especially around Sete Cidades, where the crater-rim trails deliver some of the best views in the Atlantic. Here are the standouts to build a longer stay around.

West end · all ages

Sete Cidades

The twin crater lakes: easy viewpoints for little ones, and superb rim hikes for older kids and teens.

East · a full day

Furnas valley

Fumaroles, the Terra Nostra warm pool, and the underground-cooked cozido: the most kid-wowing day on the island.

Boat from Ponta Delgada

Whale & dolphin watching

One of the best spots on earth for it, so pick a calmer boat for younger kids.

Pre-book tours through GetYourGuide. Use code NOWHEREONEARTH5 for 5% off. With kids, walking straight in beats a queue every time.

Honest notes

What landed, and what we’d skip

What the kids actually loved

Swimming in the naturally warm Terra Nostra pool, the crater lakes at Sete Cidades, and how green and uncrowded the whole island felt.

What we’d skip or watch out for

Expecting beach-resort weather is a mistake: the Azores are mild and changeable; pack layers and rain gear. You’ll want a rental car. Don’t over-plan; weather reroutes the day and that’s part of the charm.

Book it yourself

Everything we used for The Azores, Portugal

Flights from Boston

Boston (BOS) to Ponta Delgada (PDL)

We search and book on Skyscanner. From Logan, an overnight that lands mid-morning is gold: the girls sleep most of the way.

Search live fares

Tickets & day trips

Skip-the-line, kid-friendly

Pre-book the two or three big experiences through GetYourGuide so you walk straight in. Code NOWHEREONEARTH5 takes 5% off.

Browse things to do in Ponta Delgada

Vrbo, two-bedroom rentalsWhere to stay

Already set to Ponta Delgada, two bedrooms, 2 adults and 2 kids. Check for a full kitchen before you book.

→

AiraloStaying connected

An eSIM before you land: data the second we step off the plane, for maps and translation with two kids in tow.

→

SafetyWingTravel insurance

We never fly without it: your home health plan usually won’t cover you abroad.

Price it for your dates

SafetyWing’s published per-adult rate for its travel medical plan; the final price is confirmed on their site.

What it costs

How much does an Azores vacation cost from Boston?

Rough ranges for a family of four (2 adults + 2 kids), flying from Logan and staying in a place with a kitchen. Estimates to plan around, not quotes: season and how far ahead you book swing them a lot.

One week · family of 4

$4,500–$6,500

all-in, flights included

Flights (BOS–PDL, x4)$2,400–$3,600

Rental apartment (7 nights)$900–$1,600

Food (great local value)$450–$850

Guided tours + activities$500–$1,000

Two weeks · family of 4

$6,500–$9,500

all-in, a slower two weeks

Flights (BOS–PDL, x4)$2,400–$3,600

Rental apartment (14 nights)$1,800–$3,200

Food (2 weeks)$900–$1,700

Guided tours + activities$900–$1,800

Adding more kids? It’s mostly about the beds.

Kids don’t add cost evenly: lodging is the real lever. Two adults and one or two kids can squeeze into a one-bedroom with a sofa bed, but we book two real bedrooms so the adults aren’t in bed at 8pm. That step up is the biggest single jump in the budget.

Flights: a child under 2 flies as a lap infant for very little; every child 2 and over is essentially another full seat (~$500–$950 round-trip from Boston). Food rises gently; most attractions are cheap or free for young children.

Rule of thumb: +1 child ≈ one more flight seat + a step up in lodging size.

Flight figures reflect typical round-trip economy fares from Boston (about $500–$950 per seat depending on season). Swap the headline totals and line items for your own numbers once you’ve booked: real receipts beat estimates every time.

Pack smart

The exact kit we pack with two kids

Lightweight stroller, the carry-on setup, and everything else that earns its space: all in one tested list.

See the packing list →

From our trip

The Azores, Portugal, at three feet tall

Before you go

Read Rosie in Paris with them first

Kailah wrote and illustrated our Paris picture book, drawn from our family’s travels. It’s a lovely way to get the kids excited about the world before wheels-up.

See the book →

Quick answers

The Azores, Portugal with kids: FAQ

How many days do you need in the Azores with kids?

About 6–7 days from a Ponta Delgada base is plenty to see São Miguel’s highlights on guided tours at a relaxed pace. With older kids who want to hike, or if you just want to slow down, stretch it toward two weeks.

Where should you stay in the Azores with kids?

Ponta Delgada: a rental apartment in town puts you near welcoming restaurants (our girls loved the pizzeria Nonnas), a walkable botanical garden for little ones, and easy pickup for guided tours out to the craters and hot springs.

Is the Azores good for young kids and toddlers?

Yes. Keep days short, base somewhere with green space or a beach, and lean on the simple joys. That’s the whole NOE approach.

Where are the Azores?

In the middle of the North Atlantic, roughly 900 miles west of Lisbon. The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal made up of nine volcanic islands in three groups; São Miguel, where we stayed, is the biggest and the one most flights land on.

How do you get to the Azores from Boston?

Fly. Azores Airlines runs a nonstop from Boston to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel in about five hours, one of the shortest transatlantic flights out of Logan. Our Azores scorecard has the current route details, and the best time to visit the Azores covers when to go.

Keep planning: Azores or Bali? · the best time to visit the Azores · Paris with kids · the gear we pack · how we book every trip · all destinations