The WORST things about the AZORES???
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Part 2: Part 2: The WORST things about the Azores
• Part 2: The WORST thin...
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.atlanticol...
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
As tourists, my husband and I found the restaurant schedule for meals ridiculous. North Americans like to eat dinner early like 17:00 to 18:00 hrs and a lot of restaurants were closed until 19h30 or 20:00hrs. Also restaurants close after 14:00hrs and reopen for dinner so good luck finding a restaurant open when you are hungry.
Hi Lucy! Thank you for taking the time to write your observations!
That's unusually early, internationally. Everywhere is different I suppose. Try Spain, where the chef arrives at about 8pm to start prepping the evening meals and warming the ovens. Almost nobody arrives to eat before 9.30pm. This is the other end of the spectrum, I admit. Eat more at lunch time ☺
Seriously?? One of the main reasons people travel is to experience how other cultures do things differently! Embracing those differences is what makes travel fun & interesting. Complaining about something like this illustrates your lack of research. Practically no one around the world eats dinner at 1700-1800! I've had beautiful dinners at midnight in Madrid with children from all the outdoor restaurants playing together in a small central park...amazing! Was I hungry waiting? Of course not, lunch was at 1400 & tapas/drinks at 2000. When in Rome....
Weird, I guess in Europe we eat dinner much later I usually eat at around 9pm to 10pm, since 5pm to 6pm is usually when we get out of work, that's way too early to have dinner, especially because we tend to have a small meal between lunch and dinner, after work we relax for an hour maybe two and only then we start cooking, at least that's my own experience.
Also most restaurants do close between 2pm and 3pm because that's their lunch break, but there's usually some restaurants that stay open, and most bakeries will stay open all day and offer full meals, snack bars sometimes two.
Also I highly recommend doing BBQ's, most islands will have many BBQ spots dotted all around the island, for example in parks and on the side of the road with beautiful views, they will generally also have free firewood stored under the grill for you to use.
Thanks for the warning, I'm off the Vermont next summer, so will bear this in mind.
I've been to the Azores and I can honestly say the worst thing about them is having to leave! I was so mesmerized by their breathtaking scenery and welcoming locals that my stay seemed so short!
I agree.
The one part about leaving that really sucks is that the flights back to the East coast of US arrive fairly late in the day and if there are ANY delays for ANY reason you will miss your connecting flight and be stuck there overnight.
It's always raining there
Why so many tourists are complaining about insects?! You are in the middle of Nature! And they were here first!
So many people leave their food open and outside the refrigerator or containers... and then are shocked to find ants in their sugar or cockroaches in their not properly closed bag with bread... guys, please remember that you are not in the middle of an big city!!!
I lived there for about 3 years in the 90s. The roaches can fly and would just sneak into our house. I had one fly up the back of my shirt once.
Exactly , I’m tired for some of comments.
I love reptiles and lizards, so this is a perk!
My family is from Sao Jorge and I’ve been there many times but I’ve never seen cockroaches but we also properly contain any foods or containers which is probably why the only thing we’ve had an abundance of is lizards but they don’t even cause problems 🤣
i was in treceria and it was hell
Many, many generations ago, some of my ancestors came from this island. I have not come across any documentation that they ever went back to visit, but then again, 3 centuries ago it was not an easy thing. Thanks for this nice video
thanks for sharing!
If you work remotely. You can do it! It's inspirational, a mental reset, and beautiful!
Excellent informative video! I was on Ponta Delgada last Nov, what a stunningly beautiful Island! The first day , i had no car, and used the public buses.. I have to say,, you absolutely need a car. once I got mine, I was able to explore so many different spots.. I plan on going back in the future to visit a couple of other Islands. thanks for the great video!
Hello Carol Ann King, thank you for stopping by! In this you are right - there are mamy spots where you can get only with a car (or it would take too long by bus)
Usefull video!I am bulgarian who living in Czech Republic and i want to change my homeplace,maybe Azores will be good choice.I was on Martinique island before 4 years and from this moment i start thinking about some general change of my life.Thanks for video! 🇧🇬🇨🇿 🏝
Hello! Thanks for stopping by! Fingers crossed for you!!! Have a great day! :)
Interesting information, and thanks for sharing. We´re visiting the Azores this summer, and literally none of these things are what I would consider a problem, more just facts of life literally everywhere.
Thanks for stopping by and wishing you a great day!
My husband and I always go to Madeira, the weather is great there during summer and during winter it’s still ok. A lot better than our native Dutch weather. He proposed to me on Porto Santo so Madeira and Porto Santo have a lot of meaning to us. We now want to visit the Azores too on our next holiday. I’ve always wanted to see manta rays in real life in the ocean so maybe that’s also possible to do and dive at the Azores. Thank you for the informative video!
Hi Sarah! I have never been to Madeira, I would love to visit it one day! I am curious to know your opinion on the Azores, once you visit it! Wishing you a great day and thanks for stopping by and sharing your story! Greetings!
this is not truth don't be stupid ridiculous what say , just don't be there people don't need you there , Azores is the best Archipelego of the world clean safety and good people living there i know sobecause i am from there
There is plenty of diving schools here that will also take tourists to see all kind of things, fish like manta rays, sharks, there's also Blue marlin, that you may be able to see, and also underwater caves if you're brave enough. This is at least the Information I have from the Island I live on, Faial Island in the central group of the Azores and just beside that you have the highest mountain of Portugal, Pico Island, that can be scaled with a guide.
I lived there for 15 months on Teciera Island near Lajes. I loved the people and its festivals. Only disadvantage is a small island not much choice for shopping. Yes the weather can be crappy but I lived northern Greenland , the Middle East and now San Antonio Texas. Great life experience.
Glad you had a great experience! :))
I spent 2 weeks in Horta, Faial in November. I loved it there. The food was amazing and the people were so lovely. It was, however, painfully difficult to get there from UK. I had to fly from Manchester to Porto, Porto to Ponta Delgada, Ponta Delgada to Terceira and Terceira to Horta. All told, including the waiting at airports, it took more than 24 hours of travelling. Fortunately, in Porto, there were chairs in the Departure lounge that it was possible to catch a little sleep on and the Portuguese airport authorities are not at all phased about travellers doing this. My main problem was getting back to UK food after the 2 weeks was up. I can no longer eat English bread unless it was from an artisan bakery and it took me a while to find a cheese that was remotely any where near as good as the Azorean cheeses.
Hi Rob, thanks for sharing! I am happy you had a lovely experience. Yes, it can be a bit more complicated to get to Horta, especially in winter season. During summer, as far as I know, there are direct flights from Manchester/London to Ponta Delgada !:) Have a great day! Noemi
And you didn't know this before you traveled? If you knew this before then why the complaining? Remote destinations that hard to get to are often the most rewarding and the least stomped on by the hoards of tourists.
You have spent 2week
I have spent my entire life
It feels like a prison like Alcatraz
Hi im andrei from faial i can understand the problems but the wort thing is the beer and other drinks and the people you can easily crash a car at night because of the druken state of people it might seem lovely on the surface but it isent there are horrible horrible people like school directors.
@@the_lasthour2007… completamente !!
I was stationed there in the Air Force MANY years ago. It was well known as NOT a favorable place to be stationed at. Not all people didn't like it, there were some who got out of the Air Force, bought land and a house and stayed there. Personally I couldn't STAND the weather there. One minute, the sun is shining, the next minute it's raining HARD and the wind..... OH THE FREAKING WIND!!! It's REALLY hilly, so when it rains and you're walking next to a hill that's a drop off, the wind pushes the rain UP the hill and it rains UP! So now you're getting drenched from ALL directions. No one is going to melt, it's just that it's cold water when it rains and it's MISERABLE!!! Dental services are almost NON-existent there. Mold grows INSIDE your house like CRAZY because the humidity is SOOOO high all the time! The food off base was really good and the scenery was AMAZING when it wasn't raining. Yes, the roads are SOOOOO narrow!!! Lots of cows and other animals all over the place. A lot of their streets are made out of small square rocks, so the roads are very bumpy. No worries about people speeding there!
There was a small bar JUST outside the base. We would sit outside and tourists would come by asking for directions. I would tell them to just stay on this road until you come to the railroad tracks, then make a left and you'll see it (whatever they were asking for...). They would say THANKS and take off .... There are NO railroads there, it's a small island! .... AND that road goes all the way around the island. so in a little over an hour, we'd see the SAME tourists fly by..... then again ....
Terceira can get really quiet especially in the winter months. I was there for a couple of days in January, and wow, it was really really quiet.
I was a kid of active duty while there. Didn't live on base, I loved it. No guard rails on anything so learned real quick not to bounce around too much near cliff areas xD.
I do plan on visiting again.
In 1985, I was in the Navy Seabees flying to Europe for an 8 month deployment. We landed in the Azores for fuel. It was the middle of the night, couldn't see anything. Ate sandwiches while refueling and away we went to Sigonella, Sicily. My bucket list is to visit the Azores properly.
I love when people complain about my Azores. Hopefully they will share their opinion with others. You may ask yourself why I feel this way? Well let me explain. Respectfully we don’t want you. We find many tourists to be ignorant, rude, classless and so on. So thank you for this video it really puts a smile on all our faces. 😊
Not sure why you feel I was complaining but at least it put a smile on your face! You are welcome :)
The ferrys only on work in the central group of islands in the archipelago because the island are closer together. the flights are expensive for foreigners, for locals is actually not that bad ( i pay 100 euros from sao jorge to Lisbon). I suggest you to visit Sao Jorge if you havent yet, its such a stunning place.
I visited Sao Jorge last summer and I absolutely LOVED IT. I hope to go back one day!!
Can you explain the process of getting local pricing? Is it just as simple as having a Portuguese passport? Thanks in advance
@@Dacoldest23 no, that only works for Azorean residents (at least for the last 3 years) and you pay 60€ round trip for any island and 130€ to the mainland also round trip. TBF if you book in advance the flights arent that much more than 130€ at least for são Miguel or terceira. From são Miguel you can go to Santa Maria and from terceira you can easily catch the ferry for another island and it's fairly cheap
@@pedrobelo0454 Thank you so much! Wish nothing but health and wealth for you and your family!
Noemi, Love the accent, the energy, your delivery and your charisma on camera.
Hi Tom, thanks for stopping by and wishing you a fantastic day
My Dreamland 😔😌😌😌😌
Really good video. THe information was honest and helpful. Thank you.
Thank you!
Always ask a bright honest local first. Thank you, love
Have a great day!
Retiring to Sao Miguel from The Netherlands 2024 after many holidays past on the island. Very informative vid.
You will love it!
Thank you very much. These are very important things to know before taking decisions !
I am very happy you found it useful! :) Have an amazing day!
7:17 There is some snow ❄️ on the highlands occasionally, often times in Pico but other islands as well.
@@markve5352 Yes it does snow on the other islands.
Search "neve Serra de Santa Bárbara Terceira" or "neve Ilha das Flores", or other places in the Azores with "neve".
And no, that's not hail. 🤦♂️ And no, this is not "muh, they don't know because they're from some tropical islands..." lol 🤦♂️🤦♂️; better to just be quiet about what you don't know next time pal.
@@totrigo6834the second highest mountain in the Azores after Pico mountain is Pico da Vara on the island of São Miguel and in winter there is also snowfall . Faial and São Jorge Also have snowfall on their highest peaks!
Hi - you mentioned some parts of the Island have less humidity in the winter - which ones? I had a feeling from touring around last week that Nordeste/Algarvia looks as though it might be drier and less humid?
Hi! Vila Franca area - especially Caloura is known for having one of the best microclimates on the island! It gets more sun and it’s less humid!
You said car rentals can be difficult. Are scooters available? Sometimes a scooter can be more convenient than a car. Also, way less expensive. Especially the fuel costs.
Hello! Yes you can rent scooters as well!
@@noemimikleova What about scooter sales? if someone wants to buy one?
It's surprising how much the humidity, insects and lizards sounds just like Florida. We have those exact same things in Florida, but we do have heating and air conditioning here in Florida. The Azores are way more beautiful than Florida though. It's just flat here.
Hello! Florida is amazing as well, but I think it’s very different when it comes to nature :)
@Noemi Mikleová well, for one, we don't have rock in Florida. We do have panthers, alligators, some type of crocodile, wild boars (that are really aggressive), multiple types of poisonous snakes, etc. We have so many amazing bird species here, and many species of butterflies. We have American Bald Eagles, deer, and lots of raccoons, rabbits, opossums, black bears, and more. We used to have great fishing, until that massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of sharks in the ocean surrounding Florida too, includibg great white sharks. These days, the summers are just too hot, but the winters are great as it doesn't snow here. 😊
The worst thing with all paradise islands is the lack of housing. The number of available rental units has dropped as remote workers have moved in. At the same time, the prices have gone up angering also the locals.
I feel like this is a problem everywhere, all over Europe, especially the last years.
Terceira has an international airport
Very much enjoy your videos...Thank you for your time and effort...
Thanks for being here! :)
Loved the video!
How accepting and welcoming are locals of people moving there from other countries?
Plus, would the climate be difficult for someone moving there from the tropics? (which has 30 degree weather year round and a distinct dry and wet season)
Thank you for stopping by! Regarding locals - I love people here. I have never had a problem and any time I needed help, someone came (or they sent someone who knew how to fix it). Here it never gets too hot or too cold - however, in summer, when the sun is out, it might feel hot. In summer the weather is more stable - more sun, less rain and wind; while in winter, the weather changes a lot, it rains more and it is more windy and quite humid. (in winter, I wear a light winter jacket here)
@@noemimikleova amazing, thank you for the comment and I'll definitely be keeping up with your videos on the Azores!
I lived there for 11 years and my brother was born there as military brats. It’s the closest thing to where I came from I can claim.
"But it you like cockroaches"... Lol... That had me laughing... 🙂
Hi please can you tel me the place where you are on the beginning of this you tube movie i like the houses behind you thank you tamara
Hi Tamara! The place is in Vila Franca, if you go down the street ‘Estrada Real’ you will arrive to the area!
Are you from the Azores?
My wife and I are thinking of living part time in São Jorge.
Do you know anything about Lajes Field?
Hello, I am not from the Azores, I just live here.
@@noemimikleova Oh I see. Thanks for the video.
Thanks, I would only stay there for a month at the most. I appreciate your info, Thanks....
Have a wonderful day!
Thank you very much for sincerity.
Thank you for being here :)
@@noemimikleova you are welcome Noemi,acores is a wish that I might fulfill maybe next March and April must be peaceful and quiet,love nature,sport,hiking,horses,camping,fishing,swimming,I saw you have a good gym at the shopping center that's great for everyday and specially hard rainy days.From 🍁.
- Mold is the only real problem for me but there is little you can do about it.
...
Minor nuisances:
- Irresponsible parking. You are supposed to never be in a hurry so don't get mad when someone has parked sideways of a narrow main road.
- Stray cats. Lots of them.
- Spartan waiting rooms in airports other than Ponta Delgada. But it makes part of the charm. These airports were made before mass tourism was an issue.
- Perhaps local diet is not so healthy in the small islands if you are concerned about this point. (And boredom leads many islanders to smoking and drinking). Preventive medicine has a long way to improve here. Mortality rates are worst than in continental Portugal. If you have some kind of handicap or long-term illness only São Miguel, Terceira and Faial may be suitable for you.
I usually visit the islands twice a year and these small things are not preventing me of loving the place.
I agree with everything you say, it is all a part of the complex picture about the Azores haha.
Cats in the Azores are very tiny, nearly like rats! We fed some of them and they seemed rather happy about it. I'm sure they regret us.
Honey people got to improvise they need to go to Hertz-Rent-a-Donkey much more less expensive and guess what its always a convertible
😂😂😂 and besides of all the advantages you mentioned, it will also be an unforgettable adventure.
@@noemimikleova absolutely you can even take it off road
Ahahahah
How are you not on the azores groups with more views
The restaurant schedule is a bit challenging, and you better like meat because that's about all they serve!
Hi
Where are the good surf spots on San Miguel? Thx
Hi Francisco, the most famous beach for surfing is Santa Barbara in Ribeira Grande; there is also Monte Verde, in the same area!
Looks like you are walking in Vila Franca. 😀 We just were there yesterday.
You are right that’s exactly Vila Franca! 😂
@@noemimikleova VF and suroundings are my favorite area of Sao Miguel and it is the most warm and sunny part of the island. We are also thinking about buy some house in the Azores but it is still not finally decided which island.
How is healthcare system? I'm paralyzed but not bedridden I get around. I would love to live out the rest of my days in this solitary paradise
Looks like an adventure
IT IS
07:40 Oh, I see you addressed this issue, regarding humidity, thank you so much, very informative!
Andrei I am glad you found it helpful!!! Have a great day!
How often you go to Azores?
I’m going to Faroe Islands November
Hi Terrence! I live here. Enjoy the Faroe islands!!!
@@noemimikleova yeah I picked that up after I commented.
@@noemimikleova why Azores for you ? I went there end February it seems so peaceful compared to America politics is getting out of hand.
@@terrenceseidman2587 And there's direct flights to US
Islands are small wonder about bicycles or electric or pedal assist bicycles. Wonder if they would work instead of a car or car rental?
Hello! if you are a professional biker, maybe. Otherwise I would not recommend. There are a lot of hills.
@@noemimikleova Electric bikes will blunt the hills - which to my cyclists eyes are frankly terrifying. Worth remembering that Madeira is a mountain bike hotspot now - and that certainly is a hilly place.
🍀.
There are flights between most islands. There are some international flights that go to Terceida or Santa Maria, most do route through Sao Miguel
That’s correct. I think there are flights to every island, actually. (It happens, that if you want to go to e.g Flores, you fly via Terceira).
If you’re looking for a great holidays, relaxing , having good food as a regular person, you’re welcome. I’ve been in there. Remember, perfection doesn’t exist but let’s not ruin paradise….
i agree with you, there is no perfect place.
shouldn't you book the car BEFORE you book the plane tickets? The former is cancellable, the latter maybe not.
Hi Neomi!
I'm visiting Sao Miguel from the end of October for 3 weeks.
After that, I will have 3 more weeks to spend in the Azores.
Do you have any idea which other islands I should see in the remaining 3 weeks (considering the weather in November)? And how much time to spend on each of them?
BTW - I'm traveling alone and working from my laptop, so if you have any suggestions about places (with a good internet connection) to stay and meet people, please share them with me.
Thank you!
Hi Oran! I loved Sao Jorge and Flores! I have never been to Pico, but my friends loved it as well! Yeah the weather, it changes a lot in winter, its super unpredictable.. I would do each (Flores and Sao Jorge) for 4 full days (depends also if you like to hike, etc). On other islands (not Sao Miguel) I have only camped, I did not stay in any guesthouses/airbnbs/hotels. But the internet was generally gold everywhere. Here on Sal Miguel I never had a problem with it either (I also work and study online, so good internet is important for me). Have a wonderful time on the Azores!
I'd recommend an overnight guided camping climb of Mt. Pico. Watch the sunset, Milkyway, and sunrise. Then take the ferry to Horta to have world-famous gin and tonics at Peter Sport Cafe.
@@Cdub0619 thanks for the tip!
I would say every island has it's charm and slightly different culture and you should, if you have the time and will, at some point dedicate 1 week for each island, but I can also recommend the Island I live on, Faial and also Graciosa, both very pretty small islands, and yes Noemi, Pico is great too, you should visit it.
ok it does feel cold in the winter time. wet cold is colder than dry cold. it is semi.... semi semi tropical not tropical so do not expect Hawaii....
hmmmmmm that is why i moved to Hawaii . now that is pleasantly tropical not cold not hot just pleasant.
but i spent 2 years on Terceira and it was magical. but you are on a island and many people cannot deal with island life.
yes humidity leads to mold and cold is cold in the day time in winter it is not Alaska but it is not Hawaii.
You forgot ants
YOU ARE COMPLETELY RIGHT
No ants in the Azores that I've seen.
My parents were born in st Michael I've been there like 10 times it's really nice there but it's boring only thing I enjoy there now is the rally races and 1 weird thing about that island that I don't like is my own cousins try to flirt with me like im.not their family it's very unsettling and makes me uncomfortable
Not all families are the same!😂
Any tropical place has cockroaches. I lived on Maui. They were all over.
Yes. You just take them as a part of life and learn to live with them haha, after a while you don’t really care and eventually, they are not that scary haha
Spot Azores app for weather, live video cam of beaches etc
Nice video.
Thank you, Paulo.
@@noemimikleova cockroaches 🪳 at Azores are Japanese red cockroaches. Biggest I have seen.
You never seen the ones in Florida
Hi my name is JoyL Kendrick and I live in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the USA. I took a DNA test and got 26.4 % azores, Portugal. The Azores is absolutely beautiful. I am interested in finding out if I have any ancestors/family members who live there. I'm very interested. I also got a 53% DNA of English ancestry. But I also got 8.9% combination of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. 7.6% goes to Scandinavia and the last is 4.1% Eastern European. Is there any way you can help me find people? I do have a few names that showed up on My Heritage DNA. Please and Thank you. 😊
Hello! Maybe we could mention this message in one of the videos!
Here are a couple names I found on My Heritage DNA: Maria Correia and John Duarte Jr. Thank you 😊
My grandmother's maiden name was Ragsdale.
Volcanos?
My entire family is from Santa Maria. It's a paradise, but it's got a very low population, the winters it's baron and boring 😴
Yes haha, I understand that winters can be a bit boring:)
It is a fairly poor island and the food is low class. If u want Portuguese , go to the mainland, or, go to Thailand🎉
There are 9 islands there, not just one. And the food can be quite correct, although not very cheap. Now 2 hours in an aircraft (économy class) is probably the maximum I can endure, so no chance for Thailand.
I think the food (especially fish and seafood) is super good on the islands.
The Azores are beautiful!!
The people in the Azores are lovely!
It's easy to rent a car...in fact, there are rental cars everywhere...
Bus tours are great and, on time!
Sad to hear all the negativity in this video which is not deserved!
I will always prefer the Azores to all of mainland Europe which I've absolutely no intension to visit again ever!
A stop over in Lisbon, sadly showed me yet another European airport where people (well educated, hard working European people) now have to live for nothing, as a punishment for actually being good and honest citizens of Europe which is now "managed"/dictated by criminal psychopaths who steal everything from everyone 😰
In short, the Azores are at least 1000 times better than the old stinking colonial continent which was once Europe!!
Thanks to the the Azores and the Azorians for their humanity and love for life and people 💗
I agree, people on the Azores are amazing. This videl was not supposed to show negativity, it talks more about the reality.
@@noemimikleova 💕💓💕
Thanks and yes!! I keep thinking that, when I in a few years, am leaving Europe for my retirement, if I come to miss Europe, the Azores will be the place I'll be coming - for their beauty, their people, food, wine and, sheer humanity 💓
Hope to be back on yet another visit there soon...💗💗💗
Have a good day!!
People from the East Europe are making videos against Portugal, who are paying you? Just go home!
Hi! Why do you have this feeling, that people from Eastern Europe are making videos against Portugal? I did not notice this so I would be very interested in knowing your opinion, if you find some time! Have a great day!
Nice video
Have a wonderful day!
Linda❤️🌹
lizards eat roaches, right?
And the wetter, Some people complain about the wetter. 😭🤣
And when it's not about the wetter, it's about the dryer. Some people are never happy...
SATA flies nonstop to the Azores.
Yes!
I left Terceira on 01/02/73. At that time the worst things were different .
The first shock was that herds share the road so you drive through piles and piles of cow dung. The Catholic women did a penance thing where they crawled to church on their knees and there are places where dung does, indeed cover the whole road. Terrible to see. Perhaps changed?
The wind is straight off the Ocean. The wind is often very high. It blew open locked windows and doors, and can be a pain. As a child reading books on sailing adventures I had read of storms with "Sheets of rain". Only in the Azores have I seen this. (Wont change > Nature)
The next issue is how small the volume of sand is at the shore. On Terceira there is Praia Beach, perhaps 1.5 miles and in Angra, perhaps 200 feet of sand. The rest is volcanic rock and sharp, black glass like in many ways, and not very hospitable. Some locations such as Bisquoitos overcome this with paving around tidal pools. I have seen a whole dynamic change at Sieta Riberia, and a few other locations on Street view. There is adequate access to water, only to find it is frigid.
Thieves. The people are not violent, but thievery was an incredible issue. Lock up.
The shocking poverty. At the time the EU was not a thing, and the Azores was a third world to a third world country. I am glad to street view all around and see the amazing amount of cars on Terceira. In '72 the 50,000 people had perhaps 1500 cards and trucks. Even the Portuguese Air Force drove the lorries the Brits brought before WWII, the same trucks you see in 30's or 40's English movies
Poverty still.By Treaty the law was that on base workers could be paid a max or $2/day, and maids and personal staff off base $1/day. My allowance as a preteen was more than most family men made at that time.
Corruption. You recall her admonishment about taking pics of a rental car? Back then that did not matter. You took them after the scratch (even with a watermark), and everyone was against and resented the Americans anyway, so forget it, you pay. This is the third world, and you will see resentment against foreigners. As a child I was spat upon by an adult.
Infrastructure. I am happy to see electricity is prevalent. Not 50 years ago. We lived at the far end of Lajes village, right on the edge of Agualva. We were third from the end of the electric. More than half the island had no electric. My Dad worked in electronics, and so he metered our voltage. 85-95, unless a festival was planned, then the electric shot up to 140v. I think this is probably dated.
As to the lizards, they were just fun. Anolie type lizards living in the stones and not a pest just notable. I don't recall cockroaches at all. I DO recall rats and mice. I am sure that it helped that the barn sharing a wall of our detached garage was storing a threshing machine used by hundreds of farmers in harvest time. I recall being in the dark sitting on a wide wall seeing the stars and plenty of rustling around of rats. We got a trap and killed perhaps 20 in our Portugues Kitchen. That is a throwback feature of homes which would take too long to explain.
Overall the net is and was still quite positive. Absolutely. I will visit and I am shopping online for a house. I would not mind going back for the long term The corruption and thievery will be the deal killers for me.
WOW, this is super interesting. Thank you for sharing and for your time, to write this down!!
im comming back !
so exciting!!!!! I am very happy for you!!!
@@noemimikleova are u always a sunshine like that ? 😊
by the way i have evidence of atlantis being the Mountains of atlantis !
Bicos im from Portugal
the wether is hot wet sauna
After listening to the worst things as you say, l feel that you're a very negative person because l lived there for 15 years and there's public transportation anywhere in the island you just need to adjust and l can see you'd never be able to , also the inconveniences you described can and does happen right here in the US. To me l'll take all the bad because the good outweighs the 10 times.
Thank you for judging without knowing 😂 have a wonderful day!
I think she is trying to offer a realistic point of view. No place on Earth is perfect and some little points may be improved. Small problems you see in a single island are not everywhere.
Heaven on earth does not exist yet whether you believe it or not. Now drawn your own conclusion.
Well nothing is ever perfect , everything has a “reality “
Čuuuuus
The worst thing about the Azores is when bad weather rolls in, and you get stuck on the island because all flights have been cancelled for a week.
Or maybe taking a ferry in rough seas, puking out your own tripas and praying to the Nossa Senhora for land.
Or maybe the thousands of earthquakes and the dozens of volcanos.
Or maybe the possibility of driving off a cliff or hitting a cow in the thickest fog on Earth.
Or maybe the existential crisis you face with the realization that you're alone on the peak of a remote island in the middle of a blue vastness surrounded by clouds and deafened by the vast silence.
Damn good cheese though. Cheers to São Jorge. 🇵🇹
I feel the beauty in this
Great video 👍 I only have one thing to say: cockroaches lives matter! Stop picking on these poor creatures lol
Thank you for the feedback! (And you are right, cockroaches lives matter!
I like u ❤
Lizards??? 😅😅😅😂😂😂
Your video is so not true There is direct flights to the Azores and to rent a car you have to do it earlier Please stop saying things that are not true lol
Hi Ana, thanks for stopping by. Maybe if you listened/watched the whole video, you would find out that what you just commented on, I said in the video. Have a gread day, Noemi.
Dont go there, Its not your country isnt it 😅
I like the locals more 😊
you have a reason :) But also, who are you to tell me where to go and not to go haha
It's bored😅
jezz girl work on your English!
🤍 sending a hug and lots of love
Azores is the beautiful islands clean and the food are great I don't like when someone say is not good
Excellent video. Well spoken full of wisdom and easily understood. Tourists are often very demanding if they go somewhere without doing adequate research. I llve place that gets many thousands of tourists from around the world. Many are understanding that things are different from where they come from, but there are others who are demanding, and upset to find things are not the same as where they come from. That's just the way it always is just about anywhere. It's like they expect you to change your culture and ways of doing things to satisfy their expectations. From my extensive travels in the world I have found other places like this - usually it is a specific area where tourists can live in a bubble that is very similar to where the majority of them have come from. Where things are done to cater to the manner of doing things back home. One place that comes to mind is Hawaii. Many tourists like to stay in the area called Waikiki. It is surrounded by the Alawai Canal. It is full of stores selling cheap souvenirs and seriously overpriced convenience stores and restaurants serving overpriced and mediocre food. It was also a place where people will get loud, rude, stupid, and drunk. Very often. Locals rarely went into this area unless they worked there. Most never saw the Hawaiian way of life, and probably weren't interested anyhow. My point is life in a place from a tourists perspective versus one who lives there are quite different. Disappointment in travel often is the result of poor planning and preparation. Don't just believe the glossy tourist brochures. Dig a little deeper.
Thank you! Have a great day!
I agree totally, if you want it the same as home, stay home. The best way to travel is to go where the locals are, not some man made fantasy place . When I travel, I want to learn something . It’s true, they never learn about different cultures or the wonderful hidden gems, love your comment. When I travel I see a lot of exactly what you are saying, they miss the whole idea of exploration.
Exactly. And, generally speaking, the lower the I.Q. the higher the expectations and demands for the place they're visiting to be "just like home. Let's hope the Azores will never go down that rabbit hole!
I am so so glad you did receive a very positive reaction to this video. I made one very similar to yours and I got so much hate I had to put it down when I received mails from people threating my life about it 😅 (and no, I was not rude, I just talked about the mold and the flight connections and how on Pico it can be really hard to get certain things including fresh vegetables). So I am glad your comment sections seems to be rather nice! Greetings from Pico!
Greetings to Pico! :-)
São Miguel is so beautiful. I will be coming back and look around again. Sete cidades is amazing and all the beaches. For a person who lives there it is hard, most of my young cousins work and go to school in europe. Força dos Açores!!!
Hope you’ll come back soon!
The worst things? Ex-pats. I am one, so I should know.
Hear, hear.
I've never heard anybody (particularly a European) pronounce the Azores that way in English? AYzores? Most people pronounce it AzORES.
Hello, I'm from Lisbon but I live in the Azores since 1997.
Let me just add some information.
If you want to visit Corvo, you can fly (with some stops, not directly) or you can take the big ferry to Flores and then a small boat to Corvo (I did this once, they even stopped so we could swim with the dolphins).
The large ferry (Atlanticoline) only operates during spring and summer, due to rough sea conditions.
Cockroaches are a pest, especially in summer. However, if your BNB has been pulverized, they will usually appear almost dead and upside down. Expect to find them on the streets after sunset. Avoid sitting in public places (such as walls or doorsteps). On the terraces, keep your eyes open. They can climb up your legs. They fly too.
About the weather: a good summer is not a certainty, bad weather in other months of the year is the most likely outcome. It rains a lot, with several strong storms throughout the year.
Now, about the natives of São Miguel (“Micaelenses”): if you are planning to move to this particular island, most of your new friends will probably be foreigners or Portuguese from the mainland. The “Micaelenses”, despite seeming warm people, are very reserved. Furthermore, if we move a little away from the big cities, like Ponta Delgada or Ribeira Grande, the culture and average education of the natives decreases exponentially and we can expect many drug addicts.
Moving around: forget public transports or hitchiking. Rent a car or use taxis.
To conclude, the restoration in the Azores has always been terrible. Many restaurant and bar owners still think they are doing their customers a favor. However, due to the huge growth in tourism in recent years, they are improving a little.
This is SO helpful for me and bringing my idealised view of living in the Azores down to earth.
Cathy, I am SO happy you found it helpful!!!
Portuguese have a meal around 17 and 18h called lanche. If you are hungry, you can follow the Portuguese way and go to a cafe to have lanche.
My family and I moved to the Azores two years ago... Send me a private message if you have any questions!
Nice video, thank you. May I say, (i don’t believe you are a native English speaker), that your English is incredibly good. Very well done.
Thank you for the feedback! Yes, haha, you are correct, I am not a native English speaker. I am from Slovakia :). Have a wonderful day!
Coming from Scotland, some of the reasons I like visiting the Azores are the relative lack of bitey insects and the rather good weather. However getting through Lisbon Airport is a bit of a horror show and Terceira flights seem to have a luggage issue. Don't you just love the bus ride to the far side from the terminal to get the SATA planes. Car hire is very awkward. Best tip don't think of it as one place and just concentrate on a couple of islands. We usually go to Flores and spend some time in another group on the way there and way back. Lots of flights though - once needed 5 to get back to Edinburgh.
WORST things about the AZORES??? britons and germans tourist 😂
Hi there!! What’s your recommendation on seeing San Miguel? We are cruising into Porto Delgado in May. We’d like to see all the highlights but we don’t know if we should go w a 4 wheel drive tour or just hire a taxi. What’s your advice?
Hi! Me personally, I am very much against 4 wheelers, it has became a trend in the last couple of years and they are allowing them on some of the tourist trails, which leads to destroying the tourist trails (for example, like in Sete Cidades). So in case they will not do anything about it, in 2-3 years they will have to close some of the trails, because the quads are destroying them. I think this is something really sad to see. It is only my opinion though. So me personally, I would hire a taxi.
i was in treceria and i didnt like it.
Great video, know Azores well specially Pico island. In the winter the mountain top, highest mountain from whole Portugal, can be covered with snow, can climb the mountain .
Only negative issue I find is healthcare, if you have a certain serious issue, you might
need to go to mainland Portugal. Further enjoy the clean air, spectacular views, food
(great wine from Pico), watching whales, dolphins and a lot of swimming in the clearest water one has ever seen.
Thanks for the feedback! Wishing you a great day!
Same to you have a nice day , going this summer to Pico have a house there, greatings from Holland@@noemimikleova
I watched your video months ago, on Terceira. And I just re-watched it. You are exactly right on everything that you mentioned. Thank you very much for your insights. Nothing was a surprise for me, and actually helped me make my decision in buying the house.
Hey Sam! Thanks for the feedback and I am extremely happy it helped you in any way! Wishing you a great day!
Mount Pico sometimes get snow in winter.
unfortunately flying from Canada only arrives from Toronto, so a flight from Vancouver to Toronto then off to Azores makes for a long day.
It’s true, we only have flight to Toronto.. and Canada is huge
You can fly from Terceira Island to all the others island as well