Hotels near João Paulo II Airport - PDL, Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada was a great choice for a cheaper versatile vacation. I went solo without any expectations. Wanted to get a few activities in, but overall went there to rest. I was pleasantly surprised. Here's why: - weather was great (not too hot, not too cold, but still sunny for the most part) - views were amazing - lots of different things to do, from diving to swimming, to sunbathing, exploring caves or bathing in hot springs, even some sports like paragliding, plenty of guided tours (given what I thought were reasonable fees 35-75 Euros for the car tours), plenty of cheap museums (free on sundays), beautiful parks (most free), great food, great views etc Downsides I'd point out: - It can be really far to get to certain places of interest by foot - Bus system isn't the most reliable, so sometimes they are late or won't stop because they're already full, so you end up having to wait around a lot - taxis can be a bit expensive because there's no uber or any other competition - July was packed this year, so if you don't book some activities in advance, you may not be able to do it (diving for example, or some of the tours) - seemed like most closer to the city centre restaurants (the good ones) needed reservations in advance (2 days before), and really hard to find places for groups on the weekends; 2 people groups seemed to have no trouble, though Overall I woud recommend, especially if you rent a car a lot in advance to secure the best prices, same for hostels/hotels and your favourite activities. The views are beautiful, plenty of places to hike, ride bikes, drive around, swim, sail etc and the island history is also pretty awesome for the history nerds.

Ponta Delgada is a fantastic base for the island, good transport links and plenty of places to eat. Be aware the beaches are not as close as you might think, and in the heat are too far to walk unless you are staying at that end of town. I was staying near the fort which was too far in the heat, however the lido is a short walk (by the marina) and is fantastic, there is also a pool there. It's a good spot for collection for day trips too. It has some great restaurants and cafes and is still quite unspoilt as far as tourism goes, which is a bonus. This does however mean that at times restaurant service can be slow - you need to factor this in, as they are on Portuguese time which is their right :-). As far as possible try to pre-book trips and restaurants as they do fill quickly. Oh and make sure you visit the pineapple plantation - it's a short trip but full of information and the fruit is amazing!

Amazing introduction to the Azore islands, friendly people, so many tours to do and so safe. All those instagram and Pinterest pictures are so true and easily assessable. Loved it and definitely going back. Try Cais 02 restaurant - huge portions and amazing service, I went for lunch rather than dinner as it’s easier to get seated. For amazing lunch you should also go to Intz48 coffee roasters Be prepared to walk a lot around town but get a car if you want to see the sights of Sete Ciadades or the tea plantations / hot springs- I used get your guide to book everything.

Love PDL...great city with lots of excellent restaurants and walkable streets, shopping, ocean front. Highly recommended. City was very busy with tourists and visitors so restautants were packed. Suggest reservations for dining out. Also many of the sites were over crowded so woild go back any month but July or August.

The center is a pleasant place to wander, with good restaurants, a fair number of monumental buildings, a pleasant waterfront, and several impressive parks and gardens. While the Azores is mostly about natural places, which are accessed via day trips, the town itself exceeded my expectations as a place to spend time, see some historic and scenic sights, and enjoy some great food and drink. The airport is also easily accessible, which made it very workable to do a day trip to another island during our stay.

Loads of eating places couldn’t recommend a favourite one they were all good even the cheap places, you should do the whale watching trip well worth it. If you have a car the whole Island is amazing for walking and great sight seeing, Furnas for the thermal springs, Sete Cidades just breathtaking views, great beach at Ribiera Grande, and the walks are well sign posted with great views just a great place to visit, this our second time here and this Island is a gem