Great Runs Trip Report: Azores, Summer 2025
by Mark Lowenstein
Great Runs just spent nearly three weeks in the Azores, visiting the islands of Terceira, São Jorge, Faial, and Pico. The Azores have become one of our favorite places, hitting the trifecta of being scenic, uncrowded, and affordable. And the weather is temperate and changeable — rarely exceeding 75F, with days often being a mix of sun & cloud.
The Azores are primarily a hiking/walking destination. There aren’t major beaches, cultural activities, or much of a nightlife scene. But the hiking is beautiful, with the terrain being a mix of gorgeous coastline, interior mountains, and green agricultural fields. We did more than 30 hikes over 20 days, and except for the hike up Pico Mountain, we didn’t see more than 10 people on any one hike. There are numerous marked trails on each island, with good information on length, elevation, and level of difficulty. Th trails themselves are very well waymarked. And post-hike, we loved the natural swimming areas and the €1.20 Super Bock beers!
Over the course of 20 days, we hiked/walked nearly 150 miles, and did about 40 miles of running. This included 20 consecutive days of 20k+ steps.
The Running Scene in the Azores
The running scene in the Azores is different than a lot of other places. There aren’t major parks or multi-use trails. Some of the islands don’t have that many roads. Also, the interior of the islands tends to be very hilly.
For those looking for road running or easier trail running (not technical & minimal elevation gain), the best bets are to check out the coastal routes that Great Runs has mapped out, and some of the ‘PRC’ Trails that are marked as ‘easy’. See our Azores running guide for suggested routes. You can also seek out some of the quieter interior roads, but those tend to be hilly. Note: most of the main roads don’t have sidewalks or a shoulder — use caution!!
Trail runners will find unbelievable variety, with some pretty hilly & technical stuff if desired. The best bet is to use the Azores Trails website for information about the most scenic, marked trails on each island. That said, even though the Azores are trail running heaven, we hardly saw any trail runners during our nearly three week visit!
Below, there are a few highlights for each of the islands we visited, with an emphasis on the most scenic, runner friendly routes.
São Miguel
São Miguel contains about half of the Azores’ 250,000 population and is the most visited of the islands. We were on São Miguel three summers ago on a five-way stopover SATA airlines permits on its flights to Europe. Ponta Delgada is the largest city in the Azores. The interior is quite hilly.
Best Running: Waterfront route in Ponta Delgada, and road above the water between Calhetas and São Vicente Ferreira, with great water views. In Furnas, do a loop around the lake and then go for a post-run dip in the hot springs!
Terceira
We spend nearly a week on Terceira. Beautiful mix of coastline, interior hills, and agricultural fields. Angra do Heroísmo is a UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring older buildings (that have been restored since a devastating earthquake in 1980), lots of shops & restaurants, and a lovely coastline.
Best Running: Nice waterfront running in Angra do Heroísmo and in Silveira to Negrito just west of there. In Angra if you want to get the heart rate up, run the road (or trail) up Monte Brasil. Between Fort of Greta and Porto Judeu there’s a pretty coastal run on the quiet M509 road. Also a few km of nice waterfront running in Biscoitos (great waves!) and Praia da Vitória (which has a 1 km long beach). We’ve also pointed out some of the easier trail running options.
São Jorge
São Jorge is a small, hilly island known for its cheeses and numerous festivals throughout the year. The island is 60 km long and 10 km wide. Running can be a challenge in São Jorge, because there are few flat roads and the terrain gets very hilly just above the coastal town
Best Running: There’s a short waterfront run in the main town of Velas, which also has two running tracks. Also, some short but scenic waterfront runs in Calheta & Urzelina. Trail runners and those who like hills will find countless options on São Jorge.
Faial
Known as the ‘Blue Island’, Faial is a small, scenic, and hilly! There aren’t a lot of roads, and the interior will involve hill running, even if on the dirt roads. It’s 2 hours from São Jorge or 1/2 hour from Pico by ferry.
Best Running: Right in the center of Horta, Faial’s main town, there’s about 4 km of waterfront running that goes from the ferry terminal south to the base of Monte da Guia. Those who like hills can run on the road or trail up Monte da Guia, climbing 150m over ~2 km.
Pico
Pico is the second largest island of the Azores, at 42 km of long and 15 km wide. A dominant feature is the majestic 2,350m Volcano of Pico. It’s a spectacular landscape, with farms, rainforest, and fields of black lava spilling down to the beach.
Best Running: There are some good options for waterfront running on Pico, In the main town of Madalena, there’s a 13 km cycle path along the main road — one of the only longer multi-use paths on the Azores! Other nice coastal runs can be experienced in San Antonio (just east of Arcos), São Roque, Praina, São Mateus, and Lajes do Pico.
This post highlights some of the easier interior trails or roads for running (not too technical or hilly).