Diving in the Açores

Hello !

I would like to go shark diving in the Açores in mid-September. I have the PADI Advanced Certificate. It looks like the best islands for that are Pico and Faial, but the cheapest tickets to get to Açores are to Sao Miguel. Are there sharks there aswell ? Could you recommend some diving centers ?

I am planning to stay around 8 days, is it enough to go around the island ?
Do I need a car to go around ?

I cannot find to much information so thanks in advance for your help !

Hi there!

Lots and lots of questions!

1) Let's discuss tickets first: you can book a cheap ticket (i.e. Ryanair or EasyJet) to Sao Miguel and then, as long as you don't stay in that island for over 24h, request the local airline company, SATA, for a free reroute to Faial or Pico (you can also reach those islands by boat, depending on how much time you have available).

About the free reroute check this link (do give them a call if you have questions): http://encaminhamentos.sata.pt/en/Inter-Island-connecting-flights-inbound

Reaching by boat from Sao Miguel (to be honest, I don't know how 'hassle free' this option is, but keep it in mind as an alternative): http://www.atlanticoline.pt/p/p/index.php

2) I wrote 9 posts (one for each island) outlining what to do in each of them, and recommended local companies (highest scores on TripAdvisor). Here are the ones about Faial and Pico to get you started on your research:

http://www.tripper.pt/travel/portugal/what-to-do-in-the-azores-part-7-faial-island

http://www.tripper.pt/travel/portugal/what-to-do-in-the-azores-part-6-pico-island

3) I think 8 days is more than enough and, yes, you'll need a car. You can either rent your own or book a taxi or a tour to show you around (the hotels usually have packages for this but if you're staying on an airbnb sort of solution ask around, there's always someone who knows someone who knows someone) ;)

In general, the Azoreans are welcoming and love to show off their islands. Most islanders live off the tourism industry, so making a good impression is part of our DNA.

Drop me a message or an email if you have further questions. I'll do my best to help you out.

Amazing !! Thank you so much for the great tips, everything I needed to know ! :)

Hey Remuzor, so how was your trip finally? Were you based on pico or Faial? How to choose between them?
I'm planning to go there this September
Looking forward to your stories....

Big like!
I must study all your posts one by one!
Thanks!

Hey,any updates on the dive trip? we're planning to go this July and am pondering if Santa Maria or Jorge is a good option for some good diving and to spot big stuff - are there sharks (or whalesharks) around these islands and even Sao Miguel? Or only restricted to Pico?

Hello! I'm not a diving expert but Visit Azores has a list of the top ten diving experiences (and, as expected, different islands will have different experiences). You can check it out here: http://dive.visitazores.com/en/topten

On the sidebar on the right of the page they have a search box where you can search the ideal diving location according to the type of diving, what species do you hope to encounter, etc.

Hope this helps!

Sandra

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