THE AZORES

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HEALTH CARE

Every principal town has a hospital with an emergency department or a health center. The EHIC (european Health Insurance Card) is widely accepted, but private travel insurance is always recommended.

General opening hours of pharmacies are from Monday to Saturday between 9am - 1pm and 3 - 7pm.

SARS-COV2 INFORMATION

All people arriving to the Azores must present proof, in digital or paper format, of a document issued by a laboratory stating the passenger’s identification, the laboratory where the test was performed, the date of the test and the NEGATIVE result. 

You can also request to schedule a screening test to SARS-CoV2 with one of the contracted laboratories and attach the result afterwards.

Upon your entry to the Azores, you must fill in a questionnaire and submit the result of your test within 72 hours before the beginning of your trip. 

If you show any SYMPTOMS while on the Azores or have CLINICAL QUESTIONS, call 808 24 60 24, for assessment by a nurse, or send an email to esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt. 

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For further and up-to-date information, please visit https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal

MONEY AND PRICE LEVEL

Like mainland Portugal, the Azores are part of the Eurozone. ATMs are common and it is possible to withdraw cash with your bank or credit card. Individual bank charges apply. 

Most hotels, restaurants and operators accept card payments, especially in the more populated and urban areas. It is always advisable to carry a few euros in cash for smaller transactions. Also, quite often bars or taxis would only accept cash. 

Despite their isolated islands location, the Azores are quite affordable. A 2l bottle of water or a fresh cup of coffee come in under € 1 and you can buy a decent enough bottle of wine in the

supermarket for less than € 5. Price levels vary when dining out, but an average meal for one person in a restaurant including an alcoholic beverage comes out at around € 15. Petiscos (Portuguese tapas) or a glass of beer or wine in a mid-class bar or restaurant cost you around € 1, but will be more depending on the exclusivity of the place. A taxi ride costs about € 0,75 per km.

OPENING HOURS

Shops - Monday - Friday 9am - 1pm and 3 - 6pm, Saturday 9am - 1pm

Banks - Monday - Friday 8:30am - 2:45pm

Post offices - Monday - Friday 9am - 1pm and 3 - 6pm

ELECTRICITY

220 Volt/50 Hertz alternating current.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

FESTIVITIES & EVENTS

Festivities are centred around religious traditions and every island has its own celebration of saints, which usually take place over the summer months. Additionally, holy spirit celebrations (‘festas do espirito santo') take place between April and September, peaking in the crowning of a ‘farmers king”, where the special ‘holy spirit soup’ is prepared in giant cauldrons and served with blessed cornbread. Due to the frequency of religious festivities, you can almost enjoy a local celebration every week over the summer on some of the islands.