Tips and Suggestions

The Azores have got a maritime climate, with 4 seasons throughout the year, but also the day.

It is never too cold or too hot. In winter, the average temperature is 14ºC, with a few days below 11ºC.

In summer, the average temperature is 22ºC, with few days above 28C.

The weather can change a lot during the day. On one side of the island, the weather might be sunny while on the other it is raining. In the high lands of the island, it can be much colder and windier than the south coast, which has more sub-tropical characteristics.

Another important aspects of the Azorean climate are the high humidity of the air and the wind, emphasizing the heat or cold feeling.

The chances of rainining are frequent, especially in higher altitudes, both during winter and summer. But, believe us, this is not a problem!

Faial Island is not as small as it seems.

Public transport is not frequent nor widely spread across the island, so we recommend you consider this while planning your trip.

From Quinta da Meia Eira, you can walk to a restaurant, a grocery store, a church, natural swimming pools, or hiking trails.

To visit the rest of the island, you can choose to rent a car, book a guided tour or taxi, rent a scooter, and for the more adventurous, cycling.

Book in advance!
Walking across dormant volcanoes, watching whales, swimming with dolphins, diving into seawater, looking for birds in the ground or in the sky, staring at clouds and rainbows, asking for a wish upon the stars, feeling astonished by botanical experiences, discovering the 600 years in the history of Faial, together with its different people and boats that arrived in different times are wonderful activities to be experienced in Faial. We suggest that you book the experience in advance and keep the schedule flexible in case any activity needs to be changed due to unexpected circumstances.

Comfortable and easy to wear clothing
When packing your bags, remember that you are coming to an island with activities in the wild. Choose clothes for hiking, walking on stony streets, pathways, or getting to the sea. Faial has got a relaxed environment.

No need to travel with clothes for one month!
If you need to do your laundry, either at Quinta da Meia or other accommodation units, you can do it.

Protect your feet
One of the great attractions of Faial and the Azores, in general, is diving in natural pools and ports. For those who are not used to it, you might want to wear reef beach shoes.

Binoculars!
Bring binoculars to spot boats, whales and birds..

Azorean cuisine is very similar to Portuguese cuisine, although it is also the result of its natural resources and the archipelago’s position. Here converged the spices from Asia and sugar from Brazil. In Faial, since the era of human settlement, people from all over the world converged, bringing new influences. Here ships were supplied with products that had to be conserved such as savory, cookies, and wine.

What distinguishes the Azorean cuisine from others is the way meals are cooked and seasoned. Cinnamon and allspice-flavored meats and fish, extra sweet bakery, dry biscuits to take onboard, English, and American fruit cakes are examples of these influences. The Azorean cuisine is a fusion cuisine that combines Portugal with the Tropics.

Faial’s specialties are fish, some seafood such as limpets, beef, and pork, traditional sausage, black pudding, yams, sweet potatoes, sub-tropical fruits, jams, biscuits, dry fruits cake, cornbread. Wines and liqueurs are mainly produced in Pico island, as a result of the close connection between Faial and Pico and their people. Not everything can be found easily in restaurants, and some products are only available in some parts of the year.

Many restaurants have vegetarian options, and if you have any allergies we recommend that you speak with the chef.