Day one: from landing to your first sunset

Arrival day is the day when most can go wrong — and the one fewest people plan. So here, calmly, is how it usually goes for our guests.

Landing and setting off

All flights arrive at Ponta Delgada, the island’s only airport. It’s pleasantly small: a few minutes after leaving the plane you’re at the baggage belt, and shortly after that at the car hire desks directly opposite.

A hire car is essentially compulsory on São Miguel. Buses exist, but they run rarely and mainly connect the coastal villages — the crater lakes, the viewpoints and the hot springs are out of reach with them. Do take a small car: village streets are narrow and parking at the viewpoints is tight.

The drive to us

From Ponta Delgada to Mosteiros is about 40 minutes. The route crosses the western half of the island, and depending on which way you go it runs along the crater rim of Sete Cidades — delivering the first big “oh!” of the holiday when the lakes suddenly appear below you.

One tip that saves a lot of disappointment: cloud often sits on the crater rim while the sun shines down below. If you see nothing on the drive, it’s not an omen — just come back up on a clear morning.

Arriving

We’ll send you the details for getting into the house in good time; there’s nobody you need to meet on site. For the first evening a short walk into the village is plenty: there are small shops for the essentials, a bakery and several fish restaurants by the water.

And then: nothing

Our genuine advice for arrival day: plan nothing else. You sit outside, the sea is right there, and at some point the sun goes down behind the rock needles of the Ilhéus. The island will still be there tomorrow — and we have plenty of ideas for it.

Here you can see when the house is free.

Frank, Bärbel, Maren & Simon