Renting a Car in the Azores: Inter-Island Ferries and What to Know

The Azores archipelago covers nine volcanic islands spread across 600 km of Atlantic Ocean. Getting between them means flying or taking inter-island ferries. If you’re planning to island-hop with a rental car, the honest answer is: don’t count on the ferries. The practical approach is to fly and rent a separate car on each island.

The 9 islands: which ones most visitors see

The Azores is divided into three groups:

Eastern group: São Miguel (the largest), Santa Maria Central group: Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Faial, Pico Western group: Flores, Corvo (the smallest)

São Miguel (Ponta Delgada) is the main hub and handles the majority of international arrivals. Terceira (Angra do Heroísmo) and Faial (Horta) are the next most visited. The western islands (Flores, Corvo) are for experienced travellers — minimal infrastructure.

The inter-island ferry network

Transmaçor and Atlânticoline operate inter-island ferries in the Azores. Key routes:

• São Miguel ↔ Terceira ↔ Faial (central triangle)
• Faial ↔ Pico ↔ São Jorge (the triangle — very short crossings)
• Flores ↔ Corvo (the western islands)

The Faial–Pico crossing is just 25 minutes and runs multiple times daily — this is the most useful inter-island ferry for travellers. The Faial–Pico strait gives you one of the best views of Pico volcano anywhere in the archipelago.

Do inter-island ferries carry rental cars?

For most routes: no. Inter-island ferries in the Azores are primarily passenger services. The Faial–Pico–São Jorge triangle ferries do not carry rental cars.

For the longer mainland-connected routes, there are occasional cargo/car ferry services, but these are not designed for tourist use and schedules are unreliable.

The working rule: assume rental cars cannot go on Azores inter-island ferries. Plan accordingly.

The practical solution: fly and rent on each island

SATA (Azores Airlines / Azores Airlines) and TAP operate inter-island flights. A São Miguel → Terceira flight takes 30–40 minutes. São Miguel → Faial is 45 minutes.

Strategy for island-hopping:

1. Return your rental car at São Miguel Airport before your inter-island flight
2. Pick up a new rental at your destination island’s airport
3. Repeat for each island

Each island in the central and eastern group has at least one rental agency at the airport. Book in advance for summer travel — fleets on smaller islands are limited.

Local rental agencies in the Azores

Two local groups dominate the market:

Auto Atlântico — operates across São Miguel, Terceira, Faial, Pico, São Jorge. Often the best-value option. Vehicles are typically compact cars well-suited to the islands’ steep volcanic roads.

Ilha Verde — present on most main islands, competitive pricing.

International chains (Europcar, Hertz) are present on São Miguel and Terceira. On smaller islands, local agencies are your only option.

Book early for summer. July–August fleet availability on smaller islands (Pico, Flores) is genuinely limited. An island with 15 rental cars fully booked is not an exaggeration.

Driving on the Azores islands

Each island has its own character on the road:

São Miguel: well-paved roads, some steep sections around the calderas (Sete Cidades, Furnas). No motorway. The EN1-1a main road loops the island.

Terceira: compact, most roads paved. Angra do Heroísmo historic centre requires attention to one-way streets. Algar do Carvão and Serreta are worth a drive.

Pico: the road hugging the base of the volcano offers extraordinary views. The EN3 Pico mountain road to Cabeceiras requires care — steep, one-lane sections.

Faial: small island, easy to navigate. Caldeira viewpoint road at the top gets misty — drive carefully.

Flores: the most remote of the commonly visited islands. Roads are paved but narrow, steep and wet. Phenomenal waterfalls (Poço do Bacalhau). Worth it.

Getting around without a car

On São Miguel, taxis cover Ponta Delgada well. Organised tours handle most tourist attractions (Sete Cidades, Furnas hot springs, whale watching).

On smaller islands, a rental car is essential — bus networks are minimal and taxis scarce.

Practical tips

Fuel: petrol stations exist on all main islands but can be sparse on smaller ones (Flores, Corvo, Graciosa). Fill up when you see one.

Roads: the islands are hilly. A small car is perfectly adequate — you don’t need a 4x4 for standard tourism. Mountain roads to viewpoints can have steep gradients; automatic transmission makes life easier.

Weather: the Azores are famously changeable. A sunny morning can turn to low cloud by noon. Factor this in for scenic drives — some viewpoints are worth revisiting if the first visit is cloudy.

Insurance: local agencies’ excess policies vary. Ask clearly what’s covered and what’s not. Photograph the car before departure.

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Plan your Azores island-hopping with separate rentals on each island.

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